From Ellen Hutchins to Dawson Turner   21 Jan 1809

For all your letters and all the information you so kindly give me, pray accept my warmest thanks. It is much more probable that you will be tired of answering my troublesome letters than that I should ever cease to feel the highest gratification in receiving yours. I should long since have answered your letter containing the mosses which I received above a month ago but that a few days after I wrote last to you I was attacked with a very severe illness from which I am now thank God recovering & tho’ nearly free from pain I am much weaken’d. The mosses were a great treasure; they were all but two new to me. I had before seen Grimmia acuta & I found by your specimens that Andraea Rothii was what I took for A rupestris & that it is the only species of the genus I have met with. I have several mosses that I am doubtful of & some not described in Mus Hib of which I shall in a week or two when I am a little stronger send you specimens under cover of Captain Mangin. I have specimens & 6 drawings of beautiful minute Confervae that I did before my illness to send with them. I am very glad you liked the drawings. I hope to improve by practice. I felt so strongly the necessity of making use of the parcel that I determined to apply myself to drawing as much as my health would allow and have just procured a large store of drawing materials. I shall very willingly do any thing you wish for & have intended to send you sketches of all the new Confervae I met with, they recover so impressively. I began mosses too but have not been able to do much. When I send you the little parcel I shall send you a volume of answers to your observations and describe as well as I can what you seem to wish to know. Of every thing that you wish for more of I hope to be able during the course of next summer to supply you. Of the Jungermanniae I either have specimens or shall be able to get more. I thought the little Bryum distinct from B carneum which grows here, with which I have often compared it. I never saw much of it, however I can spare you many specimens. How glad am I of G Daviesii; if the mountains contain another bit of it I must have it. I am sure of a little more for you. How my spirit flies to the mountains when my limbs will hardly bear me about I was going to say the plains, but we have none. We poor Irish often boast of what we have not.

The parcel you have sent to Mr Mackay for me I have not yet heard of but I am sure I shall in a few days. How much I thank you for it & for the inclination you show to contribute to my amusement. I shall highly value the books as your gift. Mrs Franks’ Letters I had not long since very hastily run over having borrowed them from a friend who was just leaving the country. I could have given them much more time with pleasure. When I send the parcel I shall answer as fully as I am able your three last letters, how I have fill’d this sheet I know not. When I began I thought to write only a few lines, let me add one to say how much I feel My dear Sir your truly obliged

E Hutchins

Ballylickey

January 21^st 1809