From Charles Stuart   22 May 1848

Launceston 22nd May 1848.

Sir

You have most likely wondered that I have not written to you before now but the reason is that I have been so unsettled & one thing and another that I have not been able to send you any thing worth your acceptance, more particularly as I have not seen Mr Gunn who has been at Port Philip, but I now send by the brig Henry a box with a few specimens, the weather has been so bad that I have not been able to go to the mountains but shall go a journey next week but thought I would send you a few which I fear are hardly worth your acceptance, but trust me I will send you many more, I shall not easily forget your kindness to me & shall endeavour to repay you, the rain has been so severe here that the rivers are all full and difficult to cross and there are many of them, I have sent a box of plants &c to Mr Giles & if you should see him will you please to tell him that they are at Mr Fairlies Hindley street, with a letter for him I told him that if Mr Stephens had sold any collections that I would send you an order to receive the money & pay him, when he would send my box, on the other side I have written the order, if there is no money I will try & send it to him by the next time the Henry goes to Adelaide — I have plenty of employment here but wages are very low. I hope to get you a good lot of things shortly in the mean time please to write to me & if you can send me the names of the plants you were exploring when I left Adelaide I should be much obliged, particularly of the creeper near Billardiera also the blue flowered linear leaved plant also in Pittosporae & if you could give me the Natural orders of them I think I could remember what is in the collection without aid of a duplicate, I am at last settled in a place where I have convenience for preserving specimens & shall not let slip any opportunity of obtaining them for you & for no one else as I shall not do it for profit but the pleasure of having your correspondence, the next lot I send you I shall take more pains now I have more convenience for to do it I shall be glad if you could write soon perhaps by the Henry, She generally remains about a week or 10 Days at Adelaide — we had rather a rough passage of about 2 Weeks coming here — I had to pay 3£ — any directions which you may give me respecting specimens I will attend to hoping that yourself & sisters are quite well & with respects to Mr Heuzenroder

I am Sir

yours truly

Charles Stuart

please direct to me to the care of Joseph Bonney Esq

Woodhall

near Perth

Van Diemens Land

PS I have enquired about Honey but cannot get any under 8d pr lb

Billardiera

Pittosporae