From Charles Stuart¹    17 March 1850

Woodhall²

17th Mar. /50

My dear Sir,

I only yesterday received your letter & package,³ & on monday last I wrote to you by the 'Peri' in which I expressed my wonder at not hearing from you in answer to my last, it was very unfortunate, & I now lose no time to acknowledge yours, as you will be doubtless uneasy, & hope this will arrive in time to prevent your writing to me again on that subject — and now my dear friend many thanks for your kind present of the Prodomus⁴ & glass, neither of which were to be obtained here, & will be of the greatest service to me, & perhaps in the end to yourself also, — the remittance 4£ 14/- also came safe to hand but I am very sorry if you should have found any inconvenience in that respect — as I assure you I was not in particular want of it as I think I told you

You will excuse the shortness of this as I have just an opportunity of sending this to Launceston without delay — so that you will have no occasion to answer this, as I will immediately send a case of Phænogamous⁵ specimens & Algae as soon as I can get them packed, on receipt of which please to write soon an acknowledgement as it will remove any uneasiness from my mind

When you have time to send (use your own time) instead of seeds which you speak of, I should be much pleased with any specimens however small of S. Australian plants, as all that remains to me of my collecting in your colony are those few you obtained from Stephens, — you have I suppose not seen Mr Bunce I am not acquainted much with him, but from what little I know of him his knowledge of Botany is very superficial, he was for some time in VDL. — but may be improved since — I observed your notes in the paper you sent which were much to the purpose & felt flattered by the mention you made of my name,⁶ & I have no need to say that you may always count on my co-operation in our pleasing pursuit, by contributions from this quarter —, where I am I may say alone as I can count from no assistance from any one here so that the very small portion of time I can obtain from my laborious occupation I am obliged I assure you to make the most of — however I think I shall be able to make up somewhere near 800 sp & Gen. for you this season with the forthcoming investment I think you will be pleased particularly as respects Algae

I had last week an opportunity of purchasing Dons (G) work⁷ which you were in treaty for at Adelaide when I left, I obtained 4 volumes new from the press for 20/ a complete gift, they are all that have been published & extend to Labiatae, or nearly the whole of Dichlamydeous plants so that with that & the prodomus I shall get on pretty well — the 3 sp. of Potamogeton which I sent you are I think P. natans, P. perfoliata,⁸ and P. graminifol⁹ — but I will write more with the box & so dear sir with every acknowledgement for your kind present believe me to be (in great haste)

Yours most sincerely

Charles Stuart

I had almost forgot to say that on farther acquaintance with the Mr Archer¹⁰ of whom I spoke it would not be worth your while to form much acquaintance as he is following the footsteps of Gunn he will never become a botanist I was deceived in him — he thinks he is already at the summit of the hill with about 18 months very confined practice — & disdains instruction — let him go

Labiatae

Potamogeton graminifolius

Potamogeton natans

Potamogeton perfoliata