WCP2857

[1]

Oct 31, [19]06¹.

Dr A. R. Wallace,

Dear Sir,

In reply to your letter I may say that I have no actual knowledge as to number of volumes & forming Spruce's² diary.

Spruce & my mother were children together, & were very friendly when he returned from S. America. When he came to live at Welburn he often came to our house at [2] the neighbouring Village of Balmer[?]. I was interested in B botany at the time & spent much time going about with Spruce, & at his rooms. He suggested that I should go to S. America on a botanical trip, which I did. Before going, Spruce showed me his very extensive ms.[?] photos, &c. I suggested that I should make additional observations in the Andes of Ecuador, & that I should assist him in preparing a work on S. American Andes, &c, on my return. [3] He gave me his avewuor aueroir[?] & other instruments that he used so that our joint observations might be readily coloulated[?]. On my return, he still suggested my doing the fag[British: toil, drudgery] part of reducing his notes to order & culling[?] the important parts. Our temperaments however proved to be so diametrically opposed that this idea was not carried out. I never saw the Mrs. on my return from S. America in 1871. All I did for Spruce was to dissect & draw figs for his work on Hepaticae³.

[4] I was in London when Spruce died, but saw him at Coneysthorpe a year or two before his death, when he told me that he had decided to leave everything in the way of ms., &c, in the hands of his executor, Mr Slater⁴, of Mallow.

Yours Very truly | Geo. Massee⁵ [signature]