WCP3843

[1]¹

Broadstone, Wimborne

Oct^r 21st. 1906

Dear Mr Hemsley²

I am sorry to say that all Spruce's³ "Journals" during his long residence & explorations in Peru & Equador — a period of more than eight years — cannot be found. I have a short [illeg.] ^"itinerary" in a little book lettered outside —"List of Botanical Excursions" — beginning in 1841 in Yorkshire, & continuing unbroken till he left Peru, & even to his landing at Southampton. All the latter part of this — from 1852 to end — is written apparently with the same pen & ink — therefore, [2] undoubtedly copied from his "Journals" after his arrival in England. The Peruvian part of this is quite as full as the previous part. I have also references to his "Journal" in Ecuador & Peru, in private letters. Yet Mr Slater,⁴ after repeated searches cannot find them!

I find also, from a list of his printed letters & papers — that none of his letters to Sir W Hooker⁵ & Mr Bentham⁶ were printed later, than 1854.

Can you be so good as to let me know how many [3] letters there were from Dr. Spruce to Sir William Hooker & Mr Bentham — either from Tarapoto, Peru (July 1855 to March 1857) — or from — Baños, Ecuador, ^{July 4} (July 1857 to Jan^y 1858) or at any later dates up to May 1864, when he sailed for England. Also, roughly, the number of pages in each letter, or in the whole series.⁷

Till I know the amount of this material, I cannot ascertain whether Macmillan or any other publisher will undertake⁸ [4] the proposed book.

In case I should require to use the letters, I presume there is at Kew some type-writer, who could be allowed to make copies for me at about the usual terms — 1/- a thousand words.Spruce's writing was generally very distinct.

Yours very sincerely | Alfred R. Wallace^9,10 [signature]