WCP4725

[1]¹

Broadstone, Wimborne

Sept[embe]^r. 6th. 1906

Dear Mr. Slater

I return you Mr. Teasdale's letter. The "letters" are ^now of little importance as we have Spruce's² copies of most of them. Thanks for your further instalment of Lists of Spruce's books & papers. The contents though interesting, are of no use whatever till the missing "Journals" are found. The early "Journal" (Para to Santarem) is of no further use.

Form Spruce's "List of Botanical Excursions" — which is really [2] a brief summary of the "Journals" of his whole American Travels, evidently copied in England (soon after his return home) from his "Journals", and extending down to his landing in England, May 28th. 1864, I feel as sure that you have those "Journals" as if I had seen them.

Till you can be send me these I cannot take a single step further. Nothing else is of any use for publication [3] except as a supplement to the "Journals".

The Orinoko & Rio Negro Journals, which you discovered lately, are so closely written that if printed in full they would alone make a volume, & I am sure the Tarapoto, and the Andean "Journals", extending over three times as many years, would at least make two more volumes. This would fortunately allow for much condensation, & the omission of all the mere "diary", and uninteresting details.

It is most unfortunate that you did not, at the time of Spruce's death, put all his Mss. into boxes [4] by themselves, so that they could be had when wanted. It is now six months since I offered to do what I could to get them published, and the essential portions, without which all the rest are useless, are still not forthcoming!

Cannot you get a strong woman to help your daughter make a thorough search, from attic to cellar, in cupboards, boxes, & bundles, & everywhere else, till they are found. I cannot ask for any assistance for type-writing &c. or write to publishers till they are found; and the delay and worry are becoming serious.

Believe me | Yours very truly | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]