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[Page 3]
of which little more than one hundred are non descript & of these I can hardly suppose that a great proportion has escap'd the French Botanists in their repeated visits to this quarter.
The collection of this expedition is the only thing for wch: I could procure accomodation on board the Lady Barlow. In one of the packing cases is encls'd a small box of Seeds chiefly of Van Diemens Land with a very few from Kent's Island Port Phillip & Hunter's River. Many of them are of very interesting plants & all are at present in good condition. There is also in the same box a small bag containing the fruit of a suppos'd species of Wintera (perhaps W: axillaris) the flowers of which I have not seen, which I send for your opinion of it as a Spice. It is perhaps very pungent every part of the Shrub possesses the same quality tho' in rather an inferior degree, it seems to me upon the whole superior to the original Wintera of South America.
Since my return from Van Diemen's Land I have visited Hunter's River & examind all the branches, as far as a very small boat could proceed, the unfriendly disposition of the Natives, who even attackd my boat, renderd it unsafe for me to go far from the banks, or to trace any of the branches above where they are navigable. This excursion has added about 50 species of Plants to my collection, but in other departments absolutely nothing.
For some months past I have not enjoyd good health I have often been so weak as to be incapable of undertaking any laborious excursion. Caley has just returnd successful from one that has been very fatiguing.
Mr.