21 Regent Street, London

December 24. 1836

Sir

A small collection of dried plants having been received by the Commissioners for the Affairs of India from Col. Chesney, ^<1> lately employed in the Euphrates expedition, the R^t Hon Sir John Hobhouse, ^<2> the President of the Board, has directed the duplicates to be distributed in such manner as may be most conducive to the ends of science.

The collection although small is interesting from having been formed in a country the Natural History of which has been little investigated, and I therefore trust that the Specimens I have now the pleasure to forward you for your Herbarium in compliance with Sir John Hobhouse’s wishes will be acceptable to you.

It is intended that a report should be made upon the collection at some future time; but it is not wished to restrain you in the mean while from making public use of the species in your collection in case you desire to do so; you are only requested in that case to take care that the printed numbers attached to the Specimens are carefully referred to.

I have the honour to be
Sir
Your very obed^t Serv^t

John Lindley

H. Fox Talbot Esq

---

Notes:

1. Francis Rawdon Chesney (1789–1872), general, explorer of the Euphrates (1831) – the expedition referred to here – as well as 1835–1837.

2. John Cam Hobhouse, Baron Broughton (1786–1869), statesman & friend of Byron.