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Letter from Richard Chandler Alexander, Hammersmith, London, to John Hutton Balfour, undated.
Alexander writes from Hammersmith. He is sorry to have missed Balfour last summer. We met any visiting botanists at either the Linnean Soc. or Sir William Hooker’s. I presume you only stayed a short time. I would have been glad to have shown you what I have got together since the time when your presents were the largest part of my collection. We didn’t se MacNab as he was engaged on the Flora of Jamaica. His resources are very limited. There was an excellent large library in Kingston when I arrived but the Society got into debt [like others there] and the books were distributed. His own is small and poor Macfadyen hadn’t a large collection to leave. As to plants MacNab is better off, he has a great number of Purdie’s beside his own but without fresh specimens, which he can’t [confined as he is by his practice in Kingston] he won’t be able to do a lot. Shall not be able to visit Edinburgh this winter to meet old friends and see all the additions and improvements to the museum. Congratulations on the addition to your family and regards to Mrs. Balfour.