Kew
October 13th/[18]58
I think I have money enough of yours to pay another year's Linn[?] subscription.
My dear Munro*1
I am quite ashamed of the time that has elapsed since I received your letter (March 26). Since that period I have been waiting in vain the advent of cl. Currie who was to take out the Stendal, & after a short time of waiting in April I wrote to Cox & Co who informed me very curtly that Capt Major Currie was in Canada. However I purchased the copy of Stendal & sent it out in a box to A. Gray the other day together with the proof sheets of the Tasmanian Flora now passing through [1 word illeg.].
I had a set of sheets of the

N. Z. Flora [1 word illeg.] for you -- did you never get them? I cannot find them any where.
I am now in the middle of the Indian Grasses & [1 word illeg.] the greatest assistance from your having previously gone over the majority of them. There the Cyperaceae & Orchidaceae are now the only Indian orders to be laid in. I have been thes e 7 years hard at this [1 word illeg.] Indian Herb arrangement. & meanwhile have an accumulation of some 100 bundles of supplement!

I have now all the India House Collections to arrange &c = 11 Eleven 2--horse--waggon loads of rubbish, [1 word illeg.], rats & insects -- a 30 years accumulation from Vaults of India House! -- All Griffith's, Falconer's [1 word illeg.] collections besides loads of sundries --
I screwed £200 out of E. I. C. on [1 word illeg.] death to pay for expenses of assistance in cleaning, poison, ticketing &c. All Griffiths mss & drawings (sadly mutilated) came with them. I am called mad to have undertaken this job & probably am so.
We are all well here. Bentham returned 2 days ago from country[?]. Harvey is busy at Cape Flora & has been much here, we took a short cruize[sic] together to Cornwall & N. Devon. he returns here in Nov[embe]r.

Lindley is busy at Orchids -- Bentham at [2 words illeg.] plants & will join me in a Genera Plantarum & undertake an Australian Flora for which Col. Office give £1000. Thomson's health is wretched & he does very little Botany I fear. You have no doubt heard of Brown's death -- no one knows what will be done about Brit. Mus. collections. Bentham's Brit Flora is out & gives great satisfaction to all but poor Babington who says it will be the ruin of British Botany, & that he cannot find strength of mind to look into it ! --
Bentham wants the characters of the Grasses named in Seemanns Hong Kong Flora. He [1 word illeg.] his very kind regards in which we all join pray present the same to Mrs Munro with congratulations on your family development.
Ever most sinc[erel]y y[our]s | Jos D Hooker [signature]