Letters of Asa Gray; Vol. 1

by Asa Gray

Dr. Gray began an Autobiography, but went no further than to give a brief sketch of his early life. This fragment is placed, with some notes illustrative of the early conditions in which his youth was passed, at the beginning of the work.

It is owing to the kind assistance of many friends that the Autobiography and Letters are thus presented; among whom should be especially mentioned Professors C. S. Sargent and Charles L. Jackson, Dr. W. G. Farlow, Mr. J. H. Redfield, and Mr. Horace E. Scudder.

J. L. GRAY.

Botanic Garden, Cambridge,
July 1, 1893.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER		PAGE
[I.]	[ Autobiography. 1810-1843]	[1]
[II.]	[ Early Undertakings. 1831-1838]	[29]
[III.]	[ First Journey in Europe. 1838-1839]	[85]
[IV.]	[ A Decade of Work at Home. 1840-1850]	[272]
	[Index] [The index appears in volume II. It is included at the end of volume I for the reader's convenience. (etext transcriber's note)]

Note on the Illustrations. The frontispiece portrait of Dr. Gray is a photogravure from a photograph taken in 1867. The portrait facing [page 286] is from a daguerreotype taken about 1841. The view of the Botanic Garden House, facing [page 358], is from a drawing by Isaac Sprague.

LETTERS OF ASA GRAY.

CHAPTER I.
AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
1810-1843.

My great-great-grandfather, John Gray, with his family, among which was Robert Gray, supposed to be one of his sons, emigrated from Londonderry, Ireland, to Worcester, Mass., being part of a Scotch-Irish colony.[1] The farm they took up was on the north side of what is now Lincoln Street.