Cambridge, July 4, 1877.
Dear old E.,—Never mind if you are seventy; Hooker is sixty, and I am between, and we are lively yet.
Perhaps we young fellows may knock about rather faster than you like, wanting to do much in a little time. But then, you need not do so much in Colorado as we; take the easy part.... I shall be sorry if you fail us.
We must twine in Cuscuta, as we twine in the rest of the book. For real accuracy we must finally come to the terms I propose, entropic and antitropic. We can’t get watch-hands into a good form for the description of order, genus, etc.
Be sure I’ll keep you posted. Should like to go to Iron Mountain.
Waiting on railroad from Cañon City
to Pueblo, July 21, 1877.
... If this flowering Euphorbia is the one you asked for I have made good specimens. The round-leaved one is on the hills, and is not yet out; is not the one, I am sure.
We had yesterday a good day (with Brandegee)[101] at the Arkansas Cañon; it is grand, surely.
To-day Hooker and the Stracheys drive across and down Wet Mountain Valley to La Veta (two long days), while we, Mrs. Gray, Dr. Hayden, and I, return by railroad to Pueblo, and thence to La Veta, by sunset to-day. To-morrow up to a camp on La Veta Pass of Sangre de Christo Mountains, which Captain Stevenson is preparing.
Our English friends begin already to feel in a hurry, and for a wonder I am the hold-back member of the party....