hem in collateral columns, and meant to have
printed them the last year of my stay in Washington. But not having yet
digested Captain Lewis's collection, nor having leisure then to do it,
I put it off till I should return home. The whole, as well digest as
originals, were packed in a trunk of stationery, and sent round by water
with about thirty other packages of my effects, from Washington, and
while ascending James river, this package, on account of its weight and
presumed precious contents, was singled out and stolen. The thief, being
disappointed on opening it, threw into the river all its contents, of
which he thought he could make no use. Among these were the whole of the
vocabularies. Some leaves floated ashore, and were found in the mud;
but these were very few, and so defaced by the mud and water, that no
general use can ever be made of them. On the receipt of your letter I
turned to them, and was very happy to find, that the only morsel of
an original vocabulary among them, was Captain Lewis's of the Pani
language, of which you say you have not one word. I therefore enclose it
to you as it is, and a little fragment of some other, which I see is in
his hand-writing, but no indication remains on it of what language it
is. It is a specimen of the condition of the little which was recovered.
I am the more concerned at this accident, as of the two hundred and
fifty words of my vocabularies, and the one hundred and thirty words of
the great Russian vocabularies of the languages of the other quarters of
the globe, seventy-three were common to both, and would have furnished
materials for a comparison, from which something might have resulted.
Although I believe no general use can ever be made of the wrecks of my
loss, yet I will ask the return of the Pani vocabulary when you are done
with it. Perhaps I may make another attempt to collect, although I am
too old to expect to make much progress in it.

I learn, with pleasure, your acquisition of the pamphlet on the
astronomy of the ancient Mexicans. If it be ancient and genuine, or
modern and rational, it will be of real value. It is one of the most
interesting countries of our hemisphere, and merits every attention.

I am thankful for your kind offer of sending the original Spanish for my
perusal. But I think it a pity to trust it to the accidents of the post,
and whenever you publish the translation, I shall be satisfied to read
that which shall be given by your transl