Sir,
Oben Humboldt in Tinte: Nr. 3.
I had the honour, a considerable time since, to receive your obliging letter of
the 18.th of February
last, to which I should have replied before now, but for the want of
knowing an opportunity to forward a letter, and for incessant &
indispensable engagements in my professional business; to these reasons I should
also add, the attention I have been obliged to give to a new
edition of D.r
Edwards’ Treatise on the Mohegan
Language, which is republishing under my direction. While I have
been thus waiting for a moment’s leisure in order to make my reply, your other
[letter](508) (of Oct.
9.th
) has arrived. I shall in a few
days do myself the pleasure to answer them both in detail, and shall accompany
my letter with a copy of my edition of Edwards.
I know not how to express the satisfaction I feel at the flattering manner in
which you have been pleased to receive my communications; and I am
particularly gratified that our new edition of Eliot’s Grammar has been published in such a manner as to
meet with your approbation.
In the mean time permit me, Sir, to offer you a new work which
has just been published here, under the sanction of our Government,
respecting the Indian Tribes. You will not, it is true, find much in
it respecting the languages; but it contains a great mass of geographical &
other information, which will be of value in the progress of your researches.
The copy, which I send you, is presented by the author, the Rev.d D.r Morse, who desires me to request your acceptance of
it. He is the same gentleman, who is the author of our earliest
work on the Geography of the United States, which has been for some
time known in Europe.
I have the honour to be
Sir,
with the highest consideration,
your most obedient
& humble servt
JnoPickering
Salem, Massachusetts,
Jan.y 18.
1823.