Letter from Dr. Alexander McWilliams to the Members of the Columbian Institute, January 14, 1826

City of Washington January [[underlined]] the 14[[superscript]] th [[/superscript]][[/underlined]] 1826 Gentlemen I present to the Columbian Institute a Herbarium of the plants of the District of Columbia, which I have collected and arranged according to the Linean improved classification. That it is deficient in many of the Plants found in this district will be obvious to every one, yet this defect I hope to remedy the enssueing Summer. There are other and more important defects I much fear which I hope the more experienced Botanist will pardon and correct. It is presented with a wish [[written over "hope"]] that it may be the commencement of a National Herbarium, here to be deposited, where the inquirer may peruse & examine at leisure all the Vegetable productions of our extensive Country. I am Gentlemen your most humble and most devoted servant [[underlined]] Alexander McWilliams [[/underlined]]

From D[[superscript]] r [[/superscript]]. McWilliams [[strikethrough]] to M[[superscript]] r [[/superscript]]. Dickins [[/strikethrough]], relative to an herbarium of the plants in the District of Columbia, To the Members of the Columbian Institute 14, January, 1826, Recorded, in abstract, Vol: 1. page, 192. [[to right, rotated 180 degrees]] Read Jan. 14. 1826 [[/to right]]