Thom sends a list of plants he sent to Hooker on the 20 February 1824 which was address to Professor Carper, Glasgow Huntarium[?] Museum. It includes grasses, rushes, reeds and protea, plus related payment details. Thom tells Hooker he has been busy with official duties but has now had the chance to send the above specimens and hopes to assist the Museum of Glasgow in the future. He says it would be desirable to have a Scottish collector in the region from either Glasgow or Edinburgh University, and notes the presence of French and Prussian collectors who he is very critical about. He also mentions Mr. Bowie from Kew Gardens and Mr. Marwich from the British Museum who has been looking for shells, adding that Scotland should not be left behind. He discusses the need for a committee to deal with such issues and he says there are seven Scottish ministers around Cape town who could be influential in this. He goes on to stress the importance of the ‘religious’ character that such a collector should have and writes about the idea further referring to a Rev. Thomson and a Mr. Melville who are in the area and may be able to help. He says he is glad Hooker was happy with the specimens he sent and says he would like to have their names. He also writes that he has become interested in taxidermy, and specifically preserving birds. He moves on to discuss the poor availability of books on Natural History, but does say he received three volumes from the Wernerian Society, and cites a book to be published in Cape Town by Mr. T. Pringle [probably the Scottish writer and abolitionist Thomas Pringle] he also says he has received Hooker’s book about Iceland. Before finishing his letter he remarks about the religious dimension to his interest in nature. Page 1 of 4