Ricarde Seaver thanks Hooker for his kind note and flattering allusion to his blue book on the Argentine States. Strange to say this work cost him more trouble to translate properly into English than the writing and getting up of the original in Spanish. Congress was, however, so pleased that they voted him $1000 and requested him to translate and publish it for general information. The [Sociedad] Economica Matri tense, a very old and influential learned society in Madrid, elected him a fellow to mark their approval of a foreigner's successful attempt to write their classical tongue correctly, and he fears he must say it reads better in Spanish than in English. Ricarde Seaver sends Hooker a map [not attached], originally intended to accompany the book, just published and compiled by Petermann of Gotha, from a very large drawing and other materials Ricarde Seaver supplied him with in 1870. Dr Petermann wished to include Chile, Paraguay et cetera in one sheet, thus delaying its production a very long time. Petermann has, however, constructed about the most correct map of those states in existence and Sir Henry Rawlinson did him the honour of eulogising it in his last address to the Royal Geographical Society. Ricarde Seaver presented a copy of the book and map to the Athenaeum Club some time ago. His good friends Prince L. Lucien Bonaparte, Sir William Thomson and Major Moncrieff, wished to push forward his election to the Athenaeum last year, but he begged them to desist as he cannot lay claim to any special merit sufficient to warrant his going through the Committee. Referring to Tucuman this is indeed a lovely garden, and if there are any plants Hooker desires to have he could easily obtain them, as he is in the Consul Service of the Argentine Government. Pages 1 and 4 of 4.