My dear Darwin

I am puzzled & distressed at the loss of your letter from Haast.² I fancy that I do recollect it’s coming in that I sent you, & I thought I had on its receipt put it out addressed to you to go by Post with a whole heap of other letters on the night of my return from Jersey.³ My wife on the other hand saw no such letter when she stamped the batch. I had such a heap of letters to read through including 2 from Haast that I cannot speak positively of seeing the enclosure to you at all. My wife’s not having seen it is odd—& makes me think that I may have confounded Haast’s notice of its being enclosed, with my present idea that I saw itself   I have hunted every where in vain for it, & am at my wits end about it. That it did not go to Post is certain, for I sent all letters through my wife. It is also odd that I should not have thought of enclosing it in a letter of my own to you, as I intended to write to you the first thing after my return.

I shall continue my search, meanwhile I see no way out of my perplexity.

Ever yours | Dumbfoundered | J D Hooker

P.S. | I am now going to Town about the R.S. Elections⁴   have you any hints to give me.?