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1 6-18- 1867 Prairie home of Mr Neely Tuesday morning June 18th Dear? friends we arrived here about dusk on friday. Merrill
found made himself familiar with nearly all of his Danville relatives. There he visited the coal mines, collected fossils,
made cascades among the brotherhood of illegible lls that sing on the green high banks of the Big Vermillion. We left Danville
Thursday afternoon at one or two o'clock - ate supper at Decatur and proceeded north to the pretty town of Bloomington where
we arrived about dusk - next morning we were again in motion for Ferrestown where we arrived about three - there it was my
intention to botanize north eastward a few miles and take all of Saturday to find Mr Neely - after walking about half a mile,
we were overtaken in margin: I daily find Merrill more congenial. I wish he was older. Remember us to all friends. My love
to all illegible with most cordial gratitude. J Muir