Henri-François BON (1844-1894). L.A.S., Ké So [Tonkin] September 22, 1887, [to Gustave Dumoutier]; 2pages in-8. Rare letter from this missionary, linguist and botanist in Tonkin. [Born in Montreuil-Bellay (Maine-et-Loire) in 1844, Henri Bon was sent to Indochina in 1868 by the Missions Étrangères. He spent two years in Cochinchina, before being posted to West Tonkin in 1871. As a correspondent for the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle, he sent this institution 4,570 plant samples, including many new species. On his death in 1894, his personal herbarium of some 4,000 plants was handed over to the Muséum. He also wrote a Manuel de conversation franco-tonkinois]. He did not reply immediately to his correspondent, "because I have been rather busy, and also because, being absolutely lacking in botanical books, my competence in this matter is probably not as high as you would like to suppose. I believe that all my remarks are correct; nevertheless, if someone more authoritative than I, especially M. Balansa, were to speak to you in another sense, I would urge you to adopt his opinion in preference to mine". He thanks you for "sending me your brochure on Tong King teaching"... [Gustave Dumoutier (1850-1904), orientalist and archaeologist, accompanied Paul Bert in 1886 when the latter was appointed Resident General of France in Tonkin and Annam. He organized the teaching of French in Indochina and was appointed Director of Education in Tonkin and Annam]. Former Henri Ledoux collection (small HL stamp).