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Encloses drawings; has no female florets on his 'Eriocaulon sexangulare' , requests Smith's assistance. Sir Joseph Banks and [James] Dickson think the 'Ribes petraeum' in "English botany" is only a variety of 'R. rubrum'; argues against this, small ink sketch. Smith should expect Dickson's "Fasciculus [plantarum cryptogamicarum Britanniae]" soon as he is working on the plates. Encloses a new 'Lichen'. Asks after the 'Ulva' he previously sent

Sending "English botany" as usual, and including 3 bills. Sending prints for "Linnean Transactions" vol 5 tomorrow. Encloses a "rude bit" of [Charles] Abbot's 'Chenopodium urbicum'. Hopes for the 6 drawings for ["English botany"] no.100 soon.

[Spec 20 written in pencil at head of verso of folio]

Sends "English botany" as usual but late, and adds profile of [Peter Simon] Pallas as a present from [Aylmer Bourke] Lambert, who has given the plate to Linnean Society. Sends a couple of drawings for "English botany" and some of Smith's specimens and drawings. He has begun some things for "Icones pictae", asks if Smith wishes to go on with it. Hopes to get faster out of debt this year. Encloses £20 bank note and package from [William] Borrer.

Sending profile of Pallas, plants, and drawings until some "Flora Graeca" is sent.

Sends numbers as usual and encloses £15 note. Also sends a little bit of ulmin on elm bark, finds similar substance on oak, hornbeam, and horse chestnut and asks Smith's botanical friends to look out for it; has recommended it to the Society of Arts as excellent for finishing in water colours, in same way that Sir Joshua Reynolds [(1723-1792), painter] used 'Asphaltum' in oil.

Requests Smith to revise enclosed 4 numbers of "English botany" and number enclosed in last.

Just received "Flora Glottiana" and one of [George] Don's "Fasciculi of Dried Plants" for Smith. [William Elford] Leach has been recommended by [Dawson] Turner and [William Jackson] Hooker to get certificates signed by Linnean Society members in support of his candidacy at the British Museum, will add his name if this happens.

Transcribes extract from letter by [John Russell, 6th] Duke of Bedford, in which he recommends Smith take up continuation of "Flora Rustica", now that interest in agriculture as a science is well established; his own thoughts on subject.

Unable to make out the flowers on Sir Thomas Gage's specimen of 'Trifolium squarrosum', will hope for an earlier gathered specimen next year.

Sends parcel from [William] Borrer and a few drawings, including part of a sketch of 'Tremella sarcoides' as he is confident it is young state of another plant; observations. Asks after variety of 'Primula veris' sent some years ago by [Charles] Abbot, figured some years ago in "Annales du Museum" [1808] under name 'P. perreiniana'.

Unsigned.

Sorry Smith has been so ill, hopes not to hurry him. Will appreciate Smith's advice about "English botany" indexes. Encloses further patterns for "Flora Graeca" and letter from [George] Anderson on plight of late [George] Don's family for Smith and [Dawson] Turner's consideration. Asks to borrow Linnaean specimen of 'Ostrea diluviana' for drawing; thinks a work on Linnaeus' shells "would perhaps answer a good purpose".

Sending 9 plates and 2 patterns of "Flora Graeca". Asks how Smith goes on with the new "Flora Anglica" ["English Flora"], and if Smith provides a list will make up all deficiencies and a supplement to "English botany". Believes the Linnaean system "will gain ground again".

He has had a relapse since arriving but now well, and as the waters do him "great service" will stay for another 8 or 10 days. Asks that Sowerby send [Edmund] Davall copies of second numbers of both "Icones pictae" and "Spicilegium botanicum". Sending box of plants for "English botany", including: 'Lithospermum officinale', 'Cardamine impatiens', 'Aquilegia vulgaris', 'Arenaria verna', 'Thlaspi montanum', 'Polygala vulgaris', 'Lysimachia nemorum', 'Cistus helianthemum', 'Euphrasia officinalis', 'Poterium sanguisorba', 'Galium', 'Byssus aurea'; brief notes on characteristics of each.

Sends parcel of poplar and alder specimens to sketch, including polar flowers; Sowerby may find the birch near London, and should draw 'Betula nana' from a garden; will send poplar leaves in June from the same trees. Pleased the 'Cyamus' seed was in such good order, what he found agrees with Gaertner's figure. Returns Mr Lewis' letter and scheme of classes, his ideas "sensible but not new". Intends to buy [George] Don's "fasiculi" ["Herb. Britannicum" (1804-1812) ?] through Sowerby, though "out of regard to him only" as there is nothing he wants.

Approves of Sowerby's patterns for "Flora Graeca", though a correction is needed with colouring of 'Bromus'. Sowerby should use one or two of [Archibald] Menzies' species of 'Boronia', if they have retained their colour, for "Exotic botany", the rest to be engraved for Linnean Society. Does not think the patters for "Exotic botany" well coloured, except 'Diuris maculata'. Returns Sowerby's mineralogy manuscript. Sowerby's sketches from Don's specimens "excellent". [James] Crowe approves figure of 'Salix acuminata' in last "English botany"; he paid 6 guineas for Sowerby's microscope.

Returns 6 drawings and two 'Conferva' specimens to be figured as t.2427 and t.2428 [of "English botany"], to finish no.247 June. Also returns Sowerby's "beautiful drawings" for the Duke of Bedford [John Russell, 6th Duke]; difficulty whether to call some 'Mespili' or 'Crataegi'. They intend to arrive back in London shortly.

Concerned to hear Sowerby is ill. Received [Richard] Salisbury's attack on "English botany" yesterday with another "scurrilous" letter; glad to see he praises Sowerby's part of the work. Intends to neither answer Salisbury's letters nor his work, and to return future letters unopened. Defends himself against Salisbury's attack by saying he is the "first English writer who undertook to examine the characters of Linnaeus, & to correct them where [he] found an error", and thus can only be blamed for not bringing them at once to "perfection".

Returns Sowerby's drawing for frontispiece of "Flora Graeca". emphasises that Hudson, Lightfoot and Curtis all copied Linnaeus without correction. Sorry to hear Sowerby is thinking of dropping "Exotic Botany" after its increased sale, reiterates that he is content to wait for his money for this work. Unable to send his specimen of 'Merops apiaster' for Sowerby to draw, so sends drawing of Hooker's. Sends his duplicate of 'Alopecurus fulvus'. Returning various plates for "English botany" and "Exotic botany".

Received the 5 drawings [for "Flora Graeca"] safely. Hopes to received money from [Thomas] Platt soon [(d 1842), one of John Sibthorp's executors, supervised the publication of "Flora Graeca"]. Received lichens from [Charles] Lyell but has experienced problems with microscope; requests drawing of 'Lichen caesiferus'. Thanks for Smith's condolences on death of his daughter, Felicia.

[Written on recto of proof page from "English Botany" no 1916, dated 1 August 1808]

Sending what plants he can for "English botany" and two "Flora Graeca" plates, including the frontispiece. Sends an 'Hieracium' from [Jonathan] Salt [(1759-1815)] of Sheffield. Uncertain what to do with [Aylmer Bourke] Lambert's 'Cnicus tuberosus'.

[Written on recto of proof page from "English Botany" no 2249, dated February 1811]

Thanks for drawings and "curious residium of burnt banknotes". Thinks it would be more valuable to keep the copyright of "English botany" as a perpetual source of income rather than selling it. Returning drawings for "English botany" no.244 and "Flora Graeca", finishing the third fasciculus. Has named and returns Sowerby's Labrador plants, except 'Swertia rotata' and true Linnaean 'Campanula uniflora', and his Irish 'Agrostis'. Requests return of German book on fungi. Sends specimens of 'Carex salina' and 'C. ustulata', with another 'Eriophorum' from "indefatigable" George Don.

[Draft of Sowerby's reply, in pencil:] Sends plants and drawings.

Sends new British plants for determination. Has heard through [Joseph] Sparshall that at least three people have died from eating poisonous fungi; frustrated that there is not "more Philanthropy shown on this head", suggests text for a handbill outlining dangers of 'Agaricus virosus'.

Returns 4 drawings with descriptions for no.263 [of "English botany"]. He has heard or done nothing regarding the vacancy at the [British] Museum, and if Sowerby had wished it would have done more for him than anyone else, even though [William] Bingley and his brother, Frederick, applied to him first; the position not to be had "without much exertion", and would be a "place of abject drudgery and dependence", knowing the "domineering & meddling char[acte]r of some of the trustees.

Sends 9 more drawings for "Flora Graeca" and 4 drawings to finish present volume of "English botany"; a "melancholy feeling" at finishing that work. Informed by David Booth George Don's death from putrid sore throat; his family left in poverty; has collected money for them; the family wish to sell the plants in his garden before they are dug up, asks for advice from [James] Dickson and the Andersons; Dawson Turner "very bountiful as usual, to this poor family". [William Jackson] Hooker to be married to Turner's eldest daughter [Maria Sarah (1797-1872)].

[Draft of letter in Sowerby's hand]: relates Don's death and plight of family and seeks recommendations for the family to sell the plants.

[Notes in pencil]: sums of money collected by Smith for Mrs Don.

Sends seaside plants to be drawn for "English botany", including: 'Santolina maritima', 'Euphorbia paralias', 'Nordeum maritimum', and 'Atriplex laciniata'. Also sending specimen of 'Pyrola maculata', a very rare American plant, for "Spicilegium [botanicum]", a new 'Campanula', garden specimen of 'Galeopsis villosa' for "English botany", and 'Mentha exigua'.

Sending parcel of 50 'Santolina' specimens to be forwarded to [James] Dickson for his "Hortus Siccus Brittanicus". Asks Sowerby to send two copies of ; requests him to send by coach two copies of "A specimen of the botany of New Holland" for [William Beeston] Coyte and Mrs [Elizabeth] Cobbold.