Happy to draw up a paper of "Plantae Brasilienses"; does not anticipate it being very difficult, having the Linnaean herbarium, all of Rublet's specimens, and Commerson's; impossible for anyone to do such a work without seeing those specimens. However, his next work must "absolutely be a British Flora in English long promised", so cannot undertake Swainson's work at present, and is also pressed by "Flora Graeca". Believes the 'Graminae' would be the most difficult part.

Encloses specimen of handwriting of Linnaeus. Cannot think of any other person, except [Robert] Brown, "who cannot do half he is engaged in", competent enough to do what Swainson wants, "as it ought to be done".

[Draft or copy]

Hopes Smith recovered from the indisposition he suffered when he "honoured our town [Liverpool] with [his] instructive visit". Forced to give up botanical part of his Brazilian collections so as to focus on the zoological side, which is his main interest anyway, but anxious that botany should benefit from his collecting in places where no one has been but himself; offers to present any able botanist with collection of his duplicates, on condition of results being presented to Linnean Society; asks Smith to propose it to any of his competent botanical friends.