Except for Smith's communication and "a very absurd" paper on migration of birds by [John] Lyon there have been new new papers at last two meetings of Linnean Society, and they have nothing for the next meeting. Council meeting on Tuesday to discuss purchase of a house in Nassau Street. Knows nothing yet of Dr [William] Turton's [(1762-1835), conchologist] certificate but when it appears will speak out. Believes that any member who canvasses for blackballing a candidate after signing their certificate should be expelled from the Society; according to present regulations it now takes a third of members present to blackball a candidate.

Sends what he has so far written for the press of Linnaeus' Lapland tour ["Lachesis Lappoinca, or a Tour in Lapland" (1811)], and a few sheets of the original to give an idea of the figures; proposes having these traced to be engraved, as he is in constant need of the originals, having only the translation of the Swedish. Anxious to have something fixed as his translator, Carl Troilius, is expecting his payment of £60 by end of the year.

Thanks for notice of the £50, arrangements for transferring. Laments death of his "old friend" Lady Rockingham [Mary Watson-Wentworth].

Received Smith's letter; it will give him great pleasure to see Smith here, directions. Apologises for his blunder in naming 'Lichen varians' for 'L. varius'; [James] Dickson marked it 'L. varius'. Uncertain about his parasitic plant, which seems "materially different" from 'Vaccinium oxycoccos'; observations. Thanks for Smith's offer to fulfil his desiderata, remembers two years ago sending a list he concludes did not reach Smith. Pleased to hear third volume of "Flora Britannica" is likely to appear soon.

At length has gathered a parcel of willows to send Smith; apologises that so many are similar but finds himself much in the dark about 'Salix cinera', 'S. aquatica', and 'S. oleifolia'; Smith and [William Fitt] Drake to keep any they want, but asks Smith to return those he has no duplicates of, marked with letters. Observes that the the varities of shrub willows are so distinct that it will be necessary to describe them even if not noticed by preceeding authors; difficulty of defining specimens without necessary books.

List of willows sent, numbered and lettered, with habitats and brief observations; Smith has annotated some of the entries.

Sends local 'Salix' specimens which may not be in "Flora Britannica"; believes the genus deserves a separate treatise on account of their "very great oeconomical uses". Has studied the genus for 4 years but has been unable to fix their characters, which he leaves to Smith; explains his specimen notes [extant]. Requests cuttings of 'S. rubra', 'S. croweana', 'S. nigricans', 'S. petiolaris', and 'S. mollissima' [Smith annotation: "will send them, & others, also our 'fragilis'"]. Requests Smith's opinion on the specimens he has sent.

Numbered, detailed observations on 11 'Salix' specimens, with annotations by Smith [5 pp].

Disappointed to not go to Norwich but was too busy during his visit to Cambridge to get away. Met [Edward Daniel] Clarke who travelled with [John Marten] Cripps [(1780-1853), traveller and antiquary] to the Crimea, met [Peter Simon] Pallas and purchased his herbarium and brought back a vast natural history collection, describes it in some detail including bust of Ceres. Has heard that the drawing of Mars and Venus omitted in the prints of the "Elogium Stultitiae" is now engraved in Veaux's French translation of "Elogium" printed at Basel in 1780 [French translation of Erasmus' "The Praise of Folly"]. The [Dublin] Botanic Garden now has 6000 plants.

Sending American plants by Lady Holland; return of botanical expedition from colonies.

Thanks Smith for his letter regarding the "little 'Dianthus'", comments on how the blossoms sometimes abruptly close at mid-day. Sending specimen and seeds of a possibly new 'Astragalus' [Smith has annotated above "only 'pilosus'"], which [George] Don had preserved for himself, a living specimen has been sent to Sir Joseph Banks but it has not been acknowledged. Gives a brief description of the leaves.

Has been suffering from gout which has prevented him from perusing the third volume of "Flora Britannica" and Dawson Turner's "Muscologiae Hibernicae Spicilegium". Asks whether 'Verbascum phoeniceum' has ever been considered indigenous to Britain.

Pleased that Smith is to lecture at the Royal Institution: he is limited to ten lectures but everything else is Smith's decision. Past examples of payment options, with Mr Grave, "public curator of Oxford", who gave two courses of ten lectures on civil architecture received £50 for each, Mr Dalton of Manchester received nearly the same for the same amount of lectures on Natural Philosphy, whilst three London lecturers who have chosen courses of six lectures on history, belle-lettres, and painting will receive life subscriptions for themselves and their wives, valued at £40.

Encloses a list of desiderata. Smith has ticked those that he sent: 'Grimmia schisti', 'Grimmia crispula', 'Grimmia donniana', 'Dicranum suscescens', 'Dicranum polycarpum', 'Hypnum swartzii', and 'Hypnum stokesii'.

Thanks for Smith's letter. Gratified that Smith accepted the portrait of his father [Johann Hedwig (1730-1799)] he sent, his loss; pleased Smith is using his father's classification in describing the mosses in "Flora Britannica" vol 3. Intends to request moss specimens from [James] Dickson from his new work, for his own continuation of his father's work on mosses, though he is struggling to find a publisher. Offers to send Smith moss collection. Has written a book on ferns after microscopic studies of many genera; would like it to be published and engraved in Britain; requests Smith's assistance; offers to send paper on ferns for Linnean Society.

Hedwig's letter of August 1802 did not arrive until May 1803; delayed replying until able to send packet of plants but frustrated. Thanks for signet ring, which he wears in remembrance of Hedwig's father, [Johann Hedwig (1730-1799)]; praises his work, which he has used in classifying mosses for "Flora Britannica" vol 3. Offers to propose Hedwig as a FMLS

Sends specimen of 'Humea' and an elm-leaved 'Grewia' for determination. Has a 'Nymphea' very similar to 'Carnia' but the flower is milk-white and nocturnal. Fears of invasion by the French, living in "anxious dread of the great little man's visit". Comments that the "great victory" achieved by the English merchant "China ships" fighting off [Charles-Alexandre Léon Durand] Linois' [French admiral] attack, without a convoy, was a "glory".

Sending dried plants he gathered in Portugal to Smith for determination. Details of the expedition, undertaken with Count Hoffmannsegg for a "Flora Lusitanica". Comments and questions on 'Genista lusitanica', 'Parietaria lusitanica', 'Lavatera lusitanica', 'Scilla lusitanica', 'Cynoglossum lusitanica', and 'Echium lusitanica'.

Thanks for turkey. Surprised that [John] White has not yet sent Smith his "Description of the genus Pinus", [William George] Maton has complained of the same, but those now being printed are on much better paper. Paid £130 for Surinam collection with [Edward] Rudge, it contains 3000 plants. Believes it contains all of [Jean Baptiste Christophore Fusée] Aublet's [(1720-1778) French botanist] plants and hundreds not described by him. Specimens inlcude 'Portlandia hexandra', 'Gustavia augusta', 'Gustavia fastuosa', 'Styrax bengain', 'Dipterix odorata', and 'Siphoria elatica'.

Smith about to receive copy of "A description of the genus Pinus" which is far superior to the earlier copies. Occupied with the Cayenne plants [Lambert purchased collections gathered in South America by Jospeh Martin and captured by English privateers], "never was such a collection ever before imported". Contains about 1700 species with no old plants except for those of [Jean Baptiste Christophore Fusée] Aublet [(1720-1778) French botanist]. Five new species of 'Roupala' and five or six of 'Myristica'. Reminds Smith he is still looking for scarcer species of willow.

Marquess of Blandford's [George Spencer-Churchill] collections will be "more worth seeing that any private collection in this country", discusses Blandford's enthusiasm for botany. Blandford has sixteen men working in his botanic garden. Mentions Blandford having written the "History of the 'Nymphae lotus'" in last number of [Henry Charles] Andrews' "Botanists' Repository", figured from his aquarium where it flowered for first time in England. 'Dammera' arrived at Kew with "the China treasures". Received 500 species of dried plants from Cape [of Good Hope] including sixty-one 'Protea', and capsules of 'Ochroma lagopus' from island of Nevis, from which he has raised thirteen plants, [William Townsend] Aiton is anxious to have it at Kew. "Little John from Van Diemen Land [Tasmania]" has a cargo for him. Asks after "the British Garden" and "Flora Graeca".

Questions Smith on Linnaeus' published works, his acquisiton of the Linnaean collections, and progress of the Linnaean system in Britain, for new edition of [Richard] Pulteney's "A general view of the writings of Linnaeus". Intends to include a diary of Linnaeus he recently purchased. Asks if Smith is publishing "Lachesis Lapponica".

Sends copy of 'Flore de Malmaison' by command of the Empress, also his 'Anat. et Physio. des Végétables.'