Had expected to see Roxburgh taking a botanical excursion up the river by this time and recommends such a trip in the cold weather as being advantageous to his health; encloses account [extant] and specimens of a locust swarm, one of the "numberless natural curiosities" of this country, to encourage him to visit.

Received Smith's letter of 1 February 1797. Sending specimens of 'Jonesia asoca', 'Flemingia grandiflora', and 'Thunbergia fragrans', the only species he knows of in India, for Smith's observations, includes some of his own. Duplicates from a box of specimens sent to Sir Joseph Banks for [Aylmer Bourke] Lambert should be given to Smith. Started despatching generic and specific characters of his plant drawings two years ago after hearing they were to be published, the twelfth hundred are now ready. Separately sending seeds of his 'Grislea tomentosa', formerley 'Lythrum', glad to hear that it is growing in Edinburgh Botanic Garden, has had no acknowledgment of the seeds and plants he has sent there since the death of [John] Hope, asked Banks to name one of the new genera after Hope if the former 'Hopea' proves to be a 'Lymplocos'. Assumes Smith has received 'Dillenia indica' flowers. An "infinite" amount of insects in his location but only just started collecting them on Smith's request, separately sending four of a cloud of locust and the letter sent from the surgeon who sent them to Roxburgh. Intends to go to Cape [of Good Hope] for his health.

In addition to other items he is sending by Mr Brown also sending seeds, and box of insects gathered by Mr Le Beck, they both wish to become members of the Linnean Society; Le Beck will be a valuable correspondent as he intends to spend his life in India. Recently drew and described a new species of 'Dolphinus'; as large as common dolphin but without dorsal fin, 60 teeth in each jaw, and chiefly inhabits the Ganges river, calls it 'D. gangetica'. [Francis] Buchanan is visiting them; he will send Smith plants.