To the Linnean Society: sending plants for Smith with Antonio Arrossi, of Messina; confusion over whether Smith has retired to the country or died. Plant queries for Linnean Society, including: 'Trifolium mauritanicum', and 'Sinapis virgata'. Offers to send any biological specimens from Etna region.
Signed [William Fitt] Drake's Linnean Society nomination certificate and sent on to [Aylmer Bourke] Lambert. Just received [William Jackson] Hooker's "interesting" work on Iceland ["Journal of a tour in Iceland" (1809)]. Sent oysters.
Confirms that a 'Hieracium' found last August by Travis in Scarborough not like any in "English Botany" appears to be 'Hieracium prenanthoides' in "English Botany", will bring specimen to London. His son returned from five weeks hunting in Leicestershire. Visited Sir Joseph Banks at Revesby Abbey, Lincolnshire, last October, where there was uncommonly good hunting but he hurt his leg. The 'Glaucium fulvum' grown from Smith's seeds "the most desireable plant" of its kind he knows and has distributed the seed as an acquisition to every garden. Banks "particularly well" though everyone alarmed about the gout medicine he has started taking; Duke of Gordon informed it is 'Gratida' which a medical friend of his gives with success, and having looked at Lewis' "Materia medica" the effects of 'Gratida' agree exactly with those of "Can medicinale".
Fears recent keen frost has injured apricot crop and hurt vines but successful with kale having had pots made with covers as proposed in note in "Hort. Trans", the convenience in examining plants very great. Frustrated that [Lewis Weston] Dillwyn [(1778-1855)] still has his 'Conferva' drawings two years after requesting their return.
No summary available.
Account of the dinner at Somerset House [home of the Royal Academy] at which the Prince Regent [George IV (1762-1830)] was present and made a speech in which he pledged himself to support the arts, and in which he praised the exhibition and artists, including [Benjamin] West [(1738-1820), painter and president of the Royal Academy 1806-1820]; West's speech kept them in "agony".
His first two lectures "more splendidly & fully attended" than any he ever had; they are held on Mondays and Tuesdays. London meetings. Consulted by Mrs J Lane about an abridgement of Gibbon she has in hand. Wearing mourning for T Smith; surprise at suddenness of Leyson Cooper's death. [William] Roscoe may be coming to the Installation and to Holkham, [Norfolk]. Bishop of Durham [Shute Barrington] to become Honorary Member of the Linnean Society.
No summary available.