Would like WH's son, JH, to write some articles for his Edinburgh Encyclopaedia. Would he help him on an article entitled 'Stars'?

Sending books from Mr Targioni. Has collected every kind of 'Cryptogam' in the area. Purchased a collection of Lichens from Schleicher of Bex, recommends him as a source for specimens, is much advanced in his drawings to illustrate [Erik] Acharius. Botany in Florence is respectable but not encouraged. The Grand Duke has a botanic garden but the best plants were removed to a botanic garden at Orto Frisco run by Targioni for agricultural experiments. Praises Targioni, has been able to examine the garden's lichens in Micheli's collection. Botanical lectures are given in the garden and at the Academy of the Georgople. Mr Radi, head of the Royal Museum, recently discovered a new moss, 'Fabronia pusilla', [Olof] Swartz has found a species of the same genus. Targioni plans to publish account of the 'Jungermanniae' of the country on a new system. Wishes to engage him on a "pocket "Flora Toscana" to encourage interest in botany, "the nobles are not rich enough to purchase science, nor wise enough to esteem it". [Gaetano] Savi in Pisa is working on a "Flora Etrusca".

When crossing Mount Cenis found 'Cetraria cuculata' as mentioned in Smith's "Tour". Comments on the great number of English in Florence in the winter, believes it not a good place for delicate constitutions at that time of year due to the dampness, an epidemic of typhus. Thanks Smith for his letters of introduction: at Geneva met Mr Piclet, Messrs Jurine and Morricand, at Turin Professor [Giovanni ?] Biroli [(1772-1825) Italian botanist], at Milan [Barnaba] Oriani, Mr Herman and Mr Breislach the mineralogist. Sent Smith's letter to Ippolito Durazzo, whose sister is in Florence married to the Sardinian minister Brignoli.