Comments on the petrified wood sent by Baron de la Turpie, who is now the King of Sardinia's ambassador to the Empress of Russia. Feels his advancing age. Introduces Mrs Langford, daughter of Thomas Sainsbury, Alderman of Billingsgate. Ippolito Durazzo's wife has recently given birth to a son. Caffarena's own youngest son wishes "serve his king and country in the navy".

Smith and his friend should visit on any day acceptable to them but warns neither her plants nor her buffaloes are looking their best; she lost two young bulls so diseased that they were not safe for dissection. Wishes Smith could have seen how Grieg, her gardener, divided 'Helicornia'. 'Ixora coccinca' coming into flower. [James] Lee says the 'Pancratium' [James] Sowerby sketched is the 'P. littorale' in [Nikolaus von] Jacquin and [Georg Dionysius] Ehret [(1708-1770)]. Pleased her 'Justicia' "comes to so much honour in its old age", never saw it flower before and did not know it was unusual.

Expecting [Harvey] Spragg tomorrow, he wanted Smith to come too but Smith prefers a Saturday. Grieg has not got rid of his cough. She has been ill; blistered her stomach and is now better. Would like to see Linnaeus' manuscript.

Thanks for diploma ; memoir on sex-organs of plants.

Received Smith's letter and Linnean Society diploma. [Gregory] Boraston briefly visited him, has given him a copy of [Pier Antonio] Micheli's [(1679-1737)] 60 plates ["Icones plantarum submarinarum"] for Smith. Brief history of Micheli's work: it was intended for second volume with "Nova Genera", and Tozzetti's father [Giovanni Targioni Tozzetti] attempted to separate the zoophita from the plants after Micheli's death. Plans to publish the unpublished parts, may ask Smith for assitance. Also sending with Boraston his memoir on 'Lathyrus sativus', many additional observations can be made and adds that after Mr Visconti had for some time been fed a small amount of the seeds of it and lost the use of his legs. Visconti eventually died and at his dissection it was discovered he was suffering from advanced synovitis in the joints and his bones had become so soft that they could be cut with a knife.

Collecting plants; presents his works; new plants from Mexico; will send Spanish plants.

'Cardamine resedifolia' and 'Stellaria cerastoides' growing in his garden. Hopes [Charles St Clair, 13th] Lord Sinclair [(1768-1863)] will be able to deliver the parcel of lichen in fructification and the true 'Stellaria biflora' of Linnaeus. Hopes to publish his work before next March and Smith's "Systema Vegetabilium". Thinks the editors of new edition of [Albrecht von] Haller's "Historia Stirpium" ambitious to think it will appear before Easter 1792.

Pleased with [James] Sowerby's figure of his 'Sisybrium'. The bead work he sent for Smith's sister is from a covent at Pontarlier, [France]. Received "Hortus Kewensis". Wishes for Smith's agreement on differentia specificae of following plants, some include observations of his own: 'Potamogeton (retusum)', 'Gentiana (pedunculata)', 'Chenopdium polyspermum', 'Crepis musicata', 'Spartium decumbens', 'Sisymbrium obtusifolium', and 'Phyteuma'. Impatient for the rest of [James] Dickson's answers on cryptogamia he sent so as to be correct in his new species for [Werner de] Lachenal's "Flora Helvetica". Asks to be recommended to [John] Fairbairn, [James] Lee, and [William] Aiton. Genus 'Potentilla' and number eight on his list of plants sent requires special attention.

Plants found in the last month in Westport, County Mayo, [Ireland]: 'Andromeda daboecia', 'Empetrum nigrum', and 'Saxifraga umbrosa', remarking of the latter "the London Pride not in Hudson" ["Flora Anglica"]. Hopes to send an account of Mayo plants. Met Patrick Browne [(c 1720-1790) Irish botanist], "quite a cripple with old age" who showed him a copy of his "Flora Hibernica", believes it not much more than a catalogue [this remained unpublished until 1995]. Browne discussed Jamaican plants [Browne's "The civil and natural history of Jamaica"] and his correspondence with Linnaeus. At Lord Altamont's saw a "true Irish wolf dog", the seven Altamont owns are the only ones left in Ireland. The sheets of a botanical work left with Smith are from [Walter] Wade's intended "Flora Dubliniensi". Parliament have given £300 for Wade's campaign to establish Dublin botanic garden. Wade would like to correspond with Linnean Society and establish an Irish counterpart, requests copy of rules. Hopes [John] Fairbairn received West Indies seeds he sent. Will return to County Mayo for a few more months. Found 'Andromeda polifolia' growing in a bog near Althone.

After attending Smith's botanic lectures in London has a question on "Luccams" oak, sometimes called evergreen, an "accidental variety from seed of 'Qu[e]rcus cerris'. Debates why its leaves remain on the tree longer than those of deciduous oaks.

Broke his collarbone and bruised his arm and leg in a stagecoach accident; refused to go to a surgeon and went straight home; making a good recovery; all of the 17 or 18 travellers were injured. Thought of their parting words but does not blame Smith. Smith's "distressing" visit to Sir Joseph Banks' [apoplectic fit and death of Charles Godfrey Woide (1725-1790)].

Sends copies of his book ["Sketches of the Progress of Botany" (1790)] for Smith and Linnean Society.

Introduces Mr Newton, an "accurate botanist, & skilful mineralogist", who wishes to inspect Smith's lichens. Recently spent time with one of their old Edinburgh friends, Dr Goodwin, who has been abroad with Mr North. Would like to see Smith next time he is in Norfolk. Antrobus sends his compliments.

Thanks for Linnaean dissertations; list of those required; has been elected to Acad. der Sciences; news.

[Jean-Baptiste] Lamarck and [Charles Louis] L'Heritier [de Brutelle]. News.

Uncertainty of his coming to London. Declines opportunity to purchase Gaertner but will borrow it. Pleased to hear Smith intends to publish a new edition of "Systema vegetabilium", hopes it will be followed by a "Species plantarum". Had wished to see Lamarck's French "Flora" until seeing it was gone from the catalogue and following Smith's remarks on it.

Has heard from [Aylmer Bourke] Lambert in Ireland, where he is visiting his estate in [County] Mayo, transmits contents of his letter, including natural history finds. Directions for sending L'Héritier's "Cornus".

Invites Smith to come to Hillingdon, [Middlesex], tomorrow to meet a Polish Princess who would like to see her plants. Has a Jamaican plant grown from seed in flower that Grieg, her gardener, knows nothing of.

Encloses certificate nominating [Robert] Stone [(c 1751-1829), botanist] as FLS. [John] Pitchford claims 'Geranium pusillum' is Dillenius' and not Ray's, so Pitchford can consider an error in the plant or engraving as it is not the fault of "Pope Ray"; discusses his own work on 'Geranium' including comparison with Scopoli and [Albrecht von] Haller [(1708-1777)]; convinced old 'Geranium rotundifolium' is Haller and Scopoli's 'G. malvifolium', but the plant exists in herbarium as 'G. pusillum', suggests solution.

His broken collarbone healing well. Gathered 'Fillaea muscosa' for [James] Dickson and will find 'Carex strigosa', 'C. pulicaris', 'C. diocia', and 'Mentha villosa'. Asks Smith to purchase and send the Chinese jar he saw off of Broad Street when last in London, description.

Smith will receive via Mr Mandrot: a parcel of sixty plants; a collection of views of his neighbourhood; "Panzu" "Observationes botanicae", is still waiting for [Nikolaus von] Jacquin's "Enumeratio Stirpium ... agro Vindobonensi"; [Albrecht von] Haller's "Nomenclator" and extremely rare copy of "Catalogus Stirp. rar. Helvetia", he procured three copies from Haller's widow for Smith, [Dominique] Villars, and himself.

Gratified by Smith's response to his request to become godfather to his unborn child, and as he only wanted Smith to be a friend to the child will give it no godparents at all. His own views on religion: feels closest to God in his "herborisations". Thinks it odd that neither [William] Curtis not L'Héritier can admit 'Geranium pusillum'; defends his position. Extensive comments on Smith's notes on previous parcel of plants. Requests bulbs of 'bulbifera' of [James] Dickson. Requests Smith's opinion on 'Stellaria biflora'. Discusses 'Tussilago spuria' and 'Tussilago paradoxa' of [Ander Jahan] Retzius, and a 'Tussilago alba' he transplanted is flowering as 'Tussilago petasites'. Requests Dickson, [John] Fairbairn, [James] Lee, and Curtis to send hims seeds. 'Thlaspi alpestre' and 'Astragalus leucophaeus' in his garden from Smith. Wishes to buy bulbs and roots of Lee: can obtain 'Iris sibirica' and 'Iris germanica' but not 'Iris foetidissima', 'Geranium relflexum'. Desirious to see 'Cnicus cernuus', and would like 'Onopordon deltoides' "Hortus Kewensis" instead of 'Poinciana pulcherrima'. Sorry Lady Rockingham is ill.

Observation on 'Brassica orientalis'. Asks Smith to press Dickson for his opinions on the cryptogamia he sent last year, necessary for them to be authenticated for Swiss flora. Sending parcel of plants for [Samuel] Goodenough. Including 'Mespilus amelanchier' in this letter [in Smith herbarium, see RelatedMaterial below]. Settles money owed Smith for Dickson's first fasciculus of dried plants and postage of various letters.

Sale and purchase of books; titles of nobility.

Comments on information sent by Smith.

At Smith's request has sent an "imperfect draught" [extant] of a bird he supposes "non descript" and possibly a variety, not having seen a drawing corresponding exactly with it, and has only referred to Edward and Albin's "Natural History [of birds]". Requests Smith's opinion from his "perfect knowledge of natural history".

Coloured figure of bird [Smith annotation: "'Loxia enucleator'", "'Loxia curvirostra' female" crossed out and replaced with 'enucleator']