Thanks for Smith's letter of 24 May [1793]. 'Bryum' and 'Hypnum' desiderata. A specimen of 'Hypnum' is attached.
'Rottoellia compressa' from Botany Bay, [Australia], is in flower at Kew; would like Smith to see it as it is one of the badly described plants in the younger Linnaeus' "Supplementum" and believes it may actually be new. Proposes an errata for his paper on 'Carex'. Unsure if his paper on 'Squalus glaucus' will be ready for first volume of "Linnean Transactions" and whether it was male or female.
Asks Smith to tell the Queen [Charlotte (1744-1818), wife of George III] how he is filled with honour on being admitted to see her "Lightfootian 'Carices'" and should also want to see the 'Fucus' and 'Confervae'.
Thanks for Davall's letter of 16 August, packets of plant and seeds and bottle of 'Orchis abortiva' flowers. The '-oides' names given to the Australian plants are only temporary; working on a "Natural History of New Holland" with Dr [George] Shaw, unhappy with plan for each number to have two plates each of plants and animals but settled by Wilson who gave him the plants.
His youngest brother has died though as he had "fallen into total indolence" it is no loss; transcribes epitaph written for his grave and comments on his early promise including almost winning Royal Academy gold medal for design of a church. Hopes to publish "Sketch of a Tour on the Continent" in December and urgently requests Davall to confirm his anecdote about Berne holding a fireworks display costing twice the amount Haller's collections were for in same year. Urges Davall not to fret over jealousy of the Swiss, "the envy of fools is one of the rewards of merit".
Thanks for Davall's observations on 'Lichen omphalodes', which will be tab 150 in "English Botany", 145 to be 'Pinguicula lusitanica', and 146 'Pyrola uniflora' from Scotland. [Adam] Afzelius and François safely returned from Sierra Leone with many fine things though climate too damp and insectiferous for specimens, the fruits and capsules most wonderful. Asks Davall to explain his and François [Borone's] scheme involving English garden specimens. [Thomas] Woodward happy to exchange specimens with Davall, as he uses Haller's books hopes Davall will convert him to Swiss botany. Is the Geneva 'Melampryum cristatum' different to the English. Would prefer Davall to send an original paper not based on DuCros.
Four pages of numbered botanical observations by Smith on Davall's parcel of plants received June 1793: 'Epilobium palustre' HL, 'Bromus arvensis' HL, 'Avena sativa' HL, 'Avena strigosa' Schreber, 'Avena fatua' HL, 'Avena fertilis' Allioni, '[Triticum] tenellum' HL, 'Minuartia campestris' HL, 'Cerinthe minor' HL, 'Ribes grossularia' HL, 'Chaerophyllum bulbosum' HL, 'Silene bellidifolia', 'Arenaria tetrequetra' HL, 'Myagrum rugosum', '[Thlaspi] perfoliatum' HL, 'Alyssum utriculatum' HL, 'Arabis pumila' Jacq, two species of 'Turritis' like 'Turritis hirsuta', 'Myagrum hispanicum', 'Geranium palustre' HL, '[Chrysanthemum] indicum', 'Chara flexilis', '[Carex] limosa' HL, 'Salix incubacea', '[Salix] purpurea', 'Salix repens' HL, 'Salix fusca' Flo Lapp, 'Valantia aparine' HL, 'Galium spurium' HL, '[Polypodium] alpinum a 'Cyathea', 'Phascum piliferum', 'Hieracium', 'Hieracium cymosum', 'Crepis leontodontoides'. One page of numbered remarks on lichens from Davall by Smith: 'Lichen albo-flavescens' Wulf., 'L. ulmi' Swartz, 'L. marmorens', 'L. exanthematicus', 'L. tumidulus', 'L. miniatus', 'L. fulgens' Swartz, 'L. saxifragus', 'L. spaeria' possibly 'L. reciptus' [HL probably Herbarium Linnaeus].