Reassures Smith her maid is capable of carrying his parcel from Surrey Street to Keswick, [near Norwich], and she will then be able to get to work on the letters. They have been in London, including visit to Samuel Hoare's at Hampstead, where she met Mr [John] Bowring [(1792-1872), politician], who is just returned from Spain.

Received call from Lady Mary Ann Gage, widow of Sir Thomas Gage, who said that Gage wished for his friends and Smith to have any duplicates from his considerable natural history collections. Invites Smith to visit so he can look over the collections at Hengrave, [Suffolk].

Thanks for turkey. Lady Banks recently called on him "as fat, as talkative, & as laughing as ever", concludes that ladies do not affect to mourn as long as they used to; recalls a young Carlisle widow who married a former sweetheart the day after lamenting the loss of her "dear mate". Bemoans the political jobbery being exhibited in Parliament, "who can deny but that all men have their price". Received a plant of 'Neottia speciosa' from the Bishop of Durham [Shute Barrington] but unsure if he can keep it alive. The Bishop has been advised to stop riding; Goodenough often sees him being driven in Regent's Park looking as young as he did thirty years ago. Their Linnean dining club now has between thirty and forty members. His granddaughter's bad back continues. [William] Bullock [(c 1780-1849), naturalist and antiquary] has brought to London two native Laplanders and a herd of reindeer which he hopes to naturalise; he says that Bagshot Heath has enough reindeer moss to support a herd of 100,000.

Thanks for turkey. Looked into the loss of Smith's letters, they may be in a parcel left at [Dawson] Turner's. Dulness of London.

Urges Smith to write to Archbishop of Canterbury [Charles Manners-Sutton (1755-1828)] at once in support of [William] Swainson as a candidate for British Museum. Political meetings beginning to be held in London, Goodenough thinks it time that party men unite for the benefit of the country and for all ranks of mankind to retrench and "live as they did sometime back" to allow prudence. The government busy curtailing and displacing the clerks in the office but doubts it will save anything.

Thanks for turkey. Nothing particular to say about Smith's complaint; approves use of aperient pills for regulation of bowels; recommends living chiefly on an "animal diet".

Solicits Smith to provide a testimonial for [William] Swainson for his candidature for the British Museum post lately occupied by [William Elford] Leach; details Swainson's considerable natural history accomplishments. Mrs Martin [Smith's sister] also recommends Swainson.