Detailed account of journey from Milan to Geneva via Lago Maggiore, Valois, Simpelen, Bryg, Syon, Martigny, Villeneuve, Vevay, and Lausanne. Found on the banks of the lake Margozza a possible 'Lobelia', and 'Ros solis', its irritability proven by the flies trapped in the leaves. Alpine plants found on Mount Simpelen: 'Alchemilla alpina', a 'Pinguicula' (an 'alpina'?), a 'Pedicularis', 'Geranium pyrenaicum', a 'Gnaphalium', two 'Gentian', 'Primula', 'Pinguicula' in abundance, and profusion of probable 'Rhododendron ferrugineum'. Remarks on the large size of and frequency of goitres amongst the female inhabitants of Syon and to a lesser extent the men, believes it is a swelling of the parotid and submaxillary glands. Recommends the bookseller Potts in Lausanne where it is possible to procure the "Introduction ad Hist. Nat." printed in Prague and "Anni V" of Scopoli. Warns that there are no botanical books in Geneva.

His experiences in Basle, his first business being to inquire after the mansuscripts and paintings of [Desiderius] Erasmus [(1466-1532), humanist scholar and reformer] and [Hans] Holbein [the younger (1498-1543), artist] held in the Library there. Under the supervision of Professor Falkner saw there Holbein's portrait of Sir Thomas More's family; his "Passion of the Christ" in eight separate panels, praising Holbein's faces for not having "that great stiffness observable in most paintings of the year 1520"; his "Last Supper", Younge's favourite; and two "capital" minitures of Erasmus by Holbein. Another room contained Erasmus' manuscripts including a copy of "Stultitiae Laus" ["In Praise of Folly" (1511)] with drawings by Holbein in the margins; Erasmus' will in his own hand; a manuscript of the Coucil of Basel's suspension of the pope's authority; and a copy of [Fabio] Colonna's [(1567-1650)] "Phytobasnos".

His second visit was to see [Caspar] Bauhin's [(1560-1624), Swiss botanist] herbarium, owned by Mr de la Chenal. Chenal assisted [Albrecht von] Haller in his "great botanical work" and has the greatest private botanical library he has ever seen, including: Dillenius' "Hist. Muscorum", Columnae's "Le Phrasis" and "Phytobasnos", [John] Ray's "Synopsis Plant." (1724), [Sir Hans] Sloane's "Jamaica", Gerard, Jacquin, Linnaeus' "Flor. Lapp.", "Hist. Botan." etc. Jacquin has named 'Lachenalia tricolor' after Chenal, Younge has received a coloured plate of it. Chenal has offered Smith any assistance needed with Bauhin's plants, including those Linnaeus was mistaken about. Jacquin considering publication of a "Systema vegetabilium". Informs Smith that Chenal has two copies of "Phytobasnos", hints that Smith might be able to procure one for himself [Smith did acquire one of these copies].

Recommends Smith visit the house of M Mechel, engraver, for a very fine collection of English, French, and German prints, and a churchyard for a dance of death in in the style of Holbein. No old books in Basel, particularly botanical. Planning on travelling to Paris via Strasbourg.

Encounters at Sir Joseph Banks' Soho Square home with [Jonas] Dryander, and [Charles] Blagden [(c 1748-1820), physician]. Blagden asked to hear of their visit to Pavia, [Italy], and the chief circumstances in the [Lazzaro] Spallanzani [(1729-1799), physiologist] "business" [probably in reference to accussations levelled at both Spallanzani and Giovanni Scopoli of mismanagement of Univsersity of Pavia museum. Smith was a supporter of Scopoli]. Blagden still sceptical after his account and suspects it a contrived affair of [Alessandro] Volta [(1745-1827), physicist].

Has not seen L'Héritier but told that he is stealing new plants and claiming them as his own, as [Johan Christian] Fabricius is doing in entomology. Fabricius has described 300 species just from [William] Jones' drawings without recourse to the insects themselves. Dined with Fabricius at Dr [Matthew] Baillie's and took him to task over the difficulties of his system, particularly in the examination of minute insects, but dismissed by Fabricius. Dr Grey of the British Museum agrees that Fabricius creates difficulties. Warns Smith against "foreigners, who seem to have their own ends in every thing they do, & who deprive the English of the merit of discoveries with their voluminous publications of what things they find new among us". Fabricius accessed Linnaeus' entomological collection via [Thomas] Marsham, its current possessor, in order to describe all the new insects, and in responding to Linnaeus' descriptions "with his own barbarous words" strengthen his own "feeble" system on the "strong natural foundation" of Linnaeus'. Fabricius left London a week ago "loaded with new things, for we have a wonderful alarcity in giving to foreigners what we will not give to our own countrymen".

Items collected during his time in Italy: gave Marsham several insects including 'Coleoptera' and 'Hemiptera'; possibly found Smith's 'Lampyris' close to Milan, it is 'Lampyris italica' in Banks' collection; his 'Scarabaeus sacer' is actually 'S. variolosus' on account of smoothness of thorax; the 'Chrysomela' given them by [Jacques Anselme] Dorthes at Montpellier is 'C. bankii'; unable to find a name for the insect similar to a 'Tenebrio' found on Mount Vesuvius. Has been associating with Marsham, who has given him about 80 English insects, principally 'Coleoptera' and 'Hemiptera' and some Chinese specimens. Marsham earnest about Linnean Society. Marsham showed him plate for his paper in first volume of "Linnean Transactions" ['Observations on the Phalaena Bombyx Lubricipeda']. Has not yet seen [Samuel] Goodenough, details of his movements. Shown 50 of [James] Sowerby's drawings new Cryptogamia found in last trip to Highlands by [James] Dixon [Dickson], to be possibly published in a new work.

Smith's family is in Chelsea, including his sister Esther. Smith's father to return to Norwich so Francis can meet Smith in Paris. Box of papers Smith addressed to Banks' has arrived safely, including the two bronze figures. Not impressed with Dr Simmons rude behaviour at Soho Square. Asks Smith to procure a print fo Linnaeus for him.

Thanks for second fasciculus [probably Smith's "Spicilegium botanicum"] and Smith's "Flora Lapponica", which "as far excels all other floras, as the system of Linn[aeus] does all other systems".

Answers Smith's queries on various subjects [for Smith's "Sketch of a Tour on the Continent"]: transcribes a quote by [Joseph] Addison on enthusiasm; transcript of his notes made at Sens 1 November 1786 on five figures on a monument; transcript of his notes made 8 November 1786 on a Bibliotheque de la Ville in a former Jesuit seminary containing valuable manuscripts of Cicero's "Epistles", a curiously illuminated French translation of Ovid's "Metamorphoses", two folio volumes of French romances which belonged to Louis X, a 1742 copy of Pliny's "Natural History", and several Chinese manuscripts including a "History of China" translated into French. Could find no reference in his notes to: the 'Antirtrinum monspeliense' found in woods of the Granamont; the view of the Isle de Marguerite; the temperature of the mineral water at Aix; nor any account of supposed medical virtues of the excrescences of 'Lentiscus'. Informs Smith of [Thomas] Martyn's intentions of publishing his own "Tour through Italy", enquires after Smith's plan for his.

Underwhelmed by first part of [Erasmus] Darwin's "Botanic Garden". Strong republican feelings in Sheffield: cannon have been firing on news of the Duke of Brunswick's retreat [the "Brunswick Manifesto" issued on 25 July 1792 threatened the French populace with retaliatory violence by Prussian forces should the French royal family be harmed. It antagonised the population and on 20 September 1792 the Prussians were defeated in the Battle of Valmy and retreated from France]. The 15 October has been set as a day of celebration by several sets of workmen and a republican printer has a new sign of [Thomas] Paine [(1737-1809), author and revolutionary] at a bookdesk, and several street corners bear the inscription "Death or Liberty". A government directive for dealers in perfumery, hats, and gloves to form committees to report on evasion of duties was met with remark that it "must be a poor government that cannot be supported without sowing dissension among neighbours and making fellow citizens informers of one another". Asks Smith to procure from Mr Parker of Fleet Street one of [John Mervin] Nooth's [(1737-1828), physician] "improved machines for impregnating water with fixed air [carbon dioxide]".