Hopes to see JH on JH's return visit to Geneva. Encloses quartz specimen, amethyst crystal. Sends regards to Charles Babbage.
Explains difficulties of making Smith an advance payment for his work on "Flora Graeca", principally being fear of Smith's death and its consequences for completion of the work. He and [Thomas] Platt [(d 1842), one of John Sibthorp's executors, supervised the publication of "Flora Graeca"] hope the work can be finished in the next few years by borrowing money from University of Oxford and limiting the number of copies made. Asks Smith to supply list of all of Sibthorp's provincial floras, taken from Sibthorp's journals. Executor of will of Mr Jones of Chelsea gives Smith permission to inspect the collections he had expressed an interest in.
Hopes Smith's health is recovered, he and many others were disappointed he could not come to the last [Linnean Society][ anniversary meeting. He has been supervising [William] Baxter's [(1787-1871)], curator of the Botanic Garden, Oxford, "fasciculus of dried plants", about to be published.
He has procured many fungi specimens from Mr Gulliver of Banbury, of which he is sending a parcel. Compliments [Robert Kaye] Greville's work ["Scottish cryptogamic flora" (1823-1828)], and thinks the new genera 'Erineum', 'Acidium', 'Jaccinia', and 'Uredo' are well defined, but others including 'Xyloma' and 'Sclerotium' are "deficient in character".
Understands Smith is still sceptical regarding the Barberry bush being the cause of injury to wheat growing near it; has suggested to Greville it may be caused by "some peculiar modification of electricity" as the grain is always found shrivelled, as if scorched. Offers to send Smith further fungi specimens, including the "rarest", 'Batarrea phalloides'.
Recalls pleasure at gaining Smith's acquaintance at Cowes, [Isle of Wight], and sorrow at distance which prevents their meeting. Praises Smith's "English Flora" and his use of language, the 'Umbellate' plants "are surely now perfect". Passes on compliment from Mr P Duncan of New College, Oxford, on Smith's "Flora Britannica".
Returned today from Margate. Received JH's letter from Venice. Will send Mr. Ramsbottom's money to London with Mrs. Singer. New construction at Slough.
Eight-day mineral hunting expedition in mountains, with base at Campedello. High praise for Tyrolese. [Letter continued 10 Sept. in Botzen:] Arrived safely and found servant James Child rested and waiting.
Thanks for his election to the Astronomical Society and for the award of its gold medal. Sends a proof of a new chart of the moon by W. G. Lohrmann. Sends two papers of his own. Hopes to send notice of John Pond's comet orbit in 1825.
The Insurance firm for which he acted as director has been wound up. Has taken a holiday in the country.
Passage through Alps. Servant James Child's adventure being lost in mountains. Religious character of Tyrolese. Describes Innsbruck.
Feels he has pledged to the public to continue double star observation. Encourages JH to persevere as well. Offers JH use of his 5-foot refracting telescope. Asks about Fraunhofer telescopes.
Decides not to go to Switzerland because he wants to visit Hanover. On the way, hopes to see Johann Pfaff at Erlangen, Johann Encke at Seeburg, Baron Bernhard von Lindenau at Gotha, and Carl Gauss and Karl Harding at Göttingen among others.
About the termination of JG's marriage plans, and the joys of travel.
Apologises for long delay since receiving Smith's letter from Professor [Josef August] Schultes. Has been unable to find the 'Tilia' requested by Smith as he is too ill to go to the Stokenchurch area and it is not present in the Oxford Botanic Garden and there are no full specimens in Oxford herbaria. Describes another failed attempt to acquire it. The Botanic Garden has a plant of Mr Whitehead's 'Aconitum' but it is now too mature for Smith to obtain any information from a specimen.
Glad that MPH is vacationing with Mrs. Delevaux. Sorry about Charles Babbage's loss. Journey from Innsbruck. Meeting with Josef Fraunhofer. Georg von Reichenbach is dangerously ill. Met Captain Feilding and family. Itinerary for return journey via Hanover. Will visit caves of Bayreuth and J. W. A. Pfaff in Erlangen.
Does not share JS's feeling of having pledged to continue double star observation. Reports on the high quality of the telescopes manufactured by Josef Fraunhofer.
Caroline Herschel is anticipating JH's visit to Hanover. Expecting visit from Elizabeth Baily. New son born to Charles Babbage. Hopes that death of King of France will not impede JH's journey to Paris. Recent deaths at home.
Hopes that JH will help her to finish a catalogue of 2500 nebulae that she and William Herschel began but never completed.
Forwards recently received item to JH in Göttingen. [Mary] Baldwin in Slough reports good health of JH's mother. CLH will see JH soon.
Terrible German roads. Missed J. W. A. Pfaff in Erlangen, where university is on vacation. Describes caves of Muggendorff near Bayreuth. Visited Mr. Lindeman and J. F. Encke in Gotha. [Letter continued 30 Sept. in Göttingen:] Found letter from Caroline Herschel with enclosure from Charles Babbage. Hopes to visit K. L. Harding and J. F. Blumenbach in Göttingen.