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A draft of the Linnean Society charter is with Sir Joseph Banks for his opinion. Obliged to Smith for offer to send a Norfolk turkey and provides his address. The late [Benjamin] Robertson [(c 1732-1800)] of Stockwell, [London], has left property worth £80,000-£100,000 to establish a public botanic garden; he is one of the 7 Trustees it is left to, lists the others; regrets not making Robertson a FLS.

Thanks for turkey and letter. Has not yet met the other Trustees of [Benjamin] Robertson [(c 1732-1800)] [bequest of £80,000 to establish a botanic garden], but already has plans for a Professor; does not intend allowing any of the Trustees having superintendence of the garden.

[Johann Karl Adam] Murhard [(1781-1863)] of Gottingen; Berg-Rath Wille of Fredrickshalle, Hesse; and John Schaub, Professor of Chemistry, Hesse Capel, have all been proposed as FMLS by [George] Shaw and [John] Parkinson. Received draft of Linnean Society charter from Sir Joseph Banks, intends to send it on to Smith shortly.

Received Smith's alterations to his paper on 'Salix' too late for printing. His paper on 'Myrti' was read and will appear in next volume of "Linnean Transactions". The Lord Chancellor has declared [Benjamin] Robertson's [(c 1732-1800)] bequest towards establishing a botanic garden to be null and void.

Printer lacks copy for current volume of "Linnean Transactions", and papers on humblebees and Correa's on 'Doryanthus' are missing. Will arrange for [Erik] Acharius and Dr Westring to be proposed as FMLS. [Thomas] Marsham just set off on tour through Wales, he desires Smith to solicit [James] Crowe for his subscription to the Linnean Society charter. The charter with currently with the Attorney and Solicitor General.

Received [James] Crowe's and Smith's subscriptions for Linnean Society charter.

Received balance of Smith and [James] Crowe's subscriptions to Linnean Society charter. He has been at Dover, [Kent], and all along the coast to Margate. [George] Shaw returned Huber's paper "without altering it in the least degree".

Dispatched Professor [Eugen Johann Christoph] Esper's [(1742-1810)] FMLS diploma several months ago. Congratulates Smith on the return of peace [between Britain and France] with the ratification of the preliminaries [of the Treaty of Amiens, signed 25 March 1802]; "the mob" took the horses from the Consuls carriage and drew them home.

Contents of Linnean Society charter satisfactory, with the only remaining difficulty being the number of names in it; the Attorney and Soliciter General suggested the first Council, which was rejected by himself, [Thomas] Marsham, and Sir Joseph Banks on account of cost, so they are now examining precedents to include as few names as possible, or to otherwise limit Council names to 15.

Encloses letter, to be returned, which has recently caused much discord at the Society; account of the business, apparently related to nomination of [Johann Karl Adam] Murhard [(1781-1863)] as a FMLS.

[Richard] Pulteney has left his museum to the Society provided they keep it as a separate collection, or that it be sold at auction, the price being made up to £200 if necessary, and given to the Society for purchase of an annual medal of 5 guineas for best botanical paper. Banks has behaved "handsomely" to the Society.

Thanks Smith for the "excellent Alderman" he sent [a Norfolk turkey]. Present [Walter] Wade's specimen of 'Eriocaulon septangulare' and extract from his letter to the Linnean Society. [John] Fairbairn unable to to acquire flowering specimen of the 'Cissus' until May.

Pleased to state that the recent discord at the Linnean Society between [John] Parkinson and [Jonas] Dryander over the election of [Johann Karl Adam] Murhard [(1781-1863)] as a FMLS has been satisfactorily settled; has always been of opinion that it was a personal quarrel originating in words spoken after the Chair had been left. The Society has decided to accept [Richard] Pulteney's museum on condition of its being kept a separate collection.

Encloses a specimen from the Cape of either 'Galanthus' or 'Leucojum', sent via Mr Rowley's brother, a sea captain. Is resuming his botanical studies with the assistance of "Flora Britannica". Longs for one or two distinct characteristics of grasses to be pointed out to him so as to avoid having to go into minute examination. [John] Underwood [(fl 1780s-1834)], gardener at Dublin Botanic Garden, is growing 'Anemone hortensis' in a greenhouse. Wishes that an "accurate and able" botanist would complete "Flora Londinensis". Glad that Smith's travels through Greece [writing of "Flora Graeca"] "are perform'd at the Desk" as "that climate don't seem to agree with English Constitutions", recalls the death in Greece of Mr Tweddale. Feels no alarm at the situation of Ireland but concern for the starving and situation of the poor. Obliged to Dawson Turner for remembering him. Remarks that if Smith ever quits botany he could look into Helen Maria Williams [(1762-1827) writer], "in the vast profusion of chaff there may be found a few good grains of fact". A friend just arrived from Paris was disappointed by the paucity of the Garden there.

The "Champion Potatoes" sent by Smith's mother from Norwich have been distributed and planted although have come up with both white and red blossoms, asks which is the true "Champion", Smith has annotated "the white is the right, orange stamina". Has been botanising with "Flora Britannica", approves that 'Cucubalus beken' is now 'Silene behen' but queries how it was determined. The only other plants he has seen are 'Draba verna' and either 'Fumaria capreolata' or 'Fumaria officinalis'. Believes the flower he sent previously was not 'Corolla supera' and therefore could not be either 'Galanthus' or 'Leucojum'. Suprised to find that 'Fumaria solida' and 'Fumaria lutea' are natives.

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