Gave his 'Confervae' drawings to [Wilson] Lowry [(1762-1824)] to be engraved but unaware of their progress as his London contact and brother-in-law is in Bristol with his ill wife, Frankland's sister, who is being treated with foxglove. Criticises [James] Sowerby's "English Botany" of July, "he is more slovenly in his engraving as he advances". Smith forgot his habitat for 'Carex digitata' of Thorp-arch woods near Wetherby, Yorkshire, gave some to Mr Peirson and Dr White. Knows nothing of [William] Curtis' affairs and whether his works will be continued [Curtis died 7 July 1799], though expects the "[Botanical] Magazine" will be as it is so profitable.
Sir Joseph Banks is marking his sheep with earrings and amused by Frankland's method of calculating cattle breed developed from a genealogy table he created for a litter of pigs, which he copies for Smith on recto of second folio.