Sir George Leonard Staunton, Lyon, off Torbay, [Devon], to James Edward Smith

Asks Smith to send on specimens of Kew plants he had promised to Rev [John] Stuart

Sir George Leonard Staunton, Buxton, [Derbyshire], to James Edward Smith, at Salisbury's Esq, Chapel Allerton, near Leeds, [Yorkshire]

Thanks for letter and for [Richard] Salisbury's invitation to visit Chapel Allerton, intends to take it up next year. His son has seen the botanical collection of Mr Eyre of Hassop, including the opportunity to eat the fruit of the 'Musa' or fig-banana of the West Indies, had previously seen the plant at Kew but not the fruit. At Bakewell saw [William] White Watson's collection of fossilised plants, found in mines, including the "Arundo bamboo" of the exotic 'Euphorbia' and possibly 'Dodecatheon meadia', many of the other impressions appear to be of ferns. White Watson also has a collection of petrified shells, Staunton gives his own theory on their formation. Smith's young friend "too much of a Tyro" to make much progress in Buxton's botany without a guide

Sir George Leonard Staunton, Devonshire Street, [London], to James Edward Smith

Sends copy of his account of the late "Embassy to China", with a folio volume of plates relating to it. The Linnean Society and all Smith's London acquaintance regret his absence, "tho' it is natural for you to prefer living in the Bosom of your Relations, in Norwich, [Norfolk]"

Sir George Leonard Staunton, Lyon, off Torbay, [Devon], to James Edward Smith

Asks Smith to send on specimens of Kew plants he had promised to Rev [John] Stuart

Sir George Thomas Staunton, Canton, [China], to James Edward Smith

Having being requested by Government General of Bengal to gather informtion on the cultivation of cotton in China, he met with the subject at considerable length in a Chinese work, which has been translated and is now enclosed as a paper for the Linnean Society [see RelatedMaterial below]

Sir George Leonard Staunton, Devonshire Street, [London], to James Edward Smith

Sends copy of his account of the late "Embassy to China", with a folio volume of plates relating to it. The Linnean Society and all Smith's London acquaintance regret his absence, "tho' it is natural for you to prefer living in the Bosom of your Relations, in Norwich, [Norfolk]"

An authentic account of an embassy from the King of Great Britain to the Emperor of China : including cursory observations made, and information obtained, in travelling through that ancient empire, and a small part of Chinese Tartary : together with a relation of the voyage undertaken on the occasion by His Majesty's ship the Lion and the ship Hindostan, in the East India Company's service, to the Yellow Sea, and Gulf of Pekin, as well as of their return to Europe ... /

Vol. 2 has separate added title page, plate vol. does not.Engraved frontispiece port. of Qianlong, v. 1, after William Alexander, the expedition's draughtsman. Frontispiece of Earl Macartney, v. 2, after painting by T. Hickey. Engraved illustrative tail-pieces. Plates mostly after Alexander by various engravers. Maps by B. Baker after John Barrow's drawings.ESTCMode of access: Internet.Binding: all vols. in tree calf tooled in gilt. Vols. 1-2 (text) have spine title "Macartney's / embassy / to China" on red labels, vol. nos. on red overlay on green labels; edges sprinkled blue. Vol. 3 (plates) has title "Macartney / embassy / plates" on black spine label; edges yellow; guard tissues; purple ribbon place marker. Vols. 1-2 have armorial bookplates of Sr. James Colquhoun of Luss Bart., v. 3 has that of James Beveridge Duncan of Damside