Patrick Browne has not corresponded with Linnaeus for several years. He had got married in the island of Sta Cruz and lived there happily for many years with much to do, enough to make life comfortable but leaving no time for natural history. However, his wife had recently left him for a Dane, named Juhl, and Browne had had to leave Sta Cruz and move to the English island of Montserrat near by. He has nothing good to say about the Danes he had come across in Sta Cruz. They stick together and try to prevent foreigners from receiving justice.
The island where Browne is now is mountainous, and one of the mountains is discharging sulphurous water. Browne describes the nature and some plants, but with great difficulty since he has not got any of Linnaeus’s works with him.
Much of the material collected by Browne is still in Sta Cruz. Browne hopes to recover it, and then he will send some to Linnaeus.
Browne sends a character of a species of shrub that he has found, and also a specimen and the character of a plant that he dared to name Sauvagesia. It is very similar to Linnaea.
Browne apologises for writing in English, but it is much more convenient for him.
Browne would need a set of Linnaeus’s botanical works, such as Systema naturae, 10th edition, Species plantarum, Genera plantarum [...] editio sexta and also the Materia Medica.
The letter ends with a few observations on medical practice in the island.