Peter Collinson thanks Linnaeus for his letters of October 30 [presumably from 1748] and September 20, 1749 [these letters have not come down to us].
Collinson is glad that Linnaeus has returned from his journey to Skåne. The report from that will be of interest to several people [Collinson refers to Linnaeus’s Skånska resa].
Collinson is very pleased with the Medea, and he is glad Linnaeus has it in his garden. If a friend of Linnaeus’s were to go directly from London to Uppsala, he could take a root of the Collinsonia without risking that it would dry. Collinson is sorry he did not send one with Tobias Björk, to whom he sends his greetings.
The three volumes by Mark Catesby [Collinson refers to parts 9, 10 and 11 of Catesby’s, The Natural history of Carolina] cost Collinson 6 pounds 6 shillings, and he received only four pounds from Charles De Geer. Linnaeus still owes Collinson two pounds 6 shillings. Collinson had made it very clear to De Geer in a letter, and he does not think De Geer has made a mistake. Collinson admits it is a small sum, but still too much money to lose.
Collinson is glad that Linnaeus wrote in his letter of October 30 that the library in Uppsala would be interested in Catesby’s noble and elegant work. However, he has not got an order for it from the librarian. After Catesby died on December 23, his widow has made a sale of the books by reducing the price for each volume by half a guinea, so the eleven volumes would cost 17 pounds 6 shillings and sixpence. A box and mail charges would come to that. The only thing necessary is an order for the money with a London merchant with contacts to Sweden.
There was an earthquake in England on February 8 at half past noon. It was so violent that people left their houses and ran out, fearing the houses would collapse.
Collinson does not know about the winter in Sweden, but England has had the warmest winter in memory. Only a little frost before Christmas after a long, warm and dry autumn, and afterwards warm weather again without frost or snow. The gardens are very beautiful in January and February, and almonds, apricots and peaches are in blossom.
Collinson went out into the country on February 23. The alms had small leaves, plums, almonds and cherries were in full blossom, gooseberries were showing their fruit.
On March 5, the Ficus in Collinson’s garden has small leaves, and peas and beans are in blossom if they grow under south walls.
Hans Sloane is in good spirits, John Mitchell is well. The latest letter from Pehr Kalm tells that he has returned from Canada to New York, which pleases Collinson. He was afraid some Indians would attack him.
P.S. 1. Collinson mentions that Camfer [Pieter Camper] has pleased them very much by publishing Amoenitates Academicae, seu Dissertationes variae Physicae, Medicae, Botanicae.
P.S. 2. He adds that a package of seeds from Oxford was sent to Linnaeus through Abraham Spalding.