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[Page 3]
4 Young Plants of the fertile Variety -- Decr. 11th -- when we had again got within the Tropic our Collection was reduced to 658 Vessels containing 826 healthy vigorous Breadfruit Plants, 33 Pots of Ayyahs, 24 of Rattah, 11 Avees, 6 Ettons, 6 Mattees and 8 Plaintains; of the Timor Plants we have only lost 1 Pot of Breadfruit; 1 Mango and 2 Jamboos -- we have likewise raised from seed 12 fine Plants of the Otaheite Cocoa-nut, several Plants of the Nanck [Nanka] a Timor Fruit and 6 of a pleasant agreeable Fruit, collected in Endeavour Streights -- The Breadfruit sufferd very little injury from the cold Weather off the Cape. The most materile is the total loss of 2 Plants, the Pots of which was broke in a Gale of Wind, but several of the Leaves are a little damaged -- The Breadfruit Plants seems capable of enduring a good deal of cold We [words obscured] we had the thermometer on Deck one day so low at 59 -- The Avee [words obscured] are very tender and sufferd more in the high Southern Lattitudes [words obscured] any other sort -- At this time Sir the Collection has a very promising appearance, and we have every reason to expect that we shall carry at least 500 fine Breadfruit Plants safe to the West Indies, besides a great number of Fruits and other useful Plants, after which we hope we shall arrive in England with a good Collection of rare Plants for the use of his Majesties Botanic Garden at Kew -- we continue Sir, your very humble and much obliged Servants
James Wiles
Christr. Smith
P.S. We have both continued in a good state of Heath the whole voyage --