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Madeira Aprile [April] 4th 1777
Sir
This will be delivered by Mr. Grindlay a Young Gentleman who has been here some months for recovery of his health. He has been so obliging to take care of a few specimens for you which he promises carefully to deliver, there is also in the same box a parcel for Mr. Aiton of some of the principle Trees. You will certainly be surprized at my staying so long here, but finding a much greater variety of Plants than I expected, and several of the unknown Trees which we wanted, flowered late this spring, all of which I have nos aquired [acquired] and also my hopes of an opportunity to visit the Canaries. These reasons I hope will account for my spending so much time at Madeira. I wrot [wrote] you some time ago informing you of receiving the Paper and Powder, for which I am infinitly [infinitely] obliged to you. I apprehend Oglivy [Ogilvy?] must be taken by the Americans which deprives you of that Collection, but I believe that this contains very near all the same plants with the addition of some others which I have since discovered.
No 29 is my first List, which I thought a new Genus, & in your list Lobelia anomala I find to be an Roella but find only three Stamina. Pao Branco is a species of Olea, & very like O. Americana. Faya appears to be a New Genus. Marmulano [possibly Mirmulano] is a species of sideroxylon. I have discovered a tree called by the Natives Sanguinho which is a sp. of Rhaninus also a Species of Celastrus, called Buxeiro ie Box tree. I have also found another sideroxylon but is so like some of the African Sorts that I am not able to determine the difference.
Yesterday the Governour [governor] informed me that a vessel was soon expected from Lisbon bound to the Azores. I think to spend two or three months there this spring, and return again to Madeira, where I am sure of a passage to W. Indies every month