Downing Dec^r 26^th 1777

Dear Sir

accept the best wishes of the season with my thanks for y^r last favour. I quite approve of M^r Low’s reasonable delay of visiting the rest of the orknies. He had best reserve it for the good season & good company. in less than a fortnight I shall begin to read his M.S.S. let me beg you would on no account communicate his drawings which would be a most cruel anticipation. I beg to know if M^r Mackenzie published charts of the Shetlands if he has M^r Low should take the benefit of them. I inclose those of the orknies taken from my map borrowed from Mackenzie for M^r Low to see.¹ I am heartily sorry that D^r Ramsay has that torturing disorder the rheumatism: but sincerely wish his speedy recovery. I wonder what is become of M^r Gough who has been long silent.

I am Dear Sir
Y^r affect. humble Serv^t

Tho. Pennant.

my munificent friend M^r Constable of Burton Constable yorkshire has given 6 guineas to be laid in [...] or print for M^r Low’s voyage.

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Editorial notes

1. Pennant is describing those sections of his own Map of Scotland that had been traced from Murdoch MacKenzie's charts of the Orkney Islands (1750): see Pennant's letter to Paton on 27 August 1776.