Dear Sir

Downing Dec^r 13^th 1797.

In return for your very entertaining favor of December 4^th I have the pleasure of saying that I can send you comfortable news respecting your imaginary losses. In the first place the title pages, dedication & fore pages of the Preface to the Introduction to the the arctic Z: have been found.

In respect to the title pages to the arctic zoology with the Elks head & & the pied duck & the direction,¹ if I cannot find them, they can be readily replaced by reprinting the pages. which I shall give directions about to M^r Hughs. As to the supposed mistake in the history of Whiteford page 173 to 184 it is of no sort of importance for there is no omission between them, a mistake of the printer’s which I found out long ago. These losses shall be supplied in the first parcel M^r Ingleby sends: but the two title pages with Elks head that: must be done in London under your directions conveyd thro y^r humble servant. This business has stirred me up to complete the illumination of my arctic copy of the arctic Zoology, towards which I find I have a rich hoard which I had not seeen for years past.

I rejoice at y^r happy change of health. long may you enjoy it. The horrid wet which reigns here affects my stomach & certainly lessens the benefit of the Bath waters.

The same unanimity is found in this country as in other places. The taxes will bear hard especially on a certain class which includes the vain, who have been exerting every nerve to ape their betters by imprudent [...] emulation.

The best wishes of this house attend miss Bull & yourself.

Adieu
Dear Sir,
Y^rs most truely

Tho. Pennant

You will lay me under fresh obligation by by [sic] communication of any authentic news

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Editorial notes

1. For the title pages to the Arctic zoology which Bull claimed he was missing, see his letter to Pennant, 1210. Pennant writes of the 'direction' in answer to Bull's queries regarding 'directions for placing the plates of vol: I.' and 'the directions for placing the plates of VOL. II.'. This suggests that Bull was working on extra-illustrating the second edition, where the directions appear at the beginning of each volume (rather than the first edition, which amalgamates these directions in vol. I). Note that Hughs, named as the person able to reprint both title pages and direction for placing the plates, was the printer of the first, not the second, edition, however.