| Description | Letter from James Gregory to his nephew John Gregory, Malta, regarding his brother George going to London to be examined by the Royal College of Physicians to become a licentiate in physic; the visit of his sister Catherine who is well, merry and handsome; he wishes Catherine could find a 'good Scotch husband' so she might stay in Scotland; James has come down by sea and preached to great approbation; James's deafness grows daily and is now connected with a loud and constant sounding in his ears; (30th September 1816) delay in finishing this letter due to the pressure of business; packet for Malta goes once every 3 weeks; James' hearing is not better but general health good; James, his son James, Dr Alison and George Farquharson have made a Highland tour on foot averaging 20-30 miles a day and visiting Loch Catherine, Loch Lomond and climbing Ben Lomond; his son John is in Italy with Archibald Alison and David Anderson on a tour to France, Switzerland, Northern Italy, Southern Germany and the low countries; the Alison family are all well but George Mitchell (Mrs Alison's Brother-in-Law) is dying; his cousin Alexander Forbes (Laird of Blackford) is getting married to his cousin and distant relation to the Gregorys, Margaret Bannerman; his own family well and growing with another 'brat' on the way; 4lb 14oz Duncan is now a stout, lively, active boy of 3 and a half; describes his house, Canaan Lodge, and gardens; they have become gardeners and have a vine house which he has heated; he has become a 'great apostle of melon seeds' and requests some to be sent from Malta; envies him the intolerable heat he complains of; asks for Maltese flower seeds for Mrs Gregory, 8 September 1816 - 30 September 1816. |