34 MEMOIR OF 



the compliment of translation in the following 

 letter. 



LE CTE. DE BUFFON to MR SMELLIE. 



" Montbard in Burgundy, ISth Feb. 1780. 

 SIR, Yesterday, the 17th of February, I only 

 received your letter, which was dated at Edin- 

 burgh on the 22d of October last. It was accom- 

 panied with a prospectus of the translation of my 

 work, and an engraving of the fallow deer, and 

 was transmitted by my friend Mr Andrew 

 Lumisden, a Scots gentleman who resides at 

 Paris. He informed me that he knew not the 

 name of the person who had sent this packet ; 

 but undertook to transmit my answer to Scotland, 

 which I begged of him to do with all possible 

 expedition. This Mr Lumisden is an intimate 

 friend of Mr Macgowan, who lives in Edinburgh, 

 and has a friendship for me, as likewise have Mr 

 Carnegie and Mr James Bruce, of both whom I 

 have heard this day ; and likewise of Mr Mac- 

 kenzie, whom I had the honour of receiving at 

 my house. I was also some time ago, a great 

 correspondent of Mr Maclaurin, Mr Murdoch, 

 and some others of your learned countrymen. I 

 have entered into this detail to shew you, Sir, 

 that I am not entirely a stranger to your illus- 

 trious country ; and I am exceedingly flattered 

 by your having taken the trouble of translating 

 my works. As my productions please you, I am 

 certain that you understand them fully, and that 



