The letters are to John Murray II and John Murray III. They concern the publication of Basil Hall’s “Account of a voyage of discovery to the West Coast of Corea and the Great Loo-Choo Island” (1818). The letters also refer to Hall’s interest in Lord Byron, of whom mention is made concerning events following the destruction of his memoirs (1824). Also mentioned is Hall’s admiration for Thomas Moore, particularly in relation to Moore’s “Letters and journals of Lord Byron, with notices of his life” (1830), in which Hall had a slight involvement.

The letters are arranged chronologically.

1817-1819: folios 1-33 [Note 1];

1820, 1824-1825: folios 34-51;

1826-1829: folios 52-109 [Notes 2-6];

1830-1832: folios 110-128 [Note 7];

1836-1837, 1839: folios 129-138.

Other.

Manuscript “List of subscribers at the Cape of Gd Hope to Capt. Hall’s work”. Folio 139.

Advertisement, [? 1830], for the third edition of “Travels in Canada and the United States of America” by Basil Hall, published by Mr. Cadell of Edinburgh and Messrs. Whittaker and Co. of London. Folio 140.

Notes.

[Note 1.] Folios 1-3. Letter, 3 May 1817, of E. Mackintosh, Calcutta, to Basil Hall, enclosing a list of “Subscribers to Captn. Halls [sic] Work”. The subscription appears to concern the publication of Hall’s “Account of a voyage of discovery to the West Coast of Corea and the Great Loo-Choo Island” (1818).

[Note 2.] Folios 72-73. Letter, 24 March 1827, of Basil Hall to John Gibson Lockhart.

[Note 3.] Folios 80-81. Letter, [before 13 April 1827], of Basil Hall to John Murray III.

[Note 4.] Folios 82-83. Letter, 13 April 1827, of Basil Hall to Anne Murray.

[Note 5.] Folios 98-102. Letter, 1 December 1829, of Basil Hall to Thomas Moore.

[Note 6.] Folios 105-109. Letter, 19 December 1829, of Basil Hall to John Murray II concerning the French translation of Thomas Moore’s “Letters and journals of Lord Byron, with notices of his life”, and enclosing:

folio 107, copy, in Hall’s hand, of his own letter, 18 December 1829, to A. and W. Galignani concerning the return of the sheets of Moore’s work;

folio 108, letter, 19 December [1829], of A. and W. Galignani to Basil Hall;

folio 109, copy, December 1829, of an agreement in French between A. and W. Galignani and Louise Belloc concerning the French translation of Thomas Moore’s “Memoirs of Lord Byron”.

[Note 7.] Folios 114-116. Letter, 27 October 1830, of Basil Hall to John Gibson Lockhart as editor of the “Quarterly Review”.