The letters of recall from Lord Castlereagh allowing Robert Liston to return to Britain are dated 11–13 April 1820 and were probably received in June (see NLS MS 5636 ff. 91–4). The first entry of this journal, given below, is dated 7 July 1820. The journal as a whole describes the Listons’ voyage from Constantinople to France via Genoa, where they were in quarantine in the lazaretto for a month. From Genoa the Listons went to Turin, then travelled through Switzerland, stopping at Lausanne and Bern among many other towns, meeting the Swiss naturalist, François Huber, and his wife, Marie-Aimée Lullin, and the Duke and Duchess of Württemberg. They made their way from Geneva to Lyon, and then through the south of France, making numerous stops including Valance, Orange, Aix-en-Provence and Nice. The journal ends (abruptly, midpage) with an entry dated 2 December 1820, when the Listons were in Toulon, soon to set out for Marseilles. One of the last sentences in the journal reads ‘we have still much to do [before] we complete our tour of the South of France’ (NLS MS 5712 f. 27v).

Constantinople, 7th July 1820

After much delay on the part of the Ottoman government, and this considerably augmented by the Ramazan or fast (when Mahometans do no business), Sir Robert a few days ago took leave of the Grand Vizier, Reis Effendi, and other great officers of the Porte, having, as well to please himself as the sultan, declined asking an audience of the sovereign (a thing always troublesome and expensive to both parties) upon this occasion. The ministers agreed to his last request, which was consenting to a treaty of commerce with the King of Sardinia, a point wished by the British government, and personally desired by Sir Robert; and having consented, they did the thing handsomely, stating it as a compliment to the King of Great Britain, to the King of Sardinia, and a personal compliment to the Ambassador Liston, as they termed him. Before our departure the Sultan sent Sir Robert a box handsomely set with diamonds; and to me four very superb shawls of cashmere, as a mark – was the message by the dragoman imparted – of the Turkish government's approbation of my husband's conduct during his embassy.