Letter from Robert Fortune to the secretary of the Horticultural Society [Alexander Henderson], 21 Regent Street, London and 'List of Orchidaceous plants in case 43 (from Manila)'

Title

Letter from Robert Fortune to the secretary of the Horticultural Society [Alexander Henderson], 21 Regent Street, London and 'List of Orchidaceous plants in case 43 (from Manila)'

Record type

Archive

Original Reference

RHS/Col/8/2/18

Date

26 Feb 1845

Scope & content

Written from Hong Kong

Postmarked ('Hong Kong', [illegible]). The letter includes an opened seal. Annotated on the reverse: 'Via Southampton'

Letter No 18

He encloses a list of Orchidaceous plants in case 43, which he left with Messrs Dent & Co [merchants in China] to be shipped by the Chusan in a few days; they will forward a bill of lading [shipment receipt] and a duplicate of this letter by the same ship; he is preparing to sail for Shanghai [China] for his 'last campaign in the north of China'; Messrs Dent will also enclose a bill of lading for a small box containing 'a few things for Lord Derby [Edward Smith-Stanley, earl of Derby, British secretary of state for war and the colonies]', which should be put on his account; he will probably leave China before the monsoons, by the end of September, and any letters for him after July should be sent in duplicate, one for China and one for Singapore

Fortune's expenses for 7-26 Feb 1845, including 'paid at Manila [Philippines] for 2 plant cases (glass included), 8 dollars each' $16, 'paid for cutting out address, screwing down &c' $1.50, 'paid for passport' $2.25, 'wages of Cuming's [?Hugh Cuming, naturalist] old servant' $7 and 'sundries for washing, servants &c' $3.25 [here the list includes 9 more items], with the sum total of $156

Enclosed is a list of orchids in a box (43) from Manila. The list includes Sarcanthus, '?Coelogyne', three species of Aerides, Phalaenopsis amabilis ('8 plants') and Dendrobium. Includes a note: 'When the case is opened, read from the left side towards the right'

Extent

5 page letter (2 sheets)

Is part of

RHS archive: plant collector papers

Repository

Royal Horticultural Society Lindley Library

Copyright

Royal Horticultural Society

Credit Line

RHS Lindley Collections

Usage terms

Non-commercial use with attribution permitted (CC BY-NC 4.0)