Letter from Edward Sabine to Joseph [Joseph Sabine, secretary of the Horticultural Society of London]
Information
Title - Letter from Edward Sabine to Joseph [Joseph Sabine, secretary of the Horticultural Society of London]
Record type - Archive
Original Reference - RHS/Col/2/Z1/21
Date - 30 Apr 1822
Scope & content - Written from Accra [Ghana]
Accra is 'the finest settlement' on the coast in terms of climate and 'circumstances conducive to the prosperity of agriculture and gardening'; the territory runs for 20 miles inland until the dominion of the king of Ashantes [Ashanti, also known as Asante], a thickly wooded country; the territory has a fair proportion of hill and dale, good water sources, and plentiful guinea grass interspersed with clusters of fine foliage; soil cultivation has recently begun and is going very well, and several vessels have sailed for Madeira [Portugal] with Indian corn [flint corn] since last year; they have been kindly received during their three-day stay by the commandant, Captain Blenkarne [William Henry Blenkarne, captain in the Company of Merchants, commandant of the Royal African Light Infantry in Accra, Ghana], and the principal agriculturist Mr Hanson [J.W. Hanson, merchant in Accra, Ghana]; he has been staying with Hanson and Don [George Don] has stayed with Blenkarne; Hanson has a nine-acre garden, and Blenkarne has an adjoining garden of six acres; both men are eager to communicate with the Horticultural Society and have requested that he offer their services; he suggests them as dependable corresponding members; Joseph only needs to write to thank them for the assistance they have provided to Don (such as carriages, attendants, and bed and board), and ask them if they would undertake the office or enclose the diploma at once; Blenkarne has offered to send Joseph several species of palm from the neighbourhood, at a cost of £1 a tree; both men would like a supply of seeds, which he has promised the Society will send them as a gesture of thanks for their attention to Don; Hanson has given him a list of the seeds he would most like, but a general assortment of European garden seeds and tropical seeds will be fine; Blenkarne will have a chest of quadrupeds, birds and insects collected for them in the next rainy season, which will start soon; Blenkarne is a 'good sportsman, and has a great command over the natives, who bring him everything curious they meet with'; Dr Nicoll [Andrew Nicoll, medical officer in Sierra Leone] would be a great corresponding member, if he were not intending to return to England soon, as he has rendered the Society great services on the Coast; Blenkarne's title is commandant at Accra of the Royal African Light Infantry, and Hanson's is J.W. Hanson esquire, Accra; the chests of seeds may all be sent with Mr Phelps [?William Phelps, merchant in London] of Throgmorton Street as written in Hanson's memo; Blenkarne was on the Council of the African Company, and is the only one who has consented to give up trade and hold a corresponding rank in the king's service to that which he had in the Company's; he has collected several species of birds at Accra, although Smith [John Smith, Edward Sabine's assistant] has been too ill to shoot; he will preserve them in spirits and hopes this will be sufficient for description; he has met a man who was at St Thomas's [Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe] last May who says the weather will be fine and the island healthy; Don sent a box yesterday on the schooner Woodburn belonging to Mr Reid [unidentified] of London, containing bulbs principally; he hopes that Joseph is staying healthy and active like he is; it is a long time to go without hearing from him and he fears he will not receive any letters until they reach Jamaica
Enclosed is a list of seeds requested by Hanson and Blenkarne, including the 'forbidden fruit', sapodilla, granadilla [passion fruit], custard apple [Annona squamosa] and almond [here the list includes 11 more seeds], to be delivered by P. Phelps [?William Phelps] esquire of Throgmorton Street [London] to J.W. Hanson, Accra. Written from Accra [Ghana]
Accra is 'the finest settlement' on the coast in terms of climate and 'circumstances conducive to the prosperity of agriculture and gardening'; the territory runs for 20 miles inland until the dominion of the king of Ashantes [Ashanti, also known as Asante], a thickly wooded country; the territory has a fair proportion of hill and dale, good water sources, and plentiful guinea grass interspersed with clusters of fine foliage; soil cultivation has recently begun and is going very well, and several vessels have sailed for Madeira [Portugal] with Indian corn [flint corn] since last year; they have been kindly received during their three-day stay by the commandant, Captain Blenkarne [William Henry Blenkarne, captain in the Company of Merchants, commandant of the Royal African Light Infantry in Accra, Ghana], and the principal agriculturist Mr Hanson [J.W. Hanson, merchant in Accra, Ghana]; he has been staying with Hanson and Don [George Don] has stayed with Blenkarne; Hanson has a nine-acre garden, and Blenkarne has an adjoining garden of six acres; both men are eager to communicate with the Horticultural Society and have requested that he offer their services; he suggests them as dependable corresponding members; Joseph only needs to write to thank them for the assistance they have provided to Don (such as carriages, attendants, and bed and board), and ask them if they would undertake the office or enclose the diploma at once; Blenkarne has offered to send Joseph several species of palm from the neighbourhood, at a cost of £1 a tree; both men would like a supply of seeds, which he has promised the Society will send them as a gesture of thanks for their attention to Don; Hanson has given him a list of the seeds he would most like, but a general assortment of European garden seeds and tropical seeds will be fine; Blenkarne will have a chest of quadrupeds, birds and insects collected for them in the next rainy season, which will start soon; Blenkarne is a 'good sportsman, and has a great command over the natives, who bring him everything curious they meet with'; Dr Nicoll [Andrew Nicoll, medical officer in Sierra Leone] would be a great corresponding member, if he were not intending to return to England soon, as he has rendered the Society great services on the Coast; Blenkarne's title is commandant at Accra of the Royal African Light Infantry, and Hanson's is J.W. Hanson esquire, Accra; the chests of seeds may all be sent with Mr Phelps [?William Phelps, merchant in London] of Throgmorton Street as written in Hanson's memo; Blenkarne was on the Council of the African Company, and is the only one who has consented to give up trade and hold a corresponding rank in the king's service to that which he had in the Company's; he has collected several species of birds at Accra, although Smith [John Smith, Edward Sabine's assistant] has been too ill to shoot; he will preserve them in spirits and hopes this will be sufficient for description; he has met a man who was at St Thomas's [Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe] last May who says the weather will be fine and the island healthy; Don sent a box yesterday on the schooner Woodburn belonging to Mr Reid [unidentified] of London, containing bulbs principally; he hopes that Joseph is staying healthy and active like he is; it is a long time to go without hearing from him and he fears he will not receive any letters until they reach Jamaica
Enclosed is a list of seeds requested by Hanson and Blenkarne, including the 'forbidden fruit', sapodilla, granadilla [passion fruit], custard apple [Annona squamosa] and almond [here the list includes 11 more seeds], to be delivered by P. Phelps [?William Phelps] esquire of Throgmorton Street [London] to J.W. Hanson, Accra
Extent - 4 page letter (1 sheet) and 1 page (1 sheet)
Repository - Royal Horticultural Society Lindley Library
Copyright - John J. Timothy Jeal
Credit Line - Courtesy John J. Timothy Jeal / RHS Lindley Collections
Usage terms - Non-commercial use with attribution permitted (CC BY-NC 4.0)