Letter from Edward Sabine to Joseph Sabine esq [secretary of the Horticultural Society of London], Horticultural Society's House, Regent Street, London

Title

Letter from Edward Sabine to Joseph Sabine esq [secretary of the Horticultural Society of London], Horticultural Society's House, Regent Street, London

Record type

Archive

Original Reference

RHS/Col/2/Z1/32

Date

15 Dec 1822

Scope & content

Written from Broadway, New York [United States of America]

Postmarked ('[illegible] 13JA 1823'). The letter includes an opened seal

Dr Hosack [David Hosack, physician and naturalist in New York] is 'much surprised' that Joseph has not acknowledged the receipt of 22 bird skins which he sent a while ago to London on the ship Venus: 'he seems to consider that the birds were very rare and valuable'; Hosack has been very kind to Edward, and he is establishing 'a good connection' here; DeWitt Clinton [governor of New York, naturalist] is expected in New York tomorrow, and Edward will accompany him for a day to his country seat 150 miles away; 'I had the honor to return thanks, not merely for my distinguished self, but for my distinguished brother, in return for our election as honourable members of the Historical Society'; Franklin's [John Franklin, explorer who charted the north coast of Canada in 1819-1822] expedition ended as anticipated [during the expedition, 11 of the 22 men in the party died of starvation and possibly other causes], though Parry's [William Edward Parry, arctic explorer; Sabine accompanied Parry on his 1819 expedition] success is pleasing; he is glad to see Laing's [Alexander Gordon Laing, explorer and captain in the Royal African Colonial Corps] paper in the last 'Journal of Science [?'The Quarterly Journal of Science, Literature and Art']', and thinks it 'respectable'; there are a few mistakes of press in his own paper, but fewer than anticipated; he has a double-breasted surtout coat [overcoat] in PP [Portland Place, London, where his sister Caroline Browne and her husband Henry Browne lived] as well as 'a good hat', which he would like sent to Warwick Street [London] for his arrival; he will be there around the 23rd; he has asked Hosack for monographs on grouse, ducks, gulls and hawks; Don [George Don] is now in charge of Dr Toddy [sic; John Torrey, physician and botanist in New York], who is 'a tolerable botanist & is not bothered by Don's manners'; the plants are on the lower deck; Colebrook's [Henry Thomas Colebrook, orientalist and mathematician, fellow of the Royal Society] paper on the temperature of the sea is a poor one for the president of the Asiatic Society [Colebrook was the president of the Asiatic Society of Calcutta until 1815; the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland was established in 1823]; he asks Joseph to copy and forward the enclosed letter to Major Rennell [James Rennell, geographer and oceanographer, fellow of the Royal Society]. Written from Broadway, New York [United States of America]

Postmarked ('[illegible] 13JA 1823'). The letter includes an opened seal

Dr Hosack [David Hosack, physician and naturalist in New York] is 'much surprised' that Joseph has not acknowledged the receipt of 22 bird skins which he sent a while ago to London on the ship Venus: 'he seems to consider that the birds were very rare and valuable'; Hosack has been very kind to Edward, and he is establishing 'a good connection' here; DeWitt Clinton [governor of New York, naturalist] is expected in New York tomorrow, and Edward will accompany him for a day to his country seat 150 miles away; 'I had the honor to return thanks, not merely for my distinguished self, but for my distinguished brother, in return for our election as honourable members of the Historical Society'; Franklin's [John Franklin, explorer who charted the north coast of Canada in 1819-1822] expedition ended as anticipated [during the expedition, 11 of the 22 men in the party died of starvation and possibly other causes], though Parry's [William Edward Parry, arctic explorer; Sabine accompanied Parry on his 1819 expedition] success is pleasing; he is glad to see Laing's [Alexander Gordon Laing, explorer and captain in the Royal African Colonial Corps] paper in the last 'Journal of Science [?'The Quarterly Journal of Science, Literature and Art']', and thinks it 'respectable'; there are a few mistakes of press in his own paper, but fewer than anticipated; he has a double-breasted surtout coat [overcoat] in PP [Portland Place, London, where his sister Caroline Browne and her husband Henry Browne lived] as well as 'a good hat', which he would like sent to Warwick Street [London] for his arrival; he will be there around the 23rd; he has asked Hosack for monographs on grouse, ducks, gulls and hawks; Don [George Don] is now in charge of Dr Toddy [sic; John Torrey, physician and botanist in New York], who is 'a tolerable botanist & is not bothered by Don's manners'; the plants are on the lower deck; Colebrook's [Henry Thomas Colebrook, orientalist and mathematician, fellow of the Royal Society] paper on the temperature of the sea is a poor one for the president of the Asiatic Society [Colebrook was the president of the Asiatic Society of Calcutta until 1815; the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland was established in 1823]; he asks Joseph to copy and forward the enclosed letter to Major Rennell [James Rennell, geographer and oceanographer, fellow of the Royal Society]

Extent

3 page letter (1 sheet)

Is part of

RHS archive: plant collector papers

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)