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

Title

Letter from Edward Sabine, Sierra Leone 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/Z1/14

Date

11 Mar 1822

Scope & content

Written from Sierra Leone

When Joseph receives this letter, Mr Gunning [unidentified] of the Navy will have arrived in London with a box of birds for Joseph, on the brig James bound for London; Edward has written to Mr O'Beirne [Bryan O'Beirne, assistant surgeon of the colony] in the Gambia, where the James will call on the way, to request that he send any skins he has preserved; Smith [John Smith, Edward Sabine's assistant] sprained his ankle badly nine days ago pursuing a new kingfisher, which is a shame as he had great zeal for collecting birds before his fall; they have three weeks remaining in Sierra Leone, and Edward hopes that Smith will be well enough to get some birds from there; his Krooman [Krumen] ('black servant') has gone out today for the first time; Don [George Don] has gunpowder, shot, flints, etc, but he has not yet shot a bird, however he has 'done well in his own way'; he worries that Don's boxes will arrive too late to be embarked, as he is staying at the governor's country house some distance away; he asks Joseph to examine the skins when he receives them, especially those purchased at Goree [Goree, Senegal]; Gunning is the son of Sir Robert Gunning of Northamptonshire; he is in the 'midst of pendulum observations'; Don seems happy here, Sir Charles [Charles MacCarthy, British governor of Sierra Leone] is kind to him and he gets on well with the medical men who wish to learn from him; Gunning will enclose his address in case of accident

Extent

4 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)