The sheets are stitched together, with original pagination on the upper corners
'Instructions to Mr George Don, employed by the Horticultural Society of London, to accompany Captain Sabine [Edward Sabine, geophysicist, naturalist and astronomer, brother of Joseph Sabine, secretary of the Horticultural Society of London] of the Royal Artillery on board His Majesty's Ship Iphigenia commanded by Commodore Sir Robert Mends [captain of HMS Iphigenia] in a voyage to the Western Coast of Africa, to part of South America, the West Indies, in the years 1821 and 1822'
Includes notes on the chain of command: 'You will consider yourself under the immediate command of Captain Sabine [Edward Sabine]'
Conduct on board: 'To conform yourself to every regulation made by the commodore [Robert Mends], whose orders it will be your duty implicitly to obey at all times'
Finances: 'It is not probable you will be in want of pecuniary supplies either on your own account or on that of the Society'. Advising that if money were required, it should be advanced by Edward Sabine or Robert Mends, who were to be reimbursed by the treasurer of the Horticultural Society
The object of the journey: 'To collect and transmit or bring home for the use of the Society seeds or plants of the different vegetable productions to be obtained in the countries you visit, whether found in a wild or cultivated state'. Useful fruit and esculent plants to be preferred to aesthetic plants. Plants of hot climates particularly desirable. Notes of methods of cultivation and manner of use for esculent vegetables to be taken
Communication: Specimens to be carefully packed and addressed to the Horticultural Society to the care of David Maclean at the Custom House in London. Regular letters to be sent to Joseph Sabine: 'you will number the letters which you send progressively, keeping copies of them all and in each letter you will mention at what time and from what place your former letter was dispatched'
Documentation: Journal to be kept and a copy made 'in the smaller books supplied you for the purpose'. Parts of the copy to be sent regularly to the Society. 'Your journal should be made as ample as possible, it must contain the details of each day's proceedings as well as notices and accounts of all you see'
Local networks: Letters of introduction not supplied, as 'it is presumed that, accredited as you are by the manner in which you are sent out, the production of these instructions to any of the corresponding members of the Society whose names you will find in the list you take with you, will be sufficient introduction'. In the absence of any corresponding members, 'you will enquire for and endeavour to become acquainted with persons who are likely to be serviceable to the Society', engaging them to become corresponding members
Plants to be collected: Palms, bulbous plants and orchids particularly desirable
Packaging: 'In the package of plants and bulbs it is presumed you are sufficiently skilled not to require detailed instructions'. For seeds, trying different methods recommended: 'what may fail with some sorts, will succeed with others'. Specimens of fruits to be immersed in spirit in bottles. Specimens of capsules and seeds 'to be preserved for exhibition in the Society's apartments' to be carefully selected. Specimens to be dried: 'you are furnished with all the requisites for forming an herbarium'. Multiple specimens to be collected. Specimens to be labelled with details of the time and location. 'It is of little importance whether you are able with certainty to affix a name to each correctly'
Assistance to Edward Sabine: 'Whenever you are not immediately engaged in your own particular pursuits, you will render all the assistance in your power towards the formation of collections of natural history in other subjects besides those of the vegetable kingdom'. Edward Sabine 'has a person with him well skilled in the preservation of quadrupeds and birds and in general all the departments of zoology as well as mineralogy'. Such assistance would be useful, enabling Don to acquire knowledge 'which will render you more serviceable as a collector on any future voyage'. A duplicate collection of all the objects to be made 'when such occupation does not interfere with your botanical pursuits'
Rights: 'It is requisite that you should fully understand that every thing collected by you during your voyage is exclusively the property of the Horticultural Society'. Giving or sending any collected articles to other individuals not permitted. The journals and notes 'are in like manner to remain at the absolute disposal of the Council of the Society'
Return to England: Joseph Sabine to be informed immediately on Don's return. Responsibility for the collections to remain with Don 'until they are safely deposited on shore or transmitted by land to London'. Don to report in person at the Society on his return