Letter from George Don to Joseph Sabine [secretary of the Horticultural Society of London], Horticultural Society, Regent Street, London
Information
Title
Letter from George Don to Joseph Sabine [secretary of the Horticultural Society of London], Horticultural Society, Regent Street, London
Record type
Archive
Original Reference
RHS/Col/2/4/14
Date
28 Sep 1822
Scope & content
Written from Trinidad
An opened seal is attached to the letter
Annotated at the top of the page: 'Joseph Sabine received Nov 7 1822'
Enclosed is a list of plants sent from Trinidad. For further copies of this list, c.Sep 1822, see RHS/Col/2/3/9 and Don's journal, 29 Sep 1822, RHS/Col/2/1/5
He received Sabine's letter on 19 Sep telling him that the plants sent from Sierra Leone had arrived safely in England; he enquires after the boxes sent from St Thomas [Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe] which should have arrived; he is sending the letter with HMS Morgiana, sailing the following day, along with a closed box of plants consisting principally of orchids and a few curious scitamineous plants and Granacha [?Garnacha]; he sends an account of his expenses; he has been out walking 20 miles with David Lockhart [botanist and gardener in Trinidad], and returned much fatigued; he will pack the box to send in the morning; he suffered a severe fever, 'you have no doubt heard through Captain Sabine [Edward Sabine]', after leaving the island of St Thomas [Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe] until arriving at the island of Maranham [Maranhao, Brazil], which almost prevented him from carrying out his duties
Enclosed is a list of plants sent from Trinidad, including Maranta capitata [Calathea capitata], Melvellia speciosa [Cuphea melvilla], a species of Pothos, Ruellia tuberosa, 'a curious aquatic [plant]', and about 70 species of epidendri [here the list includes 8 more plants]; he would have sent an open box of plants but considering the season when it would have arrived in England, the plants would not have survived; there are three open boxes on board HMS Pheasant, one from St Thomas [Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe] and the other two from Maranham [Maranhao, Brazil]: 'I am afraid I shall hardly be able to bring them home myself'