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

Scope & content: Written from Sierra Leone

Postmarked ('Shoreham Ship Letter'). An opened seal is attached to the letter

Annotated at the top of the page: 'Joseph Sabine received May 29 1822, ans [answered] June 2 1822'

They arrived at Sierra Leone on 22 Feb; on 12 Mar he sent three boxes, the first containing Epidendrum, the second seeds and the third specimens; he is now sending three more boxes, the first containing live plants including the butter and tallow tree, the second fruits and the third seeds, 'which I hope you will receive safe as there is many good fruits and seeds among them'; he is sending lists of the contents of the boxes and accounts of expenses since leaving London; he is keeping up the journal; he asks that Mr Monro [Donald Munro, gardener at the Horticultural Society of London] send seeds for the Governor's [Charles MacCarthy, British governor of Sierra Leone] garden, including wood laurel, geranium, onion, parsnip and celery [here the list includes 4 more plants]; he says that MacCarthy is currently away but that he has asked the gardener to send seeds and plants to the Society; he has asked Mr Barry [William Barry, British deputy inspector of hospitals in Sierra Leone], who wishes to become a corresponding member of the Society, to do likewise; the lists of plants sent are included along with the seeds