Copy letter from J.L. [John Lindley, assistant secretary of the Horticultural Society of London] to Mr Fortune [Robert Fortune], care of Messrs Dent [merchants in China], Hong Kong

Title

Copy letter from J.L. [John Lindley, assistant secretary of the Horticultural Society of London] to Mr Fortune [Robert Fortune], care of Messrs Dent [merchants in China], Hong Kong

Record type

Archive

Original Reference

RHS/Col/8/1/36

Date

26 Mar 1844

Scope & content

No address

He acknowledges receipt of a letter dated 14 Nov; the seeds arrived safely, and No 22 and the Campanulaceous plants are already growing; as the transportation of seeds appears to be so successful, Fortune should send 'a considerable number' of seed packets with every mail; the Society will provide £5 for postage every month to cover the expenses; small parcels appear to be easier to send than large ones; plant No 22 is a Buddlea [Buddleja], related to B. madagascariensis [Buddleja madagascariensis]; they are looking forward to hearing his news from Shang Hai [Shanghai, China], 'perhaps the most important to us of all the ports'; they particularly wish to know whether it is possible to establish communication with Japan from Shanghai; he has bought 'a good many little optical instruments' to send to Fortune with some medicines; he doesn't know about any new charts or maps, apart from Horsburgh's [James Horsburgh, Scottish hydrographer, 1762-1836, published several maps and charts, including ones on the South China Sea], and has therefore 'spent no money on buying such things'; Fortune should send his journal frequently, as the council may wish to publish it, 'and at all events it is as well that it should be in England'; he should collect information on the climate, light and 'geothermal facts' of China; the Dendrobium secundum is 'really a very fine variety' and has flowered, while the Bletia, Aerides, Arundina and the Coelogyne are growing, although the latter 'weakly', and the liliums are healthy ('but I fear they are Lilium longiflorum'); none of the seeds from Hong Kong have grown, as they appear to have been damp when packed; they sent seeds and a letter of introduction for Fortune from Lord Auckland [George Eden, earl of Auckland, previously governor-general of India] ('now a VP [vice-president] of the Society') to the new governor of Hong Kong, Mr Davis [John Francis Davis, British governor of Hong Kong], and Fortune should go and present himself and act according to his instructions, 'as far as you can consistently with the instructions you have'

Extent

3 page letter (1 sheet)

Is part of

RHS archive: plant collector papers

Repository

Royal Horticultural Society Lindley Library

Copyright

Royal Horticultural Society

Credit Line

RHS Lindley Collections

Usage terms

Non-commercial use with attribution permitted (CC BY-NC 4.0)