'Instructions to Mr Hartweg. Dated Septr 21st 1836'
Information
Title - 'Instructions to Mr Hartweg. Dated Septr 21st 1836'
Record type - Archive
Original Reference - RHS/Col/7/1/1/1
Date - 21 Sep 1836
Scope & content - 'Instructions to Mr Theodor Hartweg, proceeding to Mexico in the service of the Horticultural Society of London'. Includes instructions relating to his travel, itinerary, collecting of specimens, journal keeping, expenses and other matters, signed by John Lindley [assistant secretary of the Horticultural Society of London] and Theodor Hartweg, and an appendix comprising copy letters and a list of letters of introduction. Booklet stitched together
Overview of contents:
Pages 1-5: 'Instructions to Mr Theodor Hartweg'
Page 6: Index of appendices
Page 7: Appendix 1, copy of a letter to John Lindley from John Barrow, 18 Aug 1836
Page 8: Appendix 2, 'Extract of a letter from Messrs Byrn Brothers & Co of Liverpool to Messrs Byrns, Hooton & Co of the City of Mexico', 12 Aug 1836
Page 9: Appendix 3, copy of a letter from Thomas Edgar to Messrs Byrns, Hooton & Co, 20 Sep 1836
Page 10: Appendix 4, 'Letters of introduction furnished by the Society'
Summary of contents:
Pages 1-5: Hartweg is to travel to Liverpool on 22 Sep and meet with Arthur Mann of the firm G.F. Dickson [George Frederick Dickson, merchant and botanist in Liverpool], who have arranged his passage on the Montezuma to Vera Cruz [Veracruz, Mexico], where he should take Mrs Agassiz's [?wife of Arthur David Lewis Agassiz of the United Mexican Mining Association] note to Messrs Stallworth & Co [German-Mexican merchant bank] before continuing to Mr Lavater's [Karl Lavater, Swiss consul in Mexico] hacienda, and make arrangements with the agents, with Lavater's assistance, for transporting his collections, for which purpose he has been given a letter from Sir John Barrow, the secretary of the Admiralty. He should thereafter continue to Xalapa [Mexico] and Mexico City [Mexico], where he should deliver his dispatches to Messrs Byrns, Hooton & Co [merchants in Mexico] and deliver his letters of introduction in particular to 'his excellency' Mr Pakenham, the British minister [Richard Pakenham, British minister plenipotentiary to Mexico and ambassador to United States] and Mr Ashburnham [Charles Ashburnham, British secretary of the legation in Mexico]
Appendix 2 contains an extract from a letter from Messrs Byrns, Hooton & Co in Liverpool to their house in Mexico authorizing them to supply Hartweg with £500 sterling. Appendix 3, a letter from the treasurer, contains more specific instructions, and Hartweg should keep the secretary and the treasurer up to date on financial matters. All transactions must pass through Messrs Byrns, Hooton & Co
From Mexico City, Hartweg should continue to Guanaxuato [Guanajuato, Mexico], where he has letters for James Shoolbred [commissioner of the United Mexican Mining Association in Mexico] and John Stanley [director of the Anglo-Mexican Mint Company]: 'it is here that you are to understand that you are to commence forming collections in earnest', and make excursions from there. He should transmit his collections of seeds and dried plants to England as soon as possible, perhaps using the convoys of the mining companies
From Guanaxuato [Guanajuato], he should continue north-west towards Zacatecas [Mexico], where he has letters for Mr Florezi [Damian Florezi, director of the Bolanos mines], or, in the absence of Florezi, Mr Kerrison [?Allday Kerrison, merchant in Zacatecas]. [The following has been annotated with a capital 'A' in the margin in pencil] 'Your grand object will be to keep always as far as may be practicable to the high land, possessing yourself of mountain flora […] the greatest object of your mission is to procure seeds etc of the plants that are likely to be capable of enduring the open air in England […] nevertheless it is by no means wished that you should neglect opportunities of collecting plants of a less hardy kind as for example Orchideae, provided they come readily within your reach'
He should write to the secretary of the Society at least once a month, numbering the letters and reporting on his progress and expenses
He should collect large amounts of those seeds and bulbs which are most interesting, and smaller amounts of less interesting plants, with information of the location, the climate and the recommended treatment
[Annotated in pencil: 'Journal'] He should keep a botanical journal 'in the English language': 'that journal will be the absolute property of the Society'
He has $50 monthly for his travelling expenses, and should charge the Society for expenses incurred in transporting the collections
[Annotated in pencil with a capital 'B'] 'You are to have the privilege of drying plants for sale, provided it does not interfere with the specific objects of your mission'. These dried plants can be charged to subscribers at '£2 for every 100 species', provided an entire set is sent to the Horticultural Society free of charge, and the specimens be sent via the secretary of the Society, who apprises them and collects the money from the subscribers
It is expected he can earn £150 or more a year from the sales of these specimens, in which case the Society will give him a salary of £50 a year, but if he earns less than £100, his salary increases to £70 etc, less than £50 causes his salary to increase to £90, and if he sells no specimens, he will receive £100 [annotated in pencil: '£64.13.2']
The passage and 'outfit' will be paid for by the Society, and he has been given an advance of £50
The mission is not expected to last more than two years, but the timescale is flexible, and he should be willing to continue for at least one additional year if required
All seeds and 'other objects of whatsoever kind relating to natural history' are to be sent to the secretary of the Society: 'any breach of this part of your agreement will subject you to immediate recall'. Signed by John Lindley and Theodor Hartweg
Page 6: Index of appendices
Page 7: Appendix 1, copy of a letter to Dr Lindley [John Lindley] from John Barrow, 18 Aug 1836. The letter informs Lindley that the Commissioners of the Admiralty have directed the commanders of Mexican packets [ships] to transport Horticultural Society collections free of charge, as long as they are not too large or numerous to cause inconvenience to passengers
Page 8: Appendix 2, 'Extract of a letter from Messrs Byrn Brothers & Co of Liverpool to Messrs Byrns, Hooton & Co of the City of Mexico', 12 Aug 1836. The letter informs Messrs Byrns & Co that Hartweg has been given £500 for expenses by Thomas Edgar, treasurer of the Horticultural Society, of which he can draw money according to the instructions of Professor Lindley [John Lindley]
Page 9: Appendix 3, copy of a letter from Thomas Edgar to Messrs Byrns, Hooton & Co, 20 Sep 1836. The letter informs Messrs Byrns, Hooton & Co about the £500 credit for Hartweg, noting that they should advise Hartweg on suitable sums to travel with and how to procure small sums during his travels
Page 10: Appendix 4, 'Letters of introduction furnished by the Society'. List of letters given to Hartweg prior to his journey. Includes letters for Manning, Marshall & Co [British financial agents of Barclay & Co in Mexico] in Vera Cruz [Veracruz, Mexico] by Mr Staples [Robert Ponsonby Staples, plant collector and British consul in South America], Charles Lavater [Karl Lavater] in Cordova [Cordoba, Mexico] by Mrs Agassiz, Charles Ashburnham in Mexico [Mexico City, Mexico] by Mr Strangways [William Fox-Strangways, British under-secretary of state for foreign affairs], John Stanley in Guanaxuato [Guanajuato] by Mr McGillivray [unidentified] and Senor Damian Florezi in Zacatecas by Mr Mackenzie [unidentified] [here the list includes 17 more recipients of letters]
Level - Item
Extent - 10 pages (4 sheets)
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)