Letter from Theodor Hartweg to the secretary of Horticultural Society [George Bentham], 21 Regent Street, London

Title

Letter from Theodor Hartweg to the secretary of Horticultural Society [George Bentham], 21 Regent Street, London

Record type

Archive

Original Reference

RHS/Col/7/1/1/24

Date

18 May 1838

Scope & content

Written from Bolanos [Mexico]

Postmarked ('London 17 Jul 1838'). The letter includes an impression of an opened seal

Letter No 18

He has not received any news of box HS3, despite writing to Messrs McCalmont & Lyall & Co [merchants in Mexico] twice; they also failed to tell Hartweg about the arrival of five boxes from Zacatecas [Mexico] and two from the Rancho de los Gallitos; he asked Messrs Byrns & Co [merchants in Mexico] in Mexico [Mexico City, Mexico] on 12 May to try and locate the missing box and to find out whether all the other boxes had arrived safely; if Messrs McCalmont Lyall & Co continue to not respond to his letters, he will ask Messrs Byrns & Co to recommend 'another house' at Tampico [Mexico] for shipping his collections; he wrote to the Company's [?Anglo-Mexican Mining Association] forester, about three months ago, reminding him of his promise to collect pine seeds, but has not received a response: 'I had no alternative left but to look after them myself, which now I am sorry to find are all shed & nothing but the empty cones remaining'; he has found a few kinds of seeds, including a white Rhododendron ('the most valuable'); he saw the Arbutus, of which he sent seeds previously, with pink flowers 'in the greatest perfection, and it may well be called a rival of Ribes sanguineum'; as he was asked on 27 Oct, he has attempted to gain information about the country and several 'knowledgeable' people, especially Mr Floresi [Damian Florezi, director of the Bolanos mines], have advised him to visit the state of Mechoacan [Michoacan de Ocampo, Mexico] with pine and oak-covered mountains and rich plains; he intends to continue his journey to Guadajara [Guadalajara, Mexico] and then return to Zacatecas [Mexico] to prepare for the journey; the country from Tula de Tamaulipas [Mexico] for about 160 leagues [552 miles] is an 'immense plain, destitute of trees, and at this season of all vegetation'; the same table land is said to extend northwards in all directions; he was 'very happy' to hear he could deviate from his instructions and not continue in that direction

Hartweg's accounts for 17 Apr-16 May 1838 comprise 'monthly allowance' $50, 'wages of mozo [servant]' $18, 'keeping of 2 horses & 1 mule' $15. Written from Bolanos [Mexico]

Postmarked ('London 17 Jul 1838'). The letter includes an impression of an opened seal

Letter No 18

He has not received any news of box HS3, despite writing to Messrs McCalmont & Lyall & Co [merchants in Mexico] twice; they also failed to tell Hartweg about the arrival of five boxes from Zacatecas [Mexico] and two from the Rancho de los Gallitos; he asked Messrs Byrns & Co [merchants in Mexico] in Mexico [Mexico City, Mexico] on 12 May to try and locate the missing box and to find out whether all the other boxes had arrived safely; if Messrs McCalmont Lyall & Co continue to not respond to his letters, he will ask Messrs Byrns & Co to recommend 'another house' at Tampico [Mexico] for shipping his collections; he wrote to the Company's [?Anglo-Mexican Mining Association] forester, about three months ago, reminding him of his promise to collect pine seeds, but has not received a response: 'I had no alternative left but to look after them myself, which now I am sorry to find are all shed & nothing but the empty cones remaining'; he has found a few kinds of seeds, including a white Rhododendron ('the most valuable'); he saw the Arbutus, of which he sent seeds previously, with pink flowers 'in the greatest perfection, and it may well be called a rival of Ribes sanguineum'; as he was asked on 27 Oct, he has attempted to gain information about the country and several 'knowledgeable' people, especially Mr Floresi [Damian Florezi, director of the Bolanos mines], have advised him to visit the state of Mechoacan [Michoacan de Ocampo, Mexico] with pine and oak-covered mountains and rich plains; he intends to continue his journey to Guadajara [Guadalajara, Mexico] and then return to Zacatecas [Mexico] to prepare for the journey; the country from Tula de Tamaulipas [Mexico] for about 160 leagues [552 miles] is an 'immense plain, destitute of trees, and at this season of all vegetation'; the same table land is said to extend northwards in all directions; he was 'very happy' to hear he could deviate from his instructions and not continue in that direction

Hartweg's accounts for 17 Apr-16 May 1838 comprise 'monthly allowance' $50, 'wages of mozo [servant]' $18, 'keeping of 2 horses & 1 mule' $15

Level

Item

Extent

4 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)