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/7/1/1/25

Date

17 Jun 1838

Scope & content

Written from Aguas Calientes [Aguascalientes, Mexico]

Postmarked ('London 27 Sep 1838'). The letter includes an impression of an opened seal

Letter No 19

He returned to Zacatecas [Mexico] a few days ago from Guadajara [Guadalajara, Mexico]; he expects to arrive at Mechoacan [Michoacan de Ocampo, Mexico] in about ten days; he did not find anything worth mentioning on the way to Guadalajara, as the land is still parched up, and there is no greenery anywhere on the table land; there is vegetation only during the three months of the rainy season: 'unless I can find out a place of constant verdure, my researches will again prove as unsuccessful as during the last year'; he left a box marked HS11 with Mr Henderson [?of Anglo-Mexican Mining Association or another mining company] in Zacatecas on 14 Jun, with the 'few things' he has collected, including 10 kinds of seeds, some Tropaeolum peregrinum ('from a garden'), two kinds of Cacti, two bundles of duplicate specimens and a clay case with seeds of a Magnolia; he placed 'a similar quantity in paper as contained in the clay, to see which would arrive safest'; the box will be sent by the conducta [mule train] at the end of the month to Messrs McCalmont & Lyall & Co [merchants in Mexico] in Tampico [Mexico]; he has not been able to find out what happened to the missing box HS3 or the subsequent boxes; he has written again to Messrs Byrns & Co [merchants in Mexico], who apologise for the delay ('for such they presume it is')

Hartweg's accounts for 17 May-16 Jun 1838 comprise 'monthly allowance' $50, 'wages of mozo [servant]' $18, 'keeping of 3 beasts' $12.4, 'shoeing' $2.4, 'exchange of a horse to make up for' $20 and 'box HS11 with matting' $4, and 'received in cash' $50 from J. Watson [James Watson of Anglo-Mexican Mining Association] in Bolanos [Mexico] and $150 from W. Henderson in Zacatecas. Written from Aguas Calientes [Aguascalientes, Mexico]

Postmarked ('London 27 Sep 1838'). The letter includes an impression of an opened seal

Letter No 19

He returned to Zacatecas [Mexico] a few days ago from Guadajara [Guadalajara, Mexico]; he expects to arrive at Mechoacan [Michoacan de Ocampo, Mexico] in about ten days; he did not find anything worth mentioning on the way to Guadalajara, as the land is still parched up, and there is no greenery anywhere on the table land; there is vegetation only during the three months of the rainy season: 'unless I can find out a place of constant verdure, my researches will again prove as unsuccessful as during the last year'; he left a box marked HS11 with Mr Henderson [?of Anglo-Mexican Mining Association or another mining company] in Zacatecas on 14 Jun, with the 'few things' he has collected, including 10 kinds of seeds, some Tropaeolum peregrinum ('from a garden'), two kinds of Cacti, two bundles of duplicate specimens and a clay case with seeds of a Magnolia; he placed 'a similar quantity in paper as contained in the clay, to see which would arrive safest'; the box will be sent by the conducta [mule train] at the end of the month to Messrs McCalmont & Lyall & Co [merchants in Mexico] in Tampico [Mexico]; he has not been able to find out what happened to the missing box HS3 or the subsequent boxes; he has written again to Messrs Byrns & Co [merchants in Mexico], who apologise for the delay ('for such they presume it is')

Hartweg's accounts for 17 May-16 Jun 1838 comprise 'monthly allowance' $50, 'wages of mozo [servant]' $18, 'keeping of 3 beasts' $12.4, 'shoeing' $2.4, 'exchange of a horse to make up for' $20 and 'box HS11 with matting' $4, and 'received in cash' $50 from J. Watson [James Watson of Anglo-Mexican Mining Association] in Bolanos [Mexico] and $150 from W. Henderson in Zacatecas

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)