Letter from Theodor Hartweg to the secretary of Horticultural Society [George Bentham], 21 Regent Street, London
Information
Title - Letter from Theodor Hartweg to the secretary of Horticultural Society [George Bentham], 21 Regent Street, London
Record type - Archive
Original Reference - RHS/Col/7/1/1/26
Date - 22 Jul 1838
Scope & content - Written from Morelia, Valladolid [Morelia, Mexico]
Postmarked ('London 27 Sep 1838'). The letter includes an impression of an opened seal. Annotated on the reverse 'Per Linnet pkt [packet]' and 'This letter, which is charged treble by the Post Office, was only double as will be seen by its contents. The postage will therefore have to be returned. John Lindley, vice-sec., Hort. Soc. [assistant secretary of the Horticultural Society of London]'
Letter No 20
He received a letter from Messrs Byrns & Co [merchants in Mexico] on 30 Jun saying the box HS3 has been forwarded 'per packet' by Messrs McCalmont & Lyall & Co [merchants in Mexico] 'a considerable time since'; the other boxes are with the commander of the packet [ship], who refused to take them on board ('but upon what grounds, they did not state'); he asked them to recommend another 'house' [merchants], but they said the commanders would not deal with anyone other than Messrs McCalmont Lyall & Co; Hartweg wrote back immediately, referring them to the letter of Sir James Barrow [John Barrow, secretary of the Board of Admiralty] to Dr Lindley [John Lindley, assistant secretary of the Horticultural Society of London], 'annexed to my instructions, requesting them to show the same to Mr Ashburnham [Charles Ashburnham, British secretary of the legation in Mexico], who no doubt will give a positive order for the commanders to take my collections on board'; Messrs McCalmont Lyall & Co have not replied to Hartweg, despite his first enquiry having been four months ago; he requested, in his letter of 10 Apr, that they inform him of any difficulties in shipping the boxes; he arrived at Morelia about a month ago; he has made several excursions to the mountains, where he found 'some most valuable plants'; the country resembles Bolanos [Mexico], and has plenty of pines and oaks; he has collected 18 mostly new species of Orchideae, four kinds of bulbs, a Cypripedium 'surpassing macranthum [Cypripedium macranthon]', an Arbutus, a tall species of Garrya, Pinus occidentalis and a species of Tilia, and found two ripe capsules of a 'most beautiful' broad-leaved Fuchsia; his herbarium, similar to that of last year, consists of 20 'sets' and 27 species; he must leave soon, as the country in particular towards the south-west is 'exceedingly insecure, the pronunciados [bandit] roving about in bands of from 25 to 300 men, robbing every traveller of his arms, horse and even the clothes on his back'
Hartweg's accounts for 17 Jun-16 Jul 1838 comprise 'monthly allowance' $50, 'wages of mozo [servant]' $18, 'keeping of 3 beasts' $12 and 'shoeing' $2.4. Written from Morelia, Valladolid [Morelia, Mexico]
Postmarked ('London 27 Sep 1838'). The letter includes an impression of an opened seal. Annotated on the reverse 'Per Linnet pkt [packet]' and 'This letter, which is charged treble by the Post Office, was only double as will be seen by its contents. The postage will therefore have to be returned. John Lindley, vice-sec., Hort. Soc. [assistant secretary of the Horticultural Society of London]'
Letter No 20
He received a letter from Messrs Byrns & Co [merchants in Mexico] on 30 Jun saying the box HS3 has been forwarded 'per packet' by Messrs McCalmont & Lyall & Co [merchants in Mexico] 'a considerable time since'; the other boxes are with the commander of the packet [ship], who refused to take them on board ('but upon what grounds, they did not state'); he asked them to recommend another 'house' [merchants], but they said the commanders would not deal with anyone other than Messrs McCalmont Lyall & Co; Hartweg wrote back immediately, referring them to the letter of Sir James Barrow [John Barrow, secretary of the Board of Admiralty] to Dr Lindley [John Lindley, assistant secretary of the Horticultural Society of London], 'annexed to my instructions, requesting them to show the same to Mr Ashburnham [Charles Ashburnham, British secretary of the legation in Mexico], who no doubt will give a positive order for the commanders to take my collections on board'; Messrs McCalmont Lyall & Co have not replied to Hartweg, despite his first enquiry having been four months ago; he requested, in his letter of 10 Apr, that they inform him of any difficulties in shipping the boxes; he arrived at Morelia about a month ago; he has made several excursions to the mountains, where he found 'some most valuable plants'; the country resembles Bolanos [Mexico], and has plenty of pines and oaks; he has collected 18 mostly new species of Orchideae, four kinds of bulbs, a Cypripedium 'surpassing macranthum [Cypripedium macranthon]', an Arbutus, a tall species of Garrya, Pinus occidentalis and a species of Tilia, and found two ripe capsules of a 'most beautiful' broad-leaved Fuchsia; his herbarium, similar to that of last year, consists of 20 'sets' and 27 species; he must leave soon, as the country in particular towards the south-west is 'exceedingly insecure, the pronunciados [bandit] roving about in bands of from 25 to 300 men, robbing every traveller of his arms, horse and even the clothes on his back'
Hartweg's accounts for 17 Jun-16 Jul 1838 comprise 'monthly allowance' $50, 'wages of mozo [servant]' $18, 'keeping of 3 beasts' $12 and 'shoeing' $2.4
Level - Item
Extent - 4 page letter (1 sheet)
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)