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/7/1/1/20

Date

21 Jan 1838

Scope & content

Written from Zacatecas [Mexico]

Postmarked ('London 5 Apr 1838'). The letter includes an impression of an opened seal. Annotated on the reverse: 'Tampico [Mexico] 10th February 1838, received & forwarded by your most obed. servts. [obedient servants] McCalmont & Lyall & Co [merchants in Mexico]. By HM pkt [packet] Hope'

Letter No 14

He arrived here with Mr Floresi [Damian Florezi, director of the Bolanos mines] on 14 Jan, and delivered the various letters of introduction he was given in Mexico; he collected a few cacti, when the weather was favourable; unfortunately they are mainly the common kinds of Opuntia, with only very few kinds of Echinocactus, which he had expected to find in abundance; he has only found four kinds and they are not new; the chief area for Echinocactus is in the neighbourhood of Real del Monte [Mexico], Zimapan [Mexico], Valladolid [Mexico] and Tlalpuxahua [Tlalpujahua, Mexico], but he has heard that they are scarce in the direction he is going; the same is true of other plants between here and Durango [Mexico]; he will finish arranging his dried specimens, and then leave for Santa Barbara [Santa Barbara, Mexico], which is situated in tierra templada ['temperate land' in Spanish, referring to places at a higher, and therefore cooled, altitude than those on the tierra caliente, or places with a hot climate]; he will stay there until the winter is over; he attaches a copy of this month's expenses; he requests that 'the enclosure' [enclosure not present] be forwarded 'according to its directions'

Hartweg's accounts for 17 Dec 1837-16 Jan 1838 comprise 'monthly allowance' $50, 'wages of the mozo [servant]' $18, 'two saddle-cloths' $2.2 and 'freight of collections' $5. Written from Zacatecas [Mexico]

Postmarked ('London 5 Apr 1838'). The letter includes an impression of an opened seal. Annotated on the reverse: 'Tampico [Mexico] 10th February 1838, received & forwarded by your most obed. servts. [obedient servants] McCalmont & Lyall & Co [merchants in Mexico]. By HM pkt [packet] Hope'

Letter No 14

He arrived here with Mr Floresi [Damian Florezi, director of the Bolanos mines] on 14 Jan, and delivered the various letters of introduction he was given in Mexico; he collected a few cacti, when the weather was favourable; unfortunately they are mainly the common kinds of Opuntia, with only very few kinds of Echinocactus, which he had expected to find in abundance; he has only found four kinds and they are not new; the chief area for Echinocactus is in the neighbourhood of Real del Monte [Mexico], Zimapan [Mexico], Valladolid [Mexico] and Tlalpuxahua [Tlalpujahua, Mexico], but he has heard that they are scarce in the direction he is going; the same is true of other plants between here and Durango [Mexico]; he will finish arranging his dried specimens, and then leave for Santa Barbara [Santa Barbara, Mexico], which is situated in tierra templada ['temperate land' in Spanish, referring to places at a higher, and therefore cooled, altitude than those on the tierra caliente, or places with a hot climate]; he will stay there until the winter is over; he attaches a copy of this month's expenses; he requests that 'the enclosure' [enclosure not present] be forwarded 'according to its directions'

Hartweg's accounts for 17 Dec 1837-16 Jan 1838 comprise 'monthly allowance' $50, 'wages of the mozo [servant]' $18, 'two saddle-cloths' $2.2 and 'freight of collections' $5

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)