Letter from Theodor Hartweg to the secretary of Horticultural Society of London [George Bentham]

Information

Title: Letter from Theodor Hartweg to the secretary of Horticultural Society of London [George Bentham]

Scope & content: Written from Guatemala [Guatemala City, Guatemala]

Letter No 39

He has not managed to collect much, despite several excursions to the surrounding mountains, and is not expecting to find many plants suitable for open air cultivation in England; he has to be careful during his excursions due to the political state of the country; a few days after leaving Quezaltenango [Quetzaltenango, Guatemala], the state was conquered 'by the troops from here', and on 18 Mar the troops from San Salvador [El Salvador] occupied Guatemala, 'but were driven out again on the following morning. They will be back again before long'; Mr Ehrenberg [Carl August Ehrenberg, also known as Charles Ehrenberg, German botanist and merchant in Mexico] said he has collected the items Hartweg requested for the Society, including cones of 'the Abies of which there are specimens in the herbarium', and the Ayacahuite pine; he has collected more Pinus oocarpa; he encloses a list of the items sent in the last consignment [enclosure not present]

Hartweg's accounts for 17 Feb-16 Mar 1840 comprise 'monthly allowance' $50, 'wages of mozo [servant]' $10, 'keeping of 4 beasts' $11.7, '6 boxes, HS50-55' $12, '9 mats' $3.3 and 'Tillandsia, string & hide' $3.4