Draft or copy letter [from the Horticultural Society] to the consul to Her Britannic Majesty at Tampico [Mexico]

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Title: Draft or copy letter [from the Horticultural Society] to the consul to Her Britannic Majesty at Tampico [Mexico]

Scope & content: Unsigned

There have been 'considerable difficulties' in the transmission of packages of living plants from Tampico [Mexico], 'collected at great expense'; they do not believe the difficulties have been due to lack of space, and Mr Strangways [William Fox-Strangways, British under-secretary of state for foreign affairs] will forward this letter to ask for assistance; there are eight boxes in the possession of Messrs McCalmont, Lyall & Co [merchants in Mexico], some since the spring, and it would be a 'great service […] to the Society and to the science' if they are received before the plants and seeds die; he should ask Messrs McCalmont & Co what the 'real difficulties' have been thus far; enclosed are copies of two letters from the secretary of the Admiralty [enclosures not present], dated 18 Aug 1836 and 3 Jul 1838; Messrs McCalmont & Co are authorized to pay any expenses incurred in transporting the boxes; the commander of HM packet [ship] Alert, which arrived in July, said he would have taken the packages, had they been sent to him, and they have been unable to ascertain why this was not done, and whether the commander of the Star, which arrived in October, had been asked to take the boxes