Letter from John Forbes to Joseph Sabine [secretary of the Horticultural Society of London]

Information

Title: Letter from John Forbes to Joseph Sabine [secretary of the Horticultural Society of London]

Scope & content: Written from Isle of St Mary's, east coast of Madagascar [Nosy Boraha, Madagascar]

Marked at the top of the page 'No 16'. Annotated at the top of page: 'Joseph Sabine received May 15 1823'

They have been at St Mary's for about a week; he has collected many fine plants and seeds; the soil and vegetation are very rich; the whole island is covered with Urania speciosa [Ravenala madagascariensis] and 'other kinds of fine things', including Theophrastia [unidentified], Ardisia and Ixora; he wishes he had a quicker way of forwarding plants to England, as the French frigates transporting the letters travel via Bourbon [Reunion, France], Bunos Aries [Buenos Aires, Brazil] and the West Indies, making the journey unsuitable for sending plants; St Mary's has a French settlement: 'they are not doing very well, great numbers of them have died, [including] all the females; they came out two years ago'; there will be 'some bills presented for payment, for articles I have purchased and the sales of the effects of the officers we have lost, I do not yet know the amount'

For a copy of the letter, see RHS/Col/3/5/32