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

Title

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

Record type

Archive

Original Reference

RHS/Col/3/5/42

Date

29 Jun 1823

Scope & content

Written from HMS Barracouta, Algoa Bay [South Africa]

An opened seal is attached to the letter

The letter is marked 'private'. Annotated at the top of page: 'Joseph Sabine received Sept 19 1823'

John Forbes is bidding farewell 'for at least a year and a half' for the duration of the expedition up the River Zambeeze [Zambezi River, Zambia, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique]; he is convinced that his taking part in the expedition will be more beneficial for the Horticultural Society than his staying on board the ship would be, offering the opportunity of becoming acquainted ('if God spares us our health') with the vegetation and natural history of a little-known area over a lengthy period, compared to the short stops on the ship in places with plants already 'tolerably known (although at the same time interesting)'; he is disappointed not to have heard anything from Sabine, and will now be unable to do so for another 18 months; he hopes Sabine has safely received all the specimens he has sent, and is satisfied with Forbes' work; he has not heard from his family either since September; the money he has drawn has been 'considerably above what I expected', with most of it for his own use for purchasing shoes, clothes and 'other necessaries', which are more expensive than he anticipated, 'but if I can fully accomplish the objects of my mission, my highest wishes will be fully gratified'; the expedition will be 'attended with considerable dangers, fatigues and privations' but also with prospects of success, especially with 'the friendly disposition' of the Portuguese and 'the good understanding existing between the missionaries at Latakoo [Kuruman, South Africa] and the tribes extending from there to the banks of the Zambezi, who have expressed a strong wish to have missionaries sent among them'; they have offered the local people 'an immense reward of beads […] and the promise of a missionary' if they will be accompanied safely up the river and lead them to the missionary settlement, 'but this reward is not to be paid unless they return us safely'; Mr Bowey [James Bowie, botanist sent to South Africa from Royal Gardens, Kew] sailed from Cape of Good Hope in June with an extensive collection 'of different kinds'; he hopes Sabine does not think it intrusive for him to ask for employment for his brother James [James Forbes] at the Horticultural Society; they arrived at Algoa Bay at sunset, and will sail the following day for Quilemane [Quelimane, Mozambique]: 'I have still to be thankful for good health'

Extent

3 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)