Fair journal of John Potts
Information
Title - Fair journal of John Potts
Record type - Archive
Original Reference - RHS/Col/1/1/2
Date - 23 Jan 1821-4 Jul 1822
Scope & content - Fair version of John Potts' travel journal, Jan 1821-Jul 1822, with notes and observations on plants in India, Malaysia and China, and a copy of a treatise on Indian agriculture
Overview of contents:
Pages 1-4: Narrative of travel, 23 Jan-27 Aug 1821
Pages 5-7: 'Observations on the fruits in Bengal'
Page 8: 'Observations on Indian Horticulture'
Pages 9-51: 'A treatise on Agriculture drawn up by Rajah Miter Jeet Singh, rajah of Ishkaree'
Pages 52-58: Narrative of travel, 27 Aug 1821-27 Jan 1822
Pages 59-61: 'Observations on China gardens'
Pages 61-63: Narrative of travel, 22 Mar-4 Jul 1822
Pages 64-194: Blank
Physical description: Bound in quarter brown sheep, with paper over boards marbled in red/brown shell pattern with blue veins. Red morocco lettering-piece with gilt double fillets and decorative border, with the title 'Horticultural Society. Fair Journal' pasted on the front board. Dimensions: 33 (h) x 19.5 (w) cm. Conserved in 2019: the binding and pages were cleaned and repairs were carried out to both
A transcript of the volume is available for consultation at RHS Lindley Library, classmark 910 POT
The volume is written in John Potts' hand and is a fair first copy of his travel journal. For the rough version of the journal, 23 Jan 1821-4 Jul 1822, see RHS/Col/1/1/1
Each page is headed with a date (month and year), or with a heading (eg 'Observations on the fruits in Bengal'). There are no annotations
The volume was paginated on the upper right-hand corner of rectos during cataloguing
The volume had three loose enclosures, inside the front cover and between pages 142-143 and 164-165. These enclosures were removed for preservation purposes during cataloguing and stored with the volume in a separate folder:
Enclosure 1, originally enclosed inside the front cover: Brief printed description of John Potts
Enclosure 2, originally enclosed between pages 142-143: Unidentified plant specimen
Enclosure 3, originally enclosed between pages 164-165: Unidentified plant specimen
Summary of contents:
The volume opens with a brief summary of the journey between January and June 1821
(23 Jan-May 1821) Sailing from the Downs [Kent]. Seeing no land until May
(20 May 1821) Coming in sight of the Coromandel coast [India]
(22 May 1821) Coming in sight of Saugor Island [Sagar Island, West Bengal, India]
(24 May 1821) Mooring by Saugor Island
(5 Jun 1821) Leaving the ship for Calcutta [Kolkata, West Bengal, India]
(13 Jun 1821) Arriving at Calcutta [Kolkata]. Receiving boxes on shore and delivering dispatches intended for Colonel Doyle [Charles Joseph Doyle, military secretary to the governor-general of India] to Captain Nairne [Alexander Nairne, captain of HCS General Kyd], 'who informed me he would give them as they were to one of the aides-de-camp of the Marquis of Hastings [Francis Edward Rawdon-Hastings, British governor-general of India]'
(18 Jun 1821) Visiting the Botanic Garden in Chowringhee [Kolkata]. Delivering dispatches intended for Dr Wallick [Nathaniel Wallich, surgeon and botanist in India] to William Leycester [chief judge in Bengal], in charge of the gardens in Wallich's absence
(19 Jun 1821) Delivering dispatches to Dr Carey [William Carey, missionary and anthropologist in India] at Serampore [West Bengal, India]
(20 Jun 1821) Returning to Calcutta [Kolkata]
(21 Jun 1821) 'Removed my boxes etc from Captain Nairne's [Alexander Nairne] to the Botanic Garden'
(22 Jun 1821) Visiting the Botanic Garden. Opening and drying boxes
(23 Jun 1821) 'Was taken sick'
(24 Jun 1821) William Leycester 'wishes to know how long I expect to remain in Calcutta [Kolkata]'
(25 Jun 1821) Going to Alexander Nairne 'to ascertain the above'
(26 Jun 1821) Returning to William Leycester with the answer from Alexander Nairne. Remaining on the ship with Nairne until 1 Jul on the advice of Dr Allen [Frederick Alleyn, surgeon on HCS General Kyd], 'being still sick and much worse'
(1 Jul 1821) Returning to the Botanic Garden. 'Commenced a list of plants wanted in England'
(2 Jul 1821) Looking at plants with William Leycester
(3 Jul 1821) Examining and collecting specimens
(4 Jul 1821) Visiting William Carey at Serampore
(5 Jul 1821) Listing plants in William Carey's garden, 'as might be wanted at home and which will be sent to the Horticultural Society'
(6 Jul 1821) Returning from Serampore to the Botanic Garden
(7 Jul 1821) 'Looking over, and taking a list of the plants in the Linnean arrangement'
(8 Jul 1821) Sunday
(9 Jul 1821) Examining specimens. Looking over the collection [in the Botanic Garden]
(10 Jul 1821) Returning to Serampore at William Carey's request
(11 Jul 1821) Visiting Barrack Pore [Barrackpore, Kolkata] with William Carey. Visiting Government House [to see the conservatory of Flora Mure-Campbell, wife of Francis Edward Rawdon-Hastings, governor-general of India, according to the rough journal]
(12 Jul 1821) Returning from Serampore to the Botanic Garden
(13 Jul 1821) Examining specimens and the collection
(14 Jul 1821) Examining specimens and the collection. Going into the jungle. Visiting Calcutta [Kolkata]
(15 Jul 1821) Going to church. Visiting the Botanic Garden
(16 Jul 1821) Examining specimens
(17 Jul 1821) Enquiring in Calcutta [Kolkata] when there would be ships sailing for England, 'having picked out specimens, air plants, etc, sufficient to fill three or four boxes'
(18-21 Jul 1821) Gathering specimens in the jungle
(22 Jul 1821) Calling on several captains in Calcutta [Kolkata] who were about to sail for England
(23 Jul 1821) Calling on Captain Wetherel [Thackeray Wetherall, captain of HCS Hebe]. A very rough and wet day
(24 Jul 1821) Preparing boxes. Collecting air plants to send to England
(25 Jul 1821) Gathering together capsules to send to England
(26 Jul 1821) Preparing boxes and dried moss for packing
(27 Jul 1821) Packing seeds and specimens 'to send home'
(28 Jul 1821) Packing air plants and capsules
(29 Jul 1821) Delivering boxes on board HCS Hebe, one with seeds, one with dried specimens, one with capsules and one with air plants. Captain Wetherall promising to keep the boxes with seeds and air plants in a cabin on the upper deck of the ship
(30 Jul 1821) Calling on Captain Nairne. Signing bills and settling the freight for the boxes
(31 Jul-1 Aug 1821) Going into the jungle. Gathering specimens and looking over the plants
(2 Aug 1821) Calcutta [Kolkata]. 'Posted a letter, and bought three knives, having broken my others'
(3-5 Aug 1821) Collecting specimens 'as usual'
(6 Aug 1821) Collecting specimens of grapes and ferns. Receiving a letter from William Leycester to go to Chauringa [Chowringhee]
(7 Aug 1821) Chauringa [Chowringhee]. 'Got the jars to put fruits in in spirits'
(8 Aug 1821) Returning to see William Leycester in Chauringa [Chowringhee], having not seen him the day before. Receiving 'the rum for the purpose of preserving fruits'
(9-10 Aug 1821) Collecting fruits to put in the jars
(11 Aug 1821) 'Put the fruits into the jars I had gathered'
(12 Aug 1821) Gathering together the specimens of dried grapes and ferns
(13 Aug 1821) Going to enquire from Alexander Nairne 'when the vessel that conveyed the stores to the ship would leave Calcutta [Kolkata]'. Returning to the Botanic Garden. Packing boxes
(14 Aug 1821) Taking boxes on board. 'Called at the office of Messrs Palmer etc, agents to the ship Hebe [HCS Hebe], as I found Captain Wetherel was no more [Thackeray Wetherall died 15 Aug 1821], from whom and Mr Cannon [James Cannon] (purser of the General Kyd) I received a satisfactory answer'. Sailing from Calcutta [Kolkata]
(19 Aug 1821) Reaching new anchorage
(27 Aug 1821) Sailing. Noting that 'during my residence in Bengal [India], I at the request of William Leycester Esq (superintendent of the Botanic Garden during the absence of Dr Wallick [Nathaniel Wallich]) boarded and lodged with Mr George Potter, nurseryman of the Botanic Garden and from whom I met with the most hospitable treatment'
'Observations on the fruits in Bengal', with remarks on the flavours, usage and methods of cultivation, including Garcinia cowa ('a small round fruit has a bitterish and rather acrid taste, is not unpleasant'), Carissa casandas ('a pleasant tasted fruit when raw, but owing to a lactiscent substance in it which sticks to the mouth it is very seldom eaten raw, it makes very good tarts – Dr Carey [William Carey] informed me'), Annona squamosa ('the fruit much resembles a green fir cone before ripe, when ripe it becomes soft and is eat with a spoon, the flavour is good and very much resembling the 'custard''), mangho [mango] ('about the size of the Magnum bonum plum (the sorts I saw) and is very like the melon in flavour, it has a large stone to which the pulp adheres'), Spondias dulcis or otaheite apples ('is much the taste of an apple before ripe, it has a stone which is beset with thorny spines, which are so long as to run nearly half way through the fruit') and Laurus persia or alligator pear [Laurus persea, avocado] ('this is a good fruit about the size of a turkeys egg, the fruit is eat with pepper and salt, being first nicked round as deep as to the stone from which it afterwards easily parts') [here the journal includes a list of approximately 20 more fruits]
'Observations on Indian Horticulture'. Brief notes on methods of propagation ('by enarching [inarching] and tying a ball of mould [soil] round the branches') and growing plants, including notes on the quality of the soil, the methods and the tools used ('the instruments used are, for planting, a small iron crooked at one end, and can be used with one hand, and the natives generally set [sit] on their heels to use it') and air plants ('the method of growing air plants is very good they are tied to the large trees with a small bunch of moss or the like, and regularly attended with water when they soon lay hold of the tree and establish themselves')
Potts copies in the journal a treatise on agriculture: 'Having had no opportunity of seeing their method of growing and planting vegetables perhaps the following may be considered as deserving a place herein'. There follows a copy of 'A Treatise on Agriculture drawn up by Rajah Niter Jeet Singh, rajah of Ishkaree [Mitrajit Singh, maharaja of Tekari]'. The first part contains the names of the months, the signs of the zodiac, the names of the nuchhuttars ('a mansion of the moon: 27 of which consisting of an equal number of days, compose the year of 365 days') and the seasons in Hindoo [Hindi] and in Persian, as well as the names of the different species of grains, roots and vegetables and the periods for sowing and gathering them. The second part contains a list of plants with their Hindi or Persian names, English translation and the Latin names, including 'mumdooa or a kind of rice', 'Konchat or sesamum', 'mhetee or fenugreek or Trigonella foenum graea', 'shalgum', 'rooe or cotton' [the treatise includes approximately 253 plant names], observations on seasons, different kinds of soil, irrigation, land measures, and modes of cultivation in different seasons and for different types of crops, with a note at the end: 'Written in the year of the Hidgira 1217 or anno domini 1812'
[Following the treatise, the journal resumes on page 52]
(27 Aug 1821) Sailing from Bengal [India], 'and on the following day get clear of the sands and the pilot leaves us'
(3-4 Sep 1821) Coming in sight of the Andamand Islands [Andaman Islands, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Union Territory of India]
(4 Sep 1821) Coming in sight of the Nichobar Islands [Nicobar Islands, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Union Territory of India]
(8 Sep 1821) Pulo Penang, Prince of Wales Island [Malaysia]
(9 Sep 1821) Delivering dispatches to the governor [William Edward Philips, British governor of Penang]. The governor promising 'to render me every assistance in his power to procure many objects that would be useful to the Horticultural Society', and sending a small box of cloves, nutmeg, and manghostines [mangosteens]
(10 Sep 1821) Calling on Reverend Mr George Sharks Hutchings [?Rev Robert Sparke Hutchings], with a letter of introduction from William Carey. Hutchings, having no seeds, 'promised me to send some of them [at] every opportunity', sending Potts to David Brown [David Brown, plantation owner in Penang] at Glugor [Gelugor in George Town, Penang]. Receiving a letter from Captain Flint [William Lawrence Flint, Royal Navy officer, master attendant of Singapore] at Sincapore [Singapore], from Sir Stamford Raffles, governor of Bencoolen [Thomas Stamford Raffles, governor-general of British Bencoolen in Sumatra, founder of Singapore]
(11 Sep 1821) Calling on David Brown at Glugor [Gelugor]: 'This gentleman's plantations of nutmegs, cloves, and manghostenes [mangosteens] are very extensive, but owing to his having no seeds in his possession, he was unable to render me any assistance, he promises to send seeds sown in boxes suitable'. Brown expressing a desire to form a horticultural society in Penang. Receiving two boxes of plants from William Philips [with a note: 'see lists']. Noting that the soil 'is in general very rich, the Chinese are the principle people employed in horticulture and agriculture'
(12 Sep 1821) Sailing from Prince of Wales Island [Pulo Penang]
(16 Sep 1821) The ship running aground and remaining so until 23 Sep. During this time 'six guns, and a considerable part of her cargo is thrown overboard, the plants are transplanted into a small box, the large boxes are ordered to be thrown overboard, they are afterwards ordered to be replanted. Lose several'
(26 Sep 1821) Arriving at Malacca [Malaysia]
(27 Sep 1821) Rev Dr Morrison [Robert Morrison, missionary and sinologist in Malaysia and Macau] being away, on Alexander Nairne's advice visiting Rev Dr Milne [William Milne, missionary in Malaysia]: 'this gentleman sends a person through the markets etc with me. He also assured me he would be glad to send anything useful to England'. Seeing air plants, but 'my guide [Mr Thomson, 'an English missionary I think?', according to the rough journal] informs me this is the worst season for fruits'
(28 Sep 1821) Sailing from Malacca
(29 Sep 1821) Arriving at Sincapore [Singapore]
(30 Sep 1821) Delivering dispatches for Major Travers [Thomas Otho Travers, British resident and commandant at Singapore]. Being received in his absence by Mr Barnard [?Edward Barnard, ship builder and merchant at Singapore]. Being sent by Barnard to Mr Dun [East India Company gardener at Singapore], 'who I found unwilling to part with any plants'. Calling on William Lawrence Flint, receiving two clove plants with assurances that 'he will send plants and seeds to the Horticultural Society whenever opportunities may offer hereafter'
Being informed by the governor, Colonel Farcourt [William Farquhar, British commandant of Singapore] that the ship will not sail until the following day and 'he will have some more plants ready for me to take on board early the next morn'
(1 Oct 1821) Mr Barnard 'wishes me to point out such plants in his garden that are worth sending'. Receiving from Barnard durian, chumpedar [?cempedak], ranbootan [rambutan] and nutmeg. 'The governor [William Farquhar] and his son-in-law Mr Barnard both express a desire to open a communication with the Horticultural Society, and concerning which they inform me they shall write concerning the same [at] the first opportunity'. Noting that cloves, nutmeg, plantains, coconuts and eugenias 'seem to grow very well' in the red sandy loam soil
(2 Oct 1821) Sailing from Singapore. 'For plants received vide [see] lists' [Potts appears to have kept lists of the plants he collected but these are not present]
(16 Oct 1821) Typhoon ('tempest'), continuing for three days, 'during which all plants collected since leaving Bengal are thrown overboard. On the gale ceasing the leaves all fall of [off] the Bengal plants'
(22 Oct 1821) Anchoring at St John's, Ladrones Islands [Wanshan Archipelago, Guangdong, China]
(26 Oct 1821) 'Weighed anchor and sailed away'
(30 Oct 1821) Anchoring in the Macao Roads [China]: 'the passengers go ashore'
(4 Nov 1821) Mooring at Wompoo [Huangpu, Guangzhou, China]
(11 Nov 1821) Arriving at Canton [Guangzhou, Guangdong, China]
(12 Nov 1821) Visiting with Mr Reeves [John Reeves, East India Company tea inspector and naturalist in China] 'a China gentleman's (the squire's) garden', 'the contents of which will be given in Obs. On Chinese Gardening' [see the entry following 27 Jan 1822 below, on page 59 of the journal]
(13 Nov 1821) Visiting other gardens with John Reeves. 'Picking out the chrysanthemums according to Mr Sabine's [Joseph Sabine, secretary of the Horticultural Society of London] list'
(14 Nov 1821) Visiting gardens with John Reeves. Examining his specimens
(15 Nov 1821) Packing chrysanthemums to send home: 'spreading the English mould [soil] to sweeten'
(16 Nov 1821) Receiving 'the Bengal plants from the ship'. Planting chrysanthemum cuttings
(17 Nov 1821) Tying and securing camellias for packing
(18 Nov 1821) Sunday
(19 Nov 1821) Finishing packing. Sending two boxes to HCS Inglis
(20 Nov 1821) Sending two boxes of plants to HCS Inglis. 'Potting the Bengal plants that were alive'
(21 Nov 1821) Looking at samples of flower pots with John Reeves. Looking at the drawings and seeds of Mr Beale [Thomas Beale, naturalist, merchant and opium speculator in China], 'the latter he gives me'
(22 Nov 1821) Visiting the gardens at Fartee [Fatee gardens, nursery gardens] with John Reeves, Thomas Beale and Captain Wilson [J.P. Wilson, captain of HCS Hythe]
(23 Nov 1821) Receiving plants bought the previous day at the gardens. 'Sets the plants intended for my own care by themselves'
(24 Nov 1821) Receiving 'some green specimens'. Preparing clay for grafting
(25 Nov 1821) Sunday
(26 Nov 1821) Packing three boxes of plants for John Reeves to send to New Holland [Australia] and Calcutta [Kolkata]. Grafting camellias for Thomas Beale
(27 Nov 1821) Packing two boxes of plants to send on HCS Hythe. Receiving and potting plants from Macao [Macau]. Packing a box for John Reeves
(28 Nov 1821) Sowing seeds 'in the boxes packed yesterday'. Looking at Thomas Beale's and John Reeves' drawings [John Reeves commissioned botanical drawings from local artists]
(29 Nov 1821) Packing plants 'to be in readiness for sending home'. Finding 'some good sandy loam on the roots of some plants brought from the hills'
(30 Nov 1821) Packing boxes. Putting in cuttings of single camellias
(1 Dec 1821) Packing boxes. Stamping tallies [labels giving information about the plants]. Copying lists
(2 Dec 1821) Sunday
(3 Dec 1821) Potting and packing plants
(4 Dec 1821) Stamping tallies and writing lists. Wet day
(5 Dec 1821) Grafting camellias. Putting in chrysanthemum cuttings
(6 Dec 1821) Looking over John Reeves' drawings. Accompanying Reeves 'to look at some capsules'
(7 Dec 1821) Potting plants brought from the hills. Drying specimens, 'turning others etc'
(8 Dec 1821) Potting plants, finding 'two species of Eurya amongst them'
(9 Dec 1821) Sunday
(10 Dec 1821) Potting plants brought from the hills. Collecting together and potting air plants
(11 Dec 1821) Packing boxes. Receiving camellias from Macao [Macau]. 'Looking over some Chinese drawings intended for the Emperor of Austria'
(12 Dec 1821) Gathering together 'all the herbaceous plants intended for the Horticultural Society, pots one of each. Leaves the others to be planted in boxes betwixt pots'
(13 Dec 1821) 'Looking over the plants brought to Canton [Guangzhou] by the China doctors [apothecaries]' with John Reeves
(14 Dec 1821) Potting plants from the hills nearby. Gathering specimens. 'Looking over some seeds'
(15 Dec 1821) 'Packing one box of plants, potting others'
(16 Dec 1821) Sunday
(17 Dec 1821) Looking at plants with John Reeves. Turning specimens. A wet day
(18 Dec 1821) Potting wild azaleas. Going out with Thomas Beale: 'gets the model of a mattock [pickaxe] made for taking up plants'
(19 Dec 1821) Sending two boxes on board the Farqueson [HCS Farquharson]. Sowing seeds in the boxes. Receiving and potting plants from the hills
(20 Dec 1821) Sending two boxes on board HCS Windsor
(21 Dec 1821) Receiving plants from the hills. 'Sows some Penang seeds in various boxes'
(22 Dec 1821) Visiting several factories with John Reeves. 'Captain Welstead [George Welstead, captain in the East India Company] wishes me to go to Wompoo [Huangpu], assures every attention shall be paid to me and that the plants should be carefully conveyed to Canton [Guangzhou]'
(23 Dec 1821) Packing boxes. Expecting to go to Macao [Macau] in two days
(24 Dec 1821) Packing plants in boxes
(25 Dec 1821) Wompoo [Huangpu]. Measuring the space allowed for plants on board HCS General Kyd
(26 Dec 1821) Boarding 'a China chop' to HCS Windsor
(27 Dec 1821) Boarding HCS Windsor, 'Captain Heavisides [Thomas Haviside, captain of HCS Windsor] having promised me a passage to Macao [Macau]'
(31 Dec 1821) Macao [Macau]
(1 Jan 1822) Visiting gardens belonging to English, Chinese and Portuguese residents with Dr Livingstone [John Livingstone, surgeon in China]
(2 Jan 1822) 'Goes round and into the wood Hoong[?]'
(3 Jan 1822) 'Crosses the water, goes up the hills (Lapas [Wanzai Island, Zhuhai, China and Macau]), brings a few plants down unknown to me'
(4-5 Jan 1822) Visiting gardens with John Livingstone. Gathering seeds and specimens in the garden of Antonio Pieriero [Antonio Pereira, Portuguese landowner in Macau]. 'In this garden [Jardim Luis de Camoes], which is very extensive is the cave in which Camoen [Luis Vaz de Camoes, Portuguese poet] wrote his Lusiad [the Lusiads, 1572]'
(6 Jan 1822) Sunday
(7 Jan 1822) 'Putting up some seeds in papers'. Planting vines for John Reeves
(8 Jan 1822) Putting up seeds. Going to the hills near Macao [Macau]
(9 Jan 1822) Picking and drying seeds gathered the previous day
(10 Jan 1822) Receiving orders from John Livingstone 'not to go out it being considered dangerous, also to prepare to leave Macao [Macau] at a minute's notice' [due to a dispute between the East India Company and the Chinese authorities in Canton]
(11-12 Jan 1822) 'Taken sick' and confined to bed
(13 Jan 1822) Receiving news that the British subjects have left Canton [Guangzhou]
(14 Jan 1822) All British subjects ordered to leave Macau. A letter from Captain Richardson [Charles Richardson, captain of HMS Topaze] saying that an East India Company schooner 'is despatched to take on board any or all who wish to embark and that they will receive protection on board HM Frigate Topaz [HMS Topaze]'
(15 Jan 1822) 'News arrives that the business at Canton [Guangzhou] is settled in a way favourable to the English'
(27 Jan 1822) Starting to recover, but 'from this to the time of my leaving Macao [Macau] am only enabled to walk out in a morning and evening'. Visiting Chinese vegetable gardens
'Observations on China Gardens': 'the description of one garden belonging to a China gentleman serves for all of that Class'. Includes descriptions of the ornamental elements ('their principle [principal] objects are to have them ornamented as much as possible with dross which is thrown up in the form of rocks, clefts, archways'), noting that 'they pay great attention to the flowering of chrysanthemums, there are only a certain number of plants they pay any attention to, very little attention is paid to destroying of weeds or clearing away of dead leaves consequently the surface is covered with one or the other'. In vegetable gardens there are 'tanks containing night soil [human manure] with water thrown upon it in such portion that it may be used in water pots. On this the vegetables seem to subsist, as it serves both purposes of manure and water'. The soil in Macao [Macau] 'remarkably sandy'. Methods of propagating ('as seen by myself'), including wounding a branch, grafting by approach (enarching [inarching]), laying ('this is performed as in England'), cuttings ('in this process there are many slovenly symptoms as no attention seems to be paid to the age of the cutting'), seeds and cleft grafting
Noting that 'before leaving China I must observe the kindness of Mr Blatterman [unidentified, of Dutch East India Company], & Mr Beale [Thomas Beale], the former (Mr Blatterman) gives permission for all the plants intended for the Horticultural Society to be placed in a large space in the Dutch factory, where they are packed and put in readiness for shipping. This is the only place in Canton [Guangzhou] where they would be safe'. Thomas Beale 'gives permission for all the plants at Macao intended for the Horticultural Society to be placed in his garden', sending his gardener 'up the country to collect plants where the English are not permitted to go', bringing 'dwarf azaleas, several new camellias, and indeed most of the plants I see in China, that were unknown to me'. Noting that 'at this gentleman's house I boarded during my stay at Macao, and from whom and Dr Livingstone [John Livingstone] I received the most humane and hospitable treatment'
(22 Mar 1822) Leaving Macao [Macau] on HC schooner [an East India Company schooner]
(23 Mar 1822) Joining HCS General Kyd. 'Finds the plants set out for my own charge not sent. Also 123 plants sent from Macao [Macau] to Canton [Guangzhou] not sent on board'
(24 Mar 1822) 'Places the plants on board in the spaces allowed'
(25 Mar 1822) 'Gets out to sea, plant boxes lashed & cleted [cleated]'
Observations at sea: 'the plants keep well until we approach at the straights of Gaspar [Gaspar Strait]. Here the azaleas begin to droop with heat, several of them loose [lose] many leaves before we leave the straits of Sunda [Sunda Strait]'. Approaching the Cape of Good Hope [South Africa], encountering gales that continued for a month without intermission of more than one day in a week. During these gales the plants were in darkness and many died. 'Keep very well from the ceasing of the gales until we arrive at St Helena [British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha]'
(30 Jun 1822) Arriving at St Helena. Staying at the house of Major Pritchard [Henry Hugh (Huff) Pritchard, British commanding officer of the St Helena infantry]. Pritchard recommending Mr Cameron [James Cameron], 'Honourable Company's [East India Company] gardener and forester', 'as the most likely person to take charge of my sickly plants'
(1 Jul 1822) Henry Pritchard sending for James Cameron, 'who I find willing to take the plants which are sickly'. Making arrangements for going to the hills the following day. Cameron 'pledges himself to send such of the plants as recover, as well as any that are spontaneous, on the first opportunity'
(2 Jul 1822) Ascending the hills 'with two of Mr Cameron's [James Cameron] men who carry down the plants'. Noting that 'the soil is rich and light, generally of a dark colour'. Visiting the governor's [John Pine Coffin] garden, managed by an English gardener: 'in this garden pears, peaches etc seem to grow luxuriantly amongst the fruits of the torrid zone'. Visiting Diana's Peak [Saint Helena], 'where Dicksonia arborescence grows plentiful'. Visiting Longwood, where there 'are very few plants but what are already in England'
(3 Jul 1822) Taking on board plants brought from the hills the previous day. Taking the sick plants on shore. Visiting the Castle Gardens [Jamestown, St Helena], 'in which are the only Barringtonia speciosas [Barringtonia asiatica] that are on the island. They are large and flower freely in their season (as Mr Cameron [James Cameron] tells me) but does not perfect their seed, consequently no young plants or seeds can be procured'
(4 Jul 1822) 'Joins the ship and sails away, after receiving the most hospitable treatment from 'Major Henry Huf Pritchard [Henry Huff Pritchard]', who took every opportunity to forward the objects of the Horticultural Society. Directions to the person having the plants in his possession: 'Mr James Cameron, HC [Honourable Company] gardener and forester, Castle Gardens, Jameses town [Jamestown], St Helena'
Extent - 1 volume
Copyright - © Royal Horticultural Society
Credit Line - RHS Lindley Collections
Usage terms - Non-commercial use with attribution permitted (CC BY-NC 4.0)