FRG/1 Correspondence
• 1: Box of Forrest correspondence, 1903-08 (to and from Clementina, I.B. Balfour, Bulley, Family), Forrest related correspondence, copies of his birth and marriage certificates, transcripts of his diary 1904-05, ‘Account of a Journey on the Upper Salwin, October to December 1905’, copy of the article ‘Land of the Crossbow, March 9th 1906’ from the National Geographic Magazine, (carbon copy, original version is in the red notebook under letter 3, filed in
the same box)
• 2: Box of Forrest correspondence, 1909-1911 – correspondence regarding his Yunnan expedition in 1910, and with I.B. Balfour and correspondence relating to Forrest.
• 3a: Box of Forrest correspondence with J.C. Williams 1911-1912, regarding his third expedition (February 1912-March 1915)
• 3b: Box of Forrest correspondence with J.C. Williams and I.B. Balfour, 1913-14 regarding his third expedition (February 1912- March 1915)
• 3c: Box of Forrest correspondence from 1915 regarding his third expedition (February 1912- March 1915)
• 4a: Box of Forrest correspondence from 1917-1920 regarding his fourth expedition (February 1917-March 1920)
• 4b: Box of Forrest correspondence, including I.B. Balfour and William Wright Smith, 1916-1920, regarding his fourth expedition (February 1917-March 1920)
• 5: Box of Forrest correspondence from June 1920-April 1923 regarding his fifth expedition (January 1921-March 1923)
• 6: Box of Forrest correspondence from 1922-28
• 7: Box of Forrest correspondence from 1929-1932, plus obituaries, etc.
FRG/2 Photographs
FRG/2/1 Prints:
• File of photographs marked ‘Forrest, Collectors, Human, etc.’
• File of photographs marked ‘Buildings, Temple, Graves, Towns, etc.’
• File of photographs marked ‘Mountain, Water, Bridge’
• File of photographs marked ‘Plants A-L’
• File of photographs marked ‘Plants M-Prim-’
• File of photographs marked ‘Plants Py-Z and misc.’
FRG/2/2 Glass Plate Negative Collection
FRG/3 Published work
• copy of the article ‘Land of the Crossbow’, from the National Geographic Magazine
FRG/4 Field Books
FRG/4/1 Unpublished Field Books:
• George Forrest’s field books – 27 original field books dating from 1904 to 1932
FRG/4/2 Published Field Books:
FRG/5 RBGE’s Notes relating to Forrest’s plants
• 16 folders in 15 boxes of RBGE’s plant collection notes arranged alphabetically by genus
• Three boxes of Rhododendron notes written and sent by Isaac Bayley Balfour and William Wright Smith c.1919,1921 and 1922 and Primula lists c.1914,1921 and 1922
FRG/6 Forrest’s lecture notes
• Box of lecture notes and lists of slides
• Box containing photo related lists, 1913-24 and lecture notes
FRG/7 Forrest’s collection of papers (unsorted at present)
FRG/8 maps
• Various maps of Forrest’s Botanical expeditions
• File containing maps from 1918-1922, some annotated and some hand drawn
FRG/9 - collection of work about Forrest by others, includes
• Box containing Cowan’s research from 1934 and information regarding Forrest Centenary in 1973
• Various articles referring to Forrest
• Various newspaper articles which mention George Forrest
FRG/10 RBGE Forrest ephemera – collection of objects used by / related to George Forrest
• Camera similar to one used by Forrest
A collection of items relating to George Forrest and his family comprising:
GB 235 FIA/1/1: ‘Rhododendrons and the Various Hybrids’, by J.G. Millais, 1917, No.6, signed by author and annotated by George Forrest
GB 235 FIA/1/2: ‘Rhododendrons and the Various Hybrids’, 2nd Series, by J.G. Millais, 1924, No.5
GB 235 FIA/2/1-7: 7 x ‘Marine Algae of Joppa’ by George William Traill, 1886 (inc. author’s copy(1), Phebe M. Traill(2), W.H. Traill(3), scored out name(4) and 3 unsigned books(5-7, 5 possibly Clementina Traill))
GB 235 FIA/2/8: 1 x ‘Marine Algae of Elie’, by George William Traill, reprint from the Transactions of the Botanical Society of Scotland, 1888
GB 235 FIA/2/9: 1 x ‘Marine Algae of the Orkney Islands’ by George William Traill, 1890, H.C.M.W. (Clementina) Traill’s copy
GB 235 FIA/3: 1 box of 87 microscope slides, mostly trees and shrubs, made by Dr G. Ian Forrest (G. Forrest’s grandson) between 1959 and 1960 whilst studying for his B.Sc in Botany at University College London.
Sin títuloLetter from George Forrest, China Inland Mission, Talifu [Dali], Yunnan, to Isaac Bayley Balfour, 'Regius Keeper', Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, dated 04 April 1905.
Forrest writes that he has received the photographic plates and thanks Balfour for the present of books; he was greatly cheered by his letter as he was beginning to lose heart. Forrest discusses provenance and identification of primulas and cassiope and asks for hints on the packing of bulbs of lilies and orchids. Forrest hopes to leave Talifu [Dali] on 10 April but he is having trouble hiring transport as the Wei Hsi pass at an elevation of 14,000 feet, the only way to Tsekou [Cigu], is infested by robbers, a tribe of aborigines called Lisaws [Lissoos], dispossessed of their lands by the Chinese. ‘Occasionally they make a raid on the caravans crossing from Chu Tien on the Yangtze to Wei Hsi. They have no firearms, but use powerful crossbows and small poisoned arrows which the Chinese are mortally afraid of.’ Longer delay would mean losing many of the spring flowers. Forrest is pleased that Balfour knows of his engagement to Miss Clementina Traill and asks if one of the new species could be named after her. Has received way bill from Cook & Son for the second batch of plants numbering 220 which he sent off on 13 January. Warns that Balfour will hear nothing further for the next ten months as he will not return to Tali until January or February next year [1906]. Mr Bulley wishes him to remain out until at least 1907. Forrest reports that all over Yunnan and the west of China, the locals use the beans and pods of Gleditschia [Gleditsia] sinensis, Lamb. and Sapindus Mukorossi, Gaertn. to wash their clothes.
Plants referenced: Cassiope; Cypripedium; Gleditsia; Lily; Pine; Primula; Sapindus; Saxifrage
Letter has been burnt and there has been some loss.
Letter from George Forrest, China Inland Mission, Talifu [Dali], to Isaac Bayley Balfour, 'Regius Keeper', Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, dated 26 March 1905.
Forrest writes that he is pleased that the first batch of specimens has arrived and proved to be of such interest. Forrest hopes to send thousands from next season’s collecting, north and west of Tsekou [Cigu]. Forrest thanks Balfour for sending him photographic plates and books (which he has not yet received).
Letter is fire damaged with a small amount of loss.
Incomplete letter from George Forrest, Mission Apostolique, Tsekou, to Clementina Traill dated 28 April 1905.
The letter is incomplete, comprising 16 complete pages and fragments of pages 17 and 19. Forrest describes his journey from Talifu [Dali] to Tsekou [Cigu], going north by Chien Chuan; overnight camp in temple and first row with Chinese; loss of mule in gully and refusal of muleteers to go on; rescue by party of Lissoos who helped Forrest continue ascent through deep snow. Arrival at Wei Hsi; meeting with Pere Bourdonnec of the Mission Apostolique in Tibet and startling news of revolt amongst the lamas in the north; Tsekou mission in danger and consul Litton on his way with troops to defend it; murder of missionaries and Christian natives at Atunze and Batang; Forrest advised to remain at Wei Hsi but continued to Tsekou which he found practically in a state of siege. ‘All this is a bit of a nuisance as I cannot go far away from the place and therefore cannot do much collecting. Fortunately there isn’t much to be done at present – at least in the seed line, and, although during my journey from Tali I collected specimens of over 100 species, yet these were only flowering in the lower parts of the valleys. Here very few flowers are in bloom now, the mountains being still heavily coated with snow.’
Plants referenced: Pine (passim)
Letter from George Forrest, China Inland Mission, Talifu [Dali], to Isaac Bayley Balfour, 'Regius Keeper', Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, dated 22 March 1905.
Forrest writes to give details of his disappointing journey south. He never reached Mengtze as Mr Wilkinson preferred Forrest to assist him in laying out ground at the new consulate outside Yunnanfu [Kunming]. Regrets small number of seeds and specimens. Reports that a letter thrown over the mission gate warns of a plot to burn down the mission and murder the missionaries; the attack to take place during the great spring fair on the 15th of the 3rd Chinese moon, i.e. 19th April. ‘Missionaries are going to take no steps in the matter … and say that if anything does take place they forbid me to shoot, but -.’
Plants referenced: Camellia; Rhododendron; Saxifrage
The letter is fire damaged with some loss.
Letter from George Forrest, The Consulate, Tengyueh, Yunnan, S.W. China to Isaac Bayley Balfour, 'Regius Keeper', Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, dated 30 December 1905.
In the absence of Mr Litton on business connected with the proposed railway extension from Bhamo to Teng Yueh [Tengchong], Forrest has been left to entertain any passing travellers. These include Mr [Aleister] Crowley of the Alpine Club, his wife and child, and a Frenchman on his way north to buy musk and furs for a Paris firm. Forrest reports that he and Litton had reached latitude 27’ 15” and a quarter degrees covering new ground on their recent trip north along the Salween valley. Forrest has collected about 300 specimens, some of them new species. Of seeds he has only about 100 species and not those he wished most to secure meaning he thinks he will have to return to Tsekou [Cigu] next season ‘as I cannot bear the thought of anyone else, especially a Frenchman securing specimens and seeds of the plants I saw.’ He thanks Balfour for Hooker’s Flora and for numbers of the Linnaean Journal and for all his kindness. Forrest asks again for advice on drying and packing orchids as he now has a large number of pseudo bulbs of what he takes to be a new species and does not know how to deal with them.
Plant referenced: Orchid
Letter is very slightly charred.
Letter from George Forrest, The Consulate, Tengyueh, to Isaac Bayley Balfour, 'Regius Keeper', Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, dated 10 October 1905.
Forrest writes to inform Balfour that he will leave the next day for a journey up the Salween-Irrawaddy divide and will be out of communication for 6-8 weeks. He has engaged a collector with whom he has left some specimens as they are not yet dry. Forrest encloses ‘the scraps of plants I secured during my flight from Tsekou' and thanks Balfour for his gift of photo plates, paper and material but regrets that the plates and paper have been spoiled owing to the fault of the packer, Mr McBean; 'They were most carelessly packed. Firstly they were packed in a box loosely with seams all open. Then the plates and paper were merely placed in open tobacco tins and to crown all, four pounds of ordinary salt was placed on top. The box was simply dripping inside when it reached me.'
Forrest is sending seeds of meconopsis, corydalis and ?liquine; gives brief descriptions.
Plants referenced: Corydalis; Liquine?; Meconopsis
Letter has been damaged by fire with some loss of text; handle with care.
Incomplete letter from George Forrest, China Inland Mission, Talifu, to Clementina Traill dated 28 March 1905.
The letter is incomplete, comprising pages numbered 1-12, 13 and 15. Forrest continues his description of Tali [Dali] where marble is the main product; details of production process; wood for furniture mainly walnut and other trades include silversmiths, coppersmiths and horn workers. Description of house construction, method of brickmaking, ornamentation and arrangement of buildings; female clothing, make-up and footbinding, men’s dress and hairstyles. Education consists almost entirely of learning Confucian classics; parental power of life and death over children; prevalence of opium smoking and suicide; wide variety of food available. Includes rough sketch of a two-storey house and of a pouch for holding cash.
Plants referred to: on pp.12-13: Apricot; Bean; Cabbage; Carrot; Filbert; Fig; Gleditschia; Grape; Lemon; Mandarin orange; Pea; Peach; Pear; Persimmon; Pomegranate; Potato; Rice; Sapindus; Sultana; Turnip; Walnut
Letter from George Forrest, China Inland Mission, Talifu [Dali] to Professor Isaac Bayley Balfour, Regius Keeper, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, dated 10 March 1905.
Forrest writes to say he has collected about 200 specimens during his trip to Yunnanfu [Kunming]. Asks if Professor Balfour received two packages despatched on November 14 (380 specimens) and January 10 (220 specimens). Advises him to pay no heed to Mr Wilkinson’s request for flower seeds if it means bother and expense.
Letter is scorched.