Letter from George Forrest, Lichiang fu [Lijiang], to Professor Isaac Bayley Balfour M.D., 'Regius Keeper', Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, dated 08 May 1906.
Forrest writes enclosing a photograph of an orchid growing at 8-9,000 feet in the Tsan Shan [Cang Shan] range. He fears the north is closed to him for this year. Mandarin Li, prefect of Lichiangfu, who was in charge of operations in the Mekong valley has been ‘degraded’, his crime being pro-Europeanism and being too active in the execution of participants in the rebellion. Li has been recalled to Yunnanfu [Kunming] to answer charges and may lose his head. Since his withdrawal, Mekong valley has returned to its old state of chaos and reports of the quelling of disturbances in the north are false. The murderers of Pere Dubernard and Pere Bourdonnec remain unpunished, although in Chinese custody. ‘It is just the old story over again, the officials are at their usual game of “janging” and “squeezing” and, where a prisoner can pay for his life, no matter what his crime has been, he escapes.’ Forrest has received details of the deaths of Dubernard and Bourdonnec, too gruesome to relate. Missionaries have put in a claim for indemnity for their losses but it has not yet been paid. Forrest’s own claim has been partly paid, once he reduced the claim to avoid months of haggling. He deems it too risky to return to the Mekong-Salwin divide and has decided to spend the whole season in the [Yangtze] bend. He intends to travel south to Talifu [Dali] in October or November and spend two months arranging his collection before returning home in January or February 1907. Forrest asks if there is such a species as Primula Gibsoni and requests a description of Primula Wilsoni.
Plants referenced: Jasmine; Orchid; Primula
Letter badly fire damaged with some loss, including of text.
List of packages received from George Forrest, compiled from Packages Book by Henry Hastings:
1905 February 13; Basket; Botanical Specimens
1905 April 22; Package; Specimens
1905 August 01; Case; Specimens
1906 June 06; Package; Herbarium Specimens
List has been fire damaged with some loss, including of text.
Receipt letter from Isaac Bayley Balfour, Regius Keeper, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh to the Co-operative Bees Ltd, Ness, Neston, dated 29 June 1906.
Standard letter giving identification of seven plant specimens:
No. 1, Spiraea Ulmaria
No. 2, Asphodelus fistulosus
No. 3, Polygonum molle
No. 4, Spiraea Humboldtii
No. 5, Lindelofia spectabilis
No. 6, Veronica Teucrium
No. 7, Potentilla chrysantha
Plants referenced: Asphodelus; Lindelofia; Polygonum; Potentilla; Spiraea; Veronica
Letter has been fire damaged with some loss.
Letter from A. Cameron, Bees Ltd, Wapping Buildings, Cornhill, Liverpool, to Isaac Bayley Balfour, The Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh, dated 03 August 1906.
A Cameron, the Manager at Bees Ltd, [he's now scoring out 'The Co-operative' on the letterhead] writes to request Balfour's opinion on plants raised from seed supplied by George Forrest and sent to RBGE on 28 June 1906.
Letter has been fire damaged with some loss.
Copy letter from Isaac Bayley Balfour, Edinburgh, to A.K. Bulley, Ness, dated 20 August 1906.
Balfour writes to explain his reasons for rejecting a proposal by The Co-operative Bees Ltd. for a system of plant exchange. Balfour prefers that the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh be treated as a purchasing customer. He will send Meconopsis bella and Primula reidii once the former has flowered.
Plants referenced: Meconopsis; Primula
Letter fire damaged and paper is very brittle; handle with care.
Letter from A.K. Bulley, Ness, Neston, Cheshire, to Isaac Bayley Balfour, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, dated 21 August 1906.
Bulley writes to agree to Balfour’s request [to treat Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh as a customer rather than exchange partner] 'All right, good friend. It shall be as you wish'. Bulley expects George Forrest to return at beginning of the new year and to marry Miss Traill 'regardless of mother-in-law's tin cap views'. As to Forrest’s prospects: ‘I certainly shan't let F. sink into the ranks of the out of works, though it wont be too easy to find a job for him.’
Letter has been fire damaged with some loss.
Letter from George Forrest, China Inland Misison, Talifu [Dali], to Professor Isaac Bayley Balfour M.D., 'Regius Keeper', Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, dated 01 September 1906.
Forrest writes to thank Balfour for applying to the F:O [Foreign Office] for protection and travel facilities for him. Consuls Ottewill and Wilkinson and other officials have already offered help. Forrest has suffered a period of ill health culminating in high fever and loss of consciousness. He is now recovering and hopes to return to the Lichiang [Lijiang] range [Yulong Xue Shan] where his three best collectors have continued work in his absence. Hopes to bring home with him about 3,000 species, mostly plants from an altitude of 9-15,000 feet.
Letter has been fire damaged with some loss, including of text; handle with care.
Receipt letter from Isaac Bayley Balfour, Regius Keeper, Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh to Bees Ltd, dated 05 September 1906.
Standard letter giving identification of seven specimen plants and 5 plants grown from seeds sent by Forrest from China:
No. 1, Spiraea Ulmaria
No. 2, Asphodelus fistulosus
No. 3, Polygonum molle
No. 4, Spiraea Humboldtii
No. 5, Lindelofia spectabilis
No. 6, Veronica Teucrium
No. 7, Potentilla chrysantha
The plants sent from seeds sent from China by Mr. Forrest are:
- Adenophora polymorpha
- Potentilla n.sp. near gelida
- Adenophora n.sp.
- Sedum asiaticum var.
- Silene apetala
Plants referenced: Adenophora; Asphodelus; Lindelofia; Polygonum; Potentilla; Sedum; Silene; Spiraea; Veronica
Letter from George Forrest, China Inland Mission, Talifu [Dali], to Professor Isaac Bayley Balfour M.D., 'Regius Keeper', Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, dated 25 September 1906.
Forrest writes enclosing three prints of a species of primula discovered on the Lichiang [Lijiang] range [Yulong Xue Shan], with detailed description of the plant. Photograph IV is of a plant which he cannot place, and V is of a species of cypripedium. Gives detailed descriptions of both. Forrest also encloses some small specimens of primula, saxifrage and delphinium. This season he has secured from 20-30 species of both saxifrage and primula. ‘I could write much on the flowers I have seen and collected this season but I am so weak through my prolonged illness, that I have neither the heart nor the strength to do so. Besides it is such a long time since I received a letter from you, 10 months, that I am led to infer you have lost all interest in my wanderings and collecting, therefore you will pardon me if I make this my last communication before my departure for home.’
Plants referenced: Cypripedium; Delphinium; Pine; Primula; Saxifrage
Photographs referenced: I. Group of primula –Lichiang range; II. Flowering head of primula; III. Mass of primula plants in situ; IV. Unidentified plant; V. Cypripedium?
Letter has been badly fire damaged with some loss, including of text; as it is a large folded letter, there is a photocopy in the binder alongside which should be used to enable reading the text inside.
Copy letter from Isaac Bayley Balfour, Edinburgh, to A.K. Bulley, Ness, dated 19 November 1906.
Balfour writes to thank Bulley for his testimony in favour of Mr Besant [of Bees Ltd, see letter to Balfour dated 2nd October 1904, Forrest file. GB235 FRG/1/1/1/1904/9. L.P.]. Balfour will keep this in mind when filling vacant post. He is finding it difficult to work out Forrest’s plants because so many are new and for described plants from the region it is difficult to get at the type specimens. Balfour undertakes to employ Forrest on his return until he finds something better. ‘He is about the best collector I know of. His specimens are splendid and his notes excellent.’
Plants referenced: Adenophora; Crawfurdia; Gentian; Potentilla
Letter is fire damaged with some loss.