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FRG/4/1 Unpublished Field Books: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
Letter from J.W. Besant, Bees Ltd., Neston, Cheshire, to Isaac Bayley Balfour, RBGE, dated 02 October 1904, advising that they have forwarded several plants raised by them from seeds sent home by ‘our Mr Forrest’ and requesting assistance in identifying these.
Letter 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.
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.
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.
Copy letter from Isaac Bayley Balfour, RBGE, to George Forrest, Tali-fu [Dali], dated 12 September 1904, in which Balfour thanks Forrest for his Bhamo letter and hopes there will be no trouble in the districts he is going to visit; offers to send paper for drying plants. Hopes to obtain a new Herbarium building this year.
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, China Inland Mission, Talifu [Dali], to Professor Isaac Bayley Balfour, 'Regius Keeper', Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, dated 17 April 1906.
Forrest writes to request the identification of two species of rhododendron described in detail. He has engaged two indigenous collectors to work the Tsan Shan [Cang Shan] range west of Talifu during his absence in the north. He hopes they will obtain 2,000 species.
Plants referenced: Orchid; Rhododendron
Letter has been fire damaged with some loss, including of text.