Showing 107 results

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.

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, Sung Kwei, Yunnan, to Isaac Bayley Balfour, RBGE, dated 06 September 1904, in which Forrest describes the difficult journey from Bhamo to Teng Yueh [Tengchong], owing to atrocious weather; hospitable reception by Mr Litton, the consul. Travelled to Tali [Dali] with Mr Litton but has not yet found the plants required by Mr Bulley. Continuing to Tseku [Cigu] on the borders of Tibet where mountains are higher. Describes primula, saxifrage and gentian, some of the specimens already collected but regrets the loss of others owing to mildew. Promises to send a copy of his journal and do all in his power to add to the Herbarium collection.

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 Litton, Consulate, Tengyueh, to Isaac Bayley Balfour, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, dated 13 December 1905.
It should be noted that the catalogue descriptions, summaries and letters contain sensitive subjects and Litton’s language, spellings and attitudes which may be deemed offensive now.
Litton writes to report that he and Forrest have just returned from exploration of the Upper Salween ‘a complete terra incognita; he is a bit done up with the somewhat severe fatigues of the journey and I have insisted on his taking a complete rest for some weeks…’ Owing to poor weather they had to keep mainly to lower levels, 4,000-5,000 feet but Forrest collected a good number of plants, though drying was almost impossible. ‘We found a most lovely mauve climbing gentian trailing over the hills in glorious clusters. Unluckily we were too early for seeds, but I have a wild man of those parts out to get them for me & Forrest…’ On Forrest’s wish to return to the Mekong divide and other plateaux at 10,000-13,000 feet near there, ‘In my opinion there is no reason why he should not try. The rebellion of the lamas has been most mercilessly drowned in blood by the Chinese and I do not think a single lama will show his shaven pate in those parts for some time to come. Ergo the country is likely to be more quiet now than it ever has been. But Chinese officials are obstructive and always like to keep foreigners out of a country if they can find any excuse to do so; while (between ourselves) many of H.M. officials are not very energetic about assisting travellers into the wilds. I would like to tell you that it would probably be of very great assistance to Forrest if you could write to the Foreign Office stating the interest which you as a man of science have in his work & asking that every support & assistance may be given to him by H.M. Consuls in carrying it out, now that you hear that the country has been pacified. But on no account mention my name in connection with what you say.’ Litton adds that he is trying to obtain some indemnity from the mandarins for Forrest’s losses and sufferings and that the French missionaries have returned to their missions on the Mekong.
Plant referenced: Gentian
The letter has been fire damaged with some loss, though not of text, and the pages are close to separating; handle with extreme care.