Zone d'identification
Cote
Titre
Date(s)
- 24/03/1905 (Production)
Niveau de description
Pièce
Étendue matérielle et support
1 letter, 4 sheets, 16 pages
Zone du contexte
Nom du producteur
Notice biographique
Born in Falkirk in 1873, George Forrest became one of Scotland's most prolific plant collectors, conducting seven expeditions in Yunnan province, S.W. China between 1904 and his death there in 1932.
Histoire archivistique
Source immédiate d'acquisition ou de transfert
Letter donated by Forrest family via Eric Forrest
Zone du contenu et de la structure
Portée et contenu
Description of valley from Hsia Kuan [Xiaguan] to Shang Kuan [Shangguan] and city of Tali [Dali]. Hsia Kuan is a customs station and the most important business centre in Western Yunnan, with population of over 12,000, all of whom are engaged in trade; important centre of opium production, with some trade in Szechuanese, Cantonese and foreign goods; Litton advocates establishment of a Chinese agency at Hsia Kuan by some foreign firm. Tali plain narrow and fertile, densely populated mainly by Minchia people, very mixed with Chinese; description of their dress and customs, temple of the Goddess of Mercy and legend of the monster Yao Kwei. Principal officials and administration of city of Tali, its main buildings, walls towers and streets, insanitary conditions and prevalence of disease; population c.5,000; much of city in ruins following ‘the rebellion’ [Mohammedan [Muslim] rebellion]; rough sketch of earthen city wall with brick facing. Details of goods for sale include gold, some from Tibet but mainly obtained from the Yangtse.
Évaluation, élimination et calendrier de conservation
Accroissements
Mode de classement
Zone des conditions d'accès et d'utilisation
Conditions d’accès
Conditions de reproduction
Langue des documents
Écriture des documents
Notes de langue et graphie
Caractéristiques matérielle et contraintes techniques
Instruments de recherche
Zone des sources complémentaires
Existence et lieu de conservation des originaux
Existence et lieu de conservation des copies
Unités de description associées
Zone des notes
Note
The Forrest correspondence collection has been summarised by library volunteer Pauline Maclean and it should be noted that the summaries and letters may contain Forrest’s language, spellings and attitudes which may be deemed offensive now.
Note
The story of the Goddess of Mercy from this letter has been summarised in the RBGE blog/Botanics Story (right click, open link in new tab) https://stories.rbge.org.uk/archives/23138