John Sibthorp, Pera, [Cyprus], to James Edward Smith, 12 Great Marlborough Street, London

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Ref No GB-110/JES/COR/5/38
Title John Sibthorp, Pera, [Cyprus], to James Edward Smith, 12 Great Marlborough Street, London
Letter date 9 Aug 1794
Author(s) John Sibthorp 1758-1796
Number of Pages 4

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GB-110/JES/COR/5/38 from John Sibthorp, Pera, [Cyprus], to James Edward Smith, 12 Great Marlborough Street, London (9 August 1794)

Metadata for GB-110/JES/COR/5/38 from John Sibthorp, Pera, [Cyprus], to James Edward Smith, 12 Great Marlborough Street, London (9 August 1794) Close

Item data

Item Type: Document
From: Sibthorp, John
Sent from: Pera, Cyprus
To: Smith, Sir James Edward
Sent to location: London
Summary:

Glad Smith has received "Flora Oxoniensis", explains its rushed production and how it only contains plants he has seen. In his opinion latter classes of Linnaean system benefit from being "melted down amongst the others" but concern that in Germany the mixing has "almost spoiled its shape and form", disliking especially Gmelin's mixing of 'Icosandria' and 'Polyandria'. Was ill in Constantinople with a bilious fever and colic but has since conducted a full botanical exploration of the Bosphorus, woods of Belgrade, and sands of Domusderi on Black Sea. Has observed nearly 800 plants and obtained seeds of 'Daphne pontica' and 'Convolvulus persicus'. Queries 'Epimedium alpinum', ubiquitous in Belgrade woods which are barley mountainous. Frustration at custom of burning of forests, "very unfriendly to researches of the Cryptogamist", has only observed 'Boletus lucidus' the 'Boletus marginalis' of [Pehr Forsskål (1732-1763)]. 'Rosa centifolia' grows wild, pleasant odour from its mixing with 'Smilax'. Shores of Bosphorus poor in 'Fucus' and 'Testacea'. Collected fifty species of fish, many species of 'Labrus' present, inferior flavour of 'Julus' which is often sold in markets. Dolphins playful in the Bosphorus, gulls are as tame as pigeons. 'Procellaria puffinus' known locally as "souls of the damned". A 'Percnopterus' [Egyptian vulture] perched in the tree he was reading under, "I could not resist, not having the fear of the Egyptians before my eyes, to shoot it". Insects limited to scorpions, mosquitos, bugs and 'Conops calcitrans'. [John] Hawkins is in "high preservation" and has "huge mustaches, which he is nursing" for a Syrian and Egyptian tour. Travelling with Hawkins in Greece to Thessaly, Attica and the Peloponnesus and wintering in Zante. In short postscript states that [François] Borone is in good health, "in action quite a Le Fleur".

Letter date: 9 Aug 1794
Languages: English
Prev Ref No: 5.7
Additional Information:
Note typeNote
Finding AidsDawson, W R, (1934). "Catalogue of the manuscripts in the Library of The Linnean Society - Part I. The Smith papers: The correspondence and miscellaneous papers of Sir James Edward Smith", London: Linnean Society.
Publn NoteSmith, P (ed.), (1832). "Memoir and correspondence of... Sir James Edward Smith" London: Longman, vol 1, pp.460-462.
Related MaterialSibthorp, J, (1794). "Flora Oxoniensis, exhibens plantas in agro Oxoniensi..." Oxonia: Typis Academicus.