Letter received by Banks from Alexander Moon, 9 November 1819 (Series 20.46) - No. 0001

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Royal Botanic Gardens
Colombo 9th Nov. 1819

Sir

I have the honor to transmit to you by the Ship Blenheim an Herbarium consisting of 708 dried specimens of plants, collected during my excursion through the Kandyan Provinces, and I humbly trust they will meet your liberal expectations.

The bag which accompanies the above is the bark of a tree indigenous to Lower Ouva, and the Cingalese call it Ritti-Gaha; but its systematic name is unknown to me at present: 

The natives carry their rice, and salt in bags of this sort; and the manner of preparing them is merely cutting the tree into proper lengths, sliping the bark off, beating it untill it becomes pliable and then sewing it up at one end.

I also send some Cordage and a Mat of Kandyan manufactory formed of fibres of the leaves of Sansevieria zeylanica, together with two strings made of the bark.

To
The Right Honble
Sir Joseph Banks Bart. G.C.B.
&  &  &