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[Page 2]
12 Plantains - 20 [Plants]
7 Puahs and a large quantity of the roots 7
1174 Vessels - 1996 useful Plants
exclusive of 32 other plants for the Botanic Garden of Kew. Before our arrival at Timor, our loss amounted to 220 vessels of Bread-fruit (and near double that number of Plants) and 4 Pots of Plantains. Near the whole of this loss was sustained in the Greenhouse below, which we attribute to the unwholesomeness of Sea Air to Vegetables, and the want of a free circulation of it; for notwithstanding the Ports, Windows, and Scuttles are generally open all day and the sky-lights constantly off, yet at night we are necessitated to have them all shut up (the sky lights excepted) by which means the confined air becomes in a great degree stagnated and destructive.
The living plants, however, were a very flattering aspect, and several of them had made shoots 7 inches long. We left Timor Oct 10th having collected 91 pots of different plants chiefly fruits such as Mango Jamboo, Jambolan Bimbling Carembola [Carambola] Cherimalah, Long black pepper &c but were not able to procure either the Mangostan [also speltn Mangosteen] or Durion [Durian] which are not Natives of this Island. As we had plenty of excellent water on board & the plants continued healthy we represented to Capt Bligh the necessity of making all possible dispatch and accordingly he determined not to touch at Madagascar but stand on for this place. Soon after leaving the tropic we had lost 431 vessels of Bread-fruit and 750 plants, but still the Collection on Deck continued remarkably healthy. The total loss of the extra plants was only 3 pots of Ayyahs 2 of Rattahs 2 Avees & 3 Plantains.
The Timor plants were even then growing luxuriantly notwithstanding they had no time to establish themselves on shore. The Bread fruit plant of Timor grows much freer and appears a hardier sort than those of Otaheite, we procured from thence 4 young plants of the fertile variety. Decr. 11th when we had again got within the Tropics, our collection was reduced to 658 vessels containing 826 healthy vigorous Bread fruit plants 33 pots of Ayyahs, 24 of Rattah, 11 Avees 6 Etons, 6 Matties & 8 Plantains; of the Timor plants, we have only lost 1 pot of bread fruit 1 Mango & 2 Jamboos; We have likewise raised from seed 12 fine plants of the Otaheite Cocoa Nut, several plants of the Naneh & Timor fruit, & 6 of a pleasant agreeable fruit collected in Endeavour Streights.
The Bread fruit suffered very little injury from the cold weather of the Cape the most material is the total loss of two plants, the pots of which was broke in a gale of wind, but several of the leaves are a little damaged. The Bread fruit plant seems capable of bearing a good deal of cold weather we had the Thermometer on deck one day so low as 59. The Avee are very tender & suffered more in the high Southern Lattitudes than any other sort. At this time Sir the collection has a very promising appearance, and we have every reason to expect that we shall carry at least 500 fine Bread fruit plants safe to the West Indies besides a great number of fruits & other useful plants After which we hope we shall arrive in England with a good collection of rare plants for the use of his Majesty's Botanic Garden at Kew. We continue Sir
Your very Hble obliged servt
James Wiles)
Chirstr Smith)
P.S. We have both continued in a good State of Health the whole voyage.