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April 9 1806
Notices respecting the proper manner of preserving the plants put on board the Thames East India-man by order of the Court of Directors to be carried to China
As the construction of the plant cabbin put on board the Thames has by experience proved itself to be excellent, there is every reason to hope that with a moderate degree of attention Cap.t Ritches will succeed in delivering a very large proportion of items safe his botanic cargo safe & in good condition at Canton. The intercourse between the Royal Gardens at Kew & the Chinese merchants has proved already highly interesting to the improvement of Botany & it promises it promises to be not less advantageous to the European interest intercourse with China, it is hoped therefore that Cap.t Ritches will feel anxious for the protection of the deposit Committed to his care by the Court of Directors & zealous to oblige. The Supra-Cargoes in China, who are earnestly desirous of promoting this very usefull intercourse Barter between the west & the east.
That plants may be successfully carried to the most distant parts of the world has been manifestly proved on several occasions, Cap.t Bligh in the Bounty carried an immense stock of Bread fruit & other usefull vegetables from Oleheiti [Otaheiti] to the West Indies without experiencing any material loss & on his return, brought home from them a part of his original cargo with a full load complement of West Indian plants from the Botanic Gardens at S.t Vincent, not alive only but some of them actualy in flower in the cabbins allotted to them, Cap.t Kirkpatric of the Henry Addington also brought over from China in the year 1804 a large Collection of Plants of Great Beauty &