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1786
No. 2
Cape of Good Hope 8th March 1786
Sir
About the 8 or 9 of last month I wrot you, per favour of Mr Irwin passenger on board a Danish Indiaman who was also so good to take Charge of a parcell of seeds of about one Hundred & two Species which I hope you will receive in Season to sow. Since that date I obtained permission of the Governor to visit Hottentot Holland mountains for only five days and was fortunat to find some of the rarest Erica & Protei in seed. I also found some new Species of Protea which is not yet described and some other Genera which now convinces me that those mountains although so near the Cape has never been properly explored. There is seed of an Erica which I have named E. Banksiana of which I think you have but an imperfect specimen in your collection, it asociats with E. Plukenetia & E.Petivereii in figure of the Corolla. As all the seeds are in their Capsulas some are so minute that great attention must be had to rubbing them out when they are sown otherwise many will be lost. E. retorta, coronaria, pinastra, Massoni, grows in the mountains in white sand produced from the sandston rocks which compose these mountains and in England will require a Turf soil mixt with a little sharp white sand.