Letter 3358

[fol. 3] Honoured Sir. When I had the honour to wait upon you in London you were pleased to recommend to me the study of our West Indian vegetables, in obedience to which desire, I have made my endeavour to examine several of them in their perfection and to put up a dryed specimen of each of them as often as I could conveniently. I should have sent you, Sir, what I have already collected by this opportunity , but have delayed to transmitt them by my broker who sails a month hence. We have in this Island two sorts of Pinces, one of which is named the Crab Pine being sowrish, full of seeds, of a Cylindrical shape, more yellow when ripe, and so little esteem’d that few eat them except the Negroes; the other sort we call the Montserratt Pine, which has a most pleasant flavour and agreable taste, with few or new seeds in it, and shaped like a cone, of this last sort I put up three in a box […] when about hald grown, hopeing they will be in their full perfection when they arrive in England, these I humbly beg you’l be pleased to accept, there is likewise in the same Tub two plants of the Water Lemon which with the ships of the Pines may perhaps be acceptable to Chelsea Garden. I hope, Sir, your goodness will pardon my boldness, since it proceeds from an ambition to subscribe myself Honoured Sir. Your most obedient and very humble servant W.r Tullideph Antigua July 5th. 1727.