Letter 3960

Sherard thanks Sloane for the box of seeds. Sir Arthur Rawdon received Sloane’s last letter. A letter that never arrived at its destination was sent on May 2. Sherard has not had the time to ‘sort ye specimens James brought over’. He will return any duplicate specimens with Mr Young of Belfast, who will travel to London in August. The rest of the specimens will be sent to Mr Bobart. Sherard does not plan on sending any specimens to Dr Plukenet. He does not want to slight Plukenet, but: ‘I make him such a present as he sent me by Mr Harrison… of ab’t 12 broken leaves’. Sherard is going to have his brother speak with Mr Charleton, who can have ‘what seeds he pleases to choose’. He is ‘sorry to hear Dr Herman is grown sickly’. Sherard sent Herman some seeds by Mr Cornwall. He promises to take care of any seeds Sloane sends and is going to write to ‘Dr Ferguson & give you his answer’. Sherard asks for the second volume of Ray’s book and was interested in his work on insects and quadrupeds. He heard of Mr Dale’s query related to materia medica and asks if Sloane has any contacts in the Athenian Society. Sherard offers his services to Mr Charleton, Dr Robinson, and Mr Doody. Sherard was a botanist and cataloguer. He worked for the Turkish Company at Smyrna where he collected botanical specimens and antiques (D. E. Allen, ‘Sherard, William (1659–1728)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/25355, accessed 24 June 2011]).