Letter 1752

Posted on August 2, 2016 by -

James Petiver to Hans Sloane – June 7, 1711


Item info

Date: June 7, 1711
Author: James Petiver
Recipient: Hans Sloane

Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4042
Folio: f. 295


Original Page


Transcription

[fol. 295] Hond Sr. Last Night (I thank God) I came safe and with very good Company to Harwich when we found the town full of Passengers bound for Holland, many of whom have lain here wind bound above a ffortnight at no small Expense of Time & Money. But this Morning God be praised a Wind has mooved about, so that we are all preparing to sail at Noon wch is now small Comfort both to them or us. We are now why being in laying Passage & that we may be in Holland to Morrow, from thence Sr as soon as our Sail is over you may be assured you shall hear more at last from Hond Worthy Sr Yr most Obedient + humble Servt James Petiver Harwich Thursday Morning June 7th 1711 P.S. Its now almost 12 at Noon & the Post, just going away leaving us behooldn Hope & Fear the Wind wavering we no call, so up we must rejoin unknowing our departure to the ffuture port Letters. My Requests to the Royal Society & yourself & all ffrinds.

James Petiver was a botanist and entomologist who worked in England. He traveled little, getting his specimens locally or from contacts. He traveled to Leiden on behalf of Sloane to the auction of Paul Hermann’s collection in 1711 (D. E. Allen, ‘Petiver, James (c.1665–1718)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Oct 2009 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/22041, accessed 8 June 2011]).



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