Letter 3102

Steigertahl saw several caterpillars at Windsor Green and found others in the garden. He viewed Mr Tobham’s curiosities. The latter gave him a small rose bush branch. The King is well and enjoying ‘le pommes Grenades’ growing in the garden. Tobham also showed Steigertahl rare medals, of which he had read in ‘le livre de Mr. Paruta’ of Sicily. Tobham has new books by Mr Stoschius, Mr Piccart, and Bernardo Oricelli as well as a manuscript published by Mr Davenant. Steigertahl sends a specimen of the ‘Jalappe’ plant. Johann Georg Steigertahl (1666-1740) was the personal physician to George I of England. He was a member of the Royal Society and secured the purchase of Engelbert Kaempfer’s collection of East Asian curiosities for Sir Hans Sloane in 1723 (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Georg_Steigerthal).