Dear Henry
I enclose you the first fruits of the Siege of Herat <1>, doubly precious as it may be years before we get access to that place again. I send them to Newcastle <2> as perhaps you may find somebody to give one or two to – they grow in the Assa fœtida & gum ammoniac country
Scorpineus vermiculata is come up from Madeira seeds – I hear no botany is to be talked at Newcastle. I suppose you go to Spofforth <3>.
Yrs
W F S
I add a quantum for Sir C. Lemon <4> whom I suppose you will see
Notes:
1. Probably the ‘Pine seed from Persia’ referred to in Doc. No: 03632. The principality of Herat, in Afghanistan, was claimed by Persia. The Persian army besieged the city of Herat from November 1837 to September 1838. This siege was ended by the intervention of the British, and WFS probably obtained the seed-bearing pine cones through Mr John MacNeill, British Minister in Tehran, who went to Herat to lead the negotiations. [See Doc. No: 00154 for a reference to WFS obtaining other botanical material from MacNeill]. Meanwhile, to prevent Russia exploiting the situation and attempting expansion into India, a British army advanced into Afghanistan, and the First Afghan War was fought 1838–1842. WFS was therefore correct in predicting difficulties of access.
2. Where the British Association for the Advancement of Science was meeting.
3. The Rev William Herbert, cleric, linguist and botanist who specialised in bulbs, was rector of Spofforth in the West Riding of Yorks, from 1814 until he became dean of Manchester in 1840.
4. Sir Charles Lemon (1784–1868), politician & scientist; WHFT’s uncle.