would flourish in Mexico, and his anxiety to introduce their cultivation. Mr. Markham fully concurred, and pointed out to Maury that Baron Humboldt long ago remarked, with surprise, the presence of all the principal plants in the Mexican forests which are found in the chinchona region, and the absence of the chinchona itself. Mr. Markham, who had established the chinchona plantations in British India, was then in charge of all matters relating to them at the India Office. He promised to arrange that Maury should be furnished with a supply of seeds, and wrote out to India to cause the necessary arrangements to be made. In August 1866, he forwarded three parcels of chinchona seeds to Maury; and steps were at once taken to form a plantation near Cordova. In December it was announced that the seeds were germinating satisfactorily, and Mr. Markham addressed the following official dispatch to Commander Maury:—
| Sir, | India Office, May 17th, 1867. |
With reference to my letter of the 15th of August last, forwarding three parcels of chinchona seeds for transportation to the Mexican Government, I have the honour to transmit, by direction of the Secretary of State for India, fifty copies of a pamphlet on chinchona cultivation, in the Spanish language,[1] for the guidance of those who have been charged with the management of chinchona cultivation in that Empire, and of those who may hereafter undertake the cultivation.
Sir Stafford Northcote[2] has received the intelligence contained in the letter from the Secretary of the Mexican
- ↑ This pamphlet was compiled by Mr. Clements Markham, not only for the use of Mexicans, but also of Peruvians, Bolivians, and Colombians who might undertake chinchona cultivation. He wrote it in the hope that it would prove useful to his South American friends, and as some slight return for the kindness and hospitality he received from them while engaged on the duty of making collections of chinchona plants and seeds in South America.
- ↑ Then Secretary of State for India.
