WCP3640

Letter (WCP3640.3543)

[1]1

Foreign Office.

August 19. 1853.

Sir2,

I am directed by the Earl of Clarendon3 to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 27th ultimo, requesting that a Free Passage to Singapore might be afforded in one of Her Majesty’s Ships to Mr Alfred R Wallace who is about to proceed on a scientific expedition to the Eastern Archipelago, and that permission might be obtained for that Gentleman to visit the Dutch and Spanish settlements in the Eastern Seas.

In reply I am directed to inform you4 [2] that the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty have signified to the Earl of Clarendon that there is an opportunity of a Passage for Mr. Wallace in a ship of War under orders for Trincomalee, but no further and the Earl of Clarendon desires to know whether Mr. Wallace would wish to avail himself of this opportunity.

I am further to inform you that Her Majesty’s Representatives at the Hague & Madrid have been instructed to apply for the requisite facilities for Mr Wallace in5 [3] carrying out the objects he has in view.

I am, | Sir, | your most obedient, | humble servant | H U Addington [signature]6

[4]7

1
An annotation in the bottom lefthand corner adds "The Secretary of the Royal Geographical Society."
2
Shaw, Henry Norton ( -1868). British Royal Navy Surgeon and Diplomat; Secretary of the Royal Geographical Society, London.
3
Villiers, George William Frederick (1800-1870). Lord Clarendon; British diplomat and statesman; Foreign Secretary for three periods between 1852 and 1870.
4
"you" is repeated as a catchword on page 2.
5
"in" is repeated as a catchword on page 3.
6
Addington, Henry Unwin (1790-1870). British diplomat and civil servant.
7
A latter annotation adds, "1853 Clarendon Earl of — Foreign Office Rec[eive]d Aug[ust]. 19th [.] That a ship would take Mr. Wallace to Trincomalee". A later annotation in pencil adds "Aug. 19" and underlines "Wallace".

Editorial information

Status: Edited (but not proofed) transcription [Letter (WCP3640.3543)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by Cooper, Rod [2012-10-11] Transcription checked by Moody, Liz [2012-11-07] Transcription checked by Catchpole, Caroline [2013-01-15] Transcription checked by Beros, Matt [2019-03-01]

Please cite as “WCP3640,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP3640