WCP6633

[1]¹

24 Bloomsbury Street

Bedford Square

Aug^t 4.th 1849

To the Right Honb^le.

Lord Palmerston

My Lord

I beg to apologise for intruding on your Lordship but having received a Letter from my friend Mr Wallace (a Gentleman who is now investigating the Natural History of the Banks of the Amazon River in the Interior of South America) to endeavour to procure for him as his agent a request or recommendation from our Government so as to facilitate his journey into the Interior, but what I require would probably be better understood by your Lordship by an abstract from his Letter dated Parà May 25 1849[.]

"Every body says here it would be of great use to me in the Interior to have Letters from the President here which would enable one always to procure men & assistance, for want of it a person may be absolutely unable to proceed[.] We found this in our trip up the Tocantins when we could not get a single man for [2] any wages we could offer it was this Government assistance that rendered matters. Spix² & Martius³ [were] capable of penetrating so much into the Country for want of it Mawe⁴ was left a considerable time without a single man in his canoe & Smith⁵ & Low⁶ had great difficulty in getting down[.] To get such assistance would require a recommendation or request from the Government at home[.] Could it be got through the Museum? An official Letter to the Consul here requesting him to apply to the President of the Province for a Letter of recommendation which could be forwarded to me at Rio Nigro if I have left would be what is required, Mr Doubleday⁷ at the British Museum will no doubt be able to tell you whether this is practicable[.] I am quite convinced it is of great importance to the successful prosecution of any thing like an exploration of the Amazons & its tributaries." —

Mr Wallace who has been at Parà now about 12 months & has investigated the Natural History of the <neighborhood> & district round has already sent several valuable consignments to me containing numbers of novelties especially in the Insect tribe portions of which <Collection> have been purchased by Mr Gray⁷ for our National Collection at the British Museum & who has kindly [3]⁸ allowed me to refer to him & I could get other certificates if necessary.

A vessel leaves for Parà in about ten days & if you Lordship could favor me with the required Letter [I] should feel greatly obliged[.]

[I] remain| My Lord | Y^r most ob^t. Humble Servant | Samuel Stevens [signature]

To the

Right Hon^ble

Lord Palmerston

Foreign Office.

[4]⁹