Peter Forsskål writes that on 29 December 1762 the expedition finally reached Arabia felix after nine months in Cairo, one month in Suez and one and a half months in Gedda, the harbour nearest to Mecca. From a botanical point of view, the months spent in Suez and Gedda have been fruitless. The ground is waste, barren and uncultivated. The sea was more generous: Forsskål found many new species of conchylia, worms and molluscs in Suez and more than 80 species of fishes. In the Red Sea he saw more 130 species of fishes.
Arabia is a safe country. Europeans are treated well and politely. The governor has offered his assistance, if needed.
The north of Yemen is barren but the south is green and lush, and Forsskål has already found new species and genera there.
Forsskål’s health is perfect. He is looking forward to returning home and seeing Linnaeus again.
His collection is still limited; a later dispatch will pass Suez, Cairo, Alexandria and Livorno.
Forsskål repeats his plea to Linnaeus for information of his whereabouts to his father [Johannes Forsskål] and to his friends in Uppsala Forsskål received only one letter from Linnaeus in Constantinople, that of 30 January 1761 [this letter has not come down to us], and one in Egypt, that of 2 February 1762 [this letter has not come down to us]. From these letters Forsskål can see that Linnaeus has written more. Letters to Forsskål should be sent to Constantinople from where they are forwarded to Bassora.
P.S.1. Forsskål has changed his mind and is enclosing the seeds in this letter to Clement & Dverhagen in Livorno [a list of thirty seeds follows, fol. 255v]. Linnaeus can please the Danish King [Frederik V] by sending seeds to Georg Christian Oeder, in Copenhagen.
P.S. 2. Pehr WilhelmWargentin is the addressee of the letter.
There are few seeds this time, but maybe it will take some time before Forsskål will have the opportunity to send anymore.
Later on he will use the possibility to communicate from Mocha. This letter will go by ship up the Red Sea, to Gedda and Suez and then via Cairo, Alexandria, Livorno, provided it will go well.
P.S. 3. Forsskål has sent a manuscript to be published in Denmark. It contains a description of all the new species he has found and a flora from Alexandria and another from Cairo. He wants Linnaeus to use his personal contacts to help him have this done without the interference from jealous colleagues.