On his arrival at the Cape a month ago Anders Sparrman wrote a letter to Linnaeus [Sparrman to Linnaeus, 25 March 1775{L6099}]. The seeds mentioned there will be forwarded to Linnaeus through the agency of Carl Gustaf Ekeberg and the Secretary of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences [Kungliga Svenska Vetenskapsakademien, i.e., Pehr WilhelmWargentin]. Jonas Malm Ericsson has taken care of a sort of beans from Madagascar. In this letter he also mentioned that he intends to stay in the Cape another year at his own expense hoping to be cured from rheumatism in his hands. He will devote his time to scientific excursions. During the Antarctic expedition they always followed Linnaeus’s principles and often drank to his health.
Next year Sparrman will return to Europe again. He is eagerly looking forward to seeing Linnaeus again in Uppsala. Many of his former student friends are now doctors, the degrees bestowed on them by the great Linnaeus. Because of his journeys Sparrman has lost that opportunity. A proof that Sparrman has not neglected medicine is his translation of Nils Rosén von Rosenstein’s book on Children’s diseases [Sparrman refers to his translation of Underrättelser om barn-sjukdomar och deras bote-medel, The diseases of children, and their remedies]. If Linnaeus had honoured him with a doctor’s degree, it would have opened doors to various Societies. Beacause of the lack of a doctor’s degree he is now missing the opportunity of getting a beautiful collection from Madagascar, and probably one from Manilla.
In accordance with his promise, Johann Reinhold Forster will send collections to Linnaeus from London. Unfortunately, Carl Peter Thunberg, has left. He could have given Sparrman much good advice for excursions into the interior. If Linnaeus has any wishes, he can write through the intermediary of Lars Montin who will send the letter by way of Holland.