Just to set the record straight, it was Jan van Riebeeck who established the veggie garden here in the Cape. ----- Original Message ----- From: Joe Shaw To: pbs@lists.ibiblio.org Sent: Friday, November 17, 2006 2:13 AM Subject: [pbs] Capetown and seeds, but not about bulbs A Tale of Sturdy Seeds Jan Teerlink was a Dutch merchant returning to Europe in 1803 after visiting Asia on a trading trip. His ship, the Henriette, stopped in Capetown, South Africa for a fortnight and Teerlink went ashore. He acquired friends, artifacts, and other items; among his Capetown-collected booty were seeds of 32 plant species. Based upon his notes and the seed packages, it seems likely he acquired them at the garden of the Dutch East India Company. The stage for the garden was set in 1652 when Jan van Fiebeeck and his colleagues at the Dutch East India Company established a way station for ships coming and going to Asia.