Carl Peter Thunberg in Asia

Carl Peter Thunberg sailed by Dutch East Indies Company ship from Cape, South Africa on March 2, 1775 for Japan, at the age of 32. He was now fluent in Dutch, and a proficient plant collector, scientist, and physician. They stopped in Batavia, Jakarta, an important capital and center for the Company, and stayed a month, and then continued their journey on June 21, 1775. They arrived in Nagasaki, Japan on August 14, 1775.

Japan

The Japanese, fearing foreign influence, allowed minimal contact with outsiders, which was limited to the Chinese and Dutch. All Dutch foreigners were required to stay on the man-made island of Deshima, where the Dutch East India Company had a trading post, connected to Nagasaki by bridge. Thunberg acted as surgeon for the voyage, and his friendly manner and generous nature built trust with local Japanese doctors. Soon they were bringing plant specimens and seeds to him for his collection and to send to his patrons, along with information about their use. He was not able to see plants in situ, and did not realize that some were garden plants, many of which had been introduced from China in early cultural exchanges.

Japanese Black Pine (Pinus Thunbergii) - frequently used in bonsai (Creative Commons)

This trust opened doors for more contacts and opportunities for second-hand plant collecting and information gathering. Thunberg’s main interest was botany, but he recorded details about all aspects of Japanese culture. He genuinely admired the Japanese and enjoyed being an ambassador of Western culture and scientific knowledge. Over time he was invited to take day trips to Nagasaki to collect plants for making medicine, and to search for fodder for the Company’s animals. He was also invited to travel to Yeddo (modern day Tokyo) to honor the Shogun Teharu (who Thunberg refers to as the Emperor). Their party traveled in comfort and style, in sharp contrast with his travels by ox cart in South Africa.

Journey Home

After fifteen months in Japan, Thunberg started his journey home. He left Deshima on November 23, 1776, and returned to Java. There he spent six months collecting specimens, and was offered a job, which he turned down. On July 5, 1777, he left for Ceylon (now called Sri Lanka), where he collected many plants and wrote a paper on the cinnamon industry. On February 6, 1778, he set sale for Cape, South Africa. He stayed for 18 days and learned that Carl Linnaeus had died and his son succeeded him at University. Thunberg was offered the post of Demonstrator in Botany at University. Thunberg arrived in Amsterdam on October 1, 1778, and was welcomed by his friend Nicolaus Burman. He also received his salary and a large bonus for completing his obligations to the Dutch East India Company.

Thunberg used the money to spend the winter of 1778 in London. There he was provided for by Daniel Solander and J. Drvander (also students of Linnaeus). He met Sir Joseph Banks, a wealthy botanist who had also accompanied Captain James Cook on his first voyage, along with Solander, and was President of the Royal Society in London. Banks gave Thunberg access to his natural history collection for study. In the British Museum, Thunberg also studied the botanical collections, notes, and drawings of Engelbert Kaempfer, the only other European who had worked as a physician in Japan 100 years before Thunberg.

Sweden

Thunberg left for Sweden on January 30, 1779, and arrived on March 14, 1779, after eight and half years in the field. He was received by King Gustav, and earned financial support for future botanical projects. Thunberg worked at Uppsala University as a professor, and then succeeded the younger Carl Linnaeus upon his death as chair. He published many articles and books, including the important Flora Japonica and Flora Capensis, and was a lecturer on botany and Japanese culture. He corresponded with many botanists from his travels, including several from Japan.

In 1784, Thunberg married Brigitta Charlotta Ruda. They had no children together, but adopted several foster children. He established a new garden at the University, using land from King Gustav. He described nearly 1900 new plant specimens, and donated his large collection of 23,510 specimens (all labeled and documented) to Uppsala University. Thunberg died on August 8, 1828, several days after requesting a carriage ride around the garden and grounds at Uppsala University. He was loved and admired by his students, friends, and colleagues.

Learn more:

• Flora Capensis (download PDF, in Latin): http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/3649#/summary
• Flora Japonica (download PDF, in Latin): http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/3681#/summary
• Japan Extolled and Decried: Carl Peter Thunberg and the Shogun’s Realm, 1775-1796, annotated and introduced by Timon Screech (purchase or rent, in English): http://www.amazon.com/Japan-Extolled-Decried-Thunbergs-1775-1776-ebook/dp/B000OT8EJ6#reader_B000OT8EJ6