I read a book some time ago –I think this may have been Charles Mann’s 1493, but I don’t have it here so I may be mistaken—that made a claim along the lines of how Rolfe risked his life to steal the tobacco seeds he took to Virginia. It implied I think that there was a whole lot more to that story but didn’t get into the details. I haven’t been able to find anything but the most superficial treatment of it online—anyone know a source for how exactly he got the tobacco seeds, and was it really the suspense thriller the book made it out to be?
The seeds apparently came from Spanish-held Trinidad, but there doesn’t appear to be any evidence Rolfe actually ever visited the island which is more than 2,000 miles away off the coast of South America. I suspect Rolfe acquired the seeds second hand in Europe or Bermuda (or from a visitor to Virginia). If such was the case, someone else was risking the Spanish death penalty for exporting the seeds.
Another daring example of seed smuggling:
Someone needs to write (invent) a story about the great seed vault heist!
Been there, stole the worms, wore the scarf…