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…
If you’re interested in industrial espionage and seed theft, you can’t overlook The Great British Tea Heist
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-great-british-tea-heist-9866709/
In 1848, the British East India Company sent Robert Fortune on a trip to China’s interior, an area forbidden to foreigners. Fortune’s mission was to steal the secrets of tea horticulture and manufacturing. The Scotsman donned a disguise and headed into the Wu Si Shan hills in a bold act of corporate espionage.