[[1]]
Rio de Janeiro -June 20th 1843.
received Tuesday Aug 22
My dear Sisters
We anchored here on the morning of the 20th having left the Island of
Ascension (where I did not write home) on the 29th of last month. Our
passage has been very pleasant, we so much enjoy the fine weather sailing,
but we were delayed in sight of this coast by foul wind & calms for several
days. You are very good girls indeed -- had it not been for your kind joint
communication of April 29th I should have been letterless on my arrival here,
as it is I am almost the only one rejoicing. The packet by which you sent arrived
only 2 days before we did, after an unusually long passage -- All our former
letters have gone down to the Plate (Monte Video), to the Admiral, except
some which only 10 days ago were dispatched by the HMS "Rodney" to the
Cape of Good Hope! How this has taken place none of us can tell. The
Admiralty must of course know that the Admiral & fleet are at the Plate, where
they have been since October last & knowing this they cannot have sent the
dispatches to the said Admiral if Capt[ain] Ross properly informed them of our
arriving here. We have no idea what Capt[ain] Ross intends doing, perhaps
he does not know himself -- we expected orders to make observations & keep
a term day here which would employ a month or 6 weeks. HMS T.V. "Geyser
or H.M.S Ripon is expected from Monte Video, which may bring dispatches sent to
the Admiral for us; if she does not come very soon, or having come brings no
dispatches, we shall sail for home
[[2]] and arrive much sooner than we expected, or you either I think. Our stay
here would probably be short indeed, had not our Bottsprit [bowsprit] been
discovered only this morning to be badly damaged so that we must get a third
for the old ship. Every thing[sic] proceeds with a celerity which makes me
think that Ross is anxious to get away before letters can arrive, for the old
bottsprit is out already.
You must thank all for the letters which are doubtless here & there scattered
about the ocean, looking for the discovery ships & which I hope to receive at
Kew, some two months hence.
My last letter written home, was directed to my Father & went per HMS
"Waterwitch" from St Helena on the 20th May. A large parquet[sic parakeet?]
went by a very fine fast sailing ship the "Queen" from the same place on the
15th May.
Thus you see how much I have to thank you for in writing, though there were
no others similarly occupied to stir you on, & I flatter myself that you will share
my pleasures though of your own creation. Most particularly glad I was to hear
that you all were so well & happy that my Father & Grandfather had got
through the winter so well & to have my mothers own assurance in writing of
her wellbeing. Your trip in Hampshire must have been a very pleasant one &
one which I should have enjoyed vastly. Gilbert White's N[atural] H[istory] of
Selbourne is one of the first Nat[ural] Hist[ory] books I ever possessed, the gift
of my Grandfather Turner. I have a smaller edition of it on board. Bury hill I
only know from my father's picture of it in the big Scrap books. Mrs Gray of
the Brit[ish] Mus[eum] is a very nice person indeed, to whom you must give
my most respectful regards. Smith, her nephew, my quondam messmate now
a lieutenant is ashore or he would send a message by me, he is quite well as
usual. I have just heard that we sail on Saturday
[[3]] if no news arrives (say Monday or Tuesday) this letter goes by the Packet
on Friday, whose heels we shall hope to follow, at a respectful distance
considering what hard sailors we are. This is indeed a most splendid
harbor[sic] & the scenery enchanting. You would be delighted with the
wooded hills & quiet little bays, studded with white houses, Palm trees and
orange groves which meet the eye every where we turn, except to the
N[orthwar]d & West[war]d where the splendid range of the Organ
M[oun]t[ain]s shuts out the horizon. The town is very large with many
churches & convents whose bells are tolling & jangling all day long: there are
many hundreds of ships of all nations around us, arriving & sailing every hour,
nor can you well conceive a busier place. We have more oranges for 6d than
all can eat in a day, so large & delicious, such as you never saw at home, also
Bananas & Pineapples, but other fruits are out of season. Everything here is
tropical & foreign, very different from the uninhabited places of cool colonyies
we have been accustomed to, the red Ensign alone reminds one that England
must be everywhere. The Emperor is quite a boy, only 18 years old, he is just
married by Proxy & his wife, a daughter of the K[ing] of Naples, is coming out
to him, the Brazilian squadron is gone to escort her & what with the English
Squadron having gone to Monte Video we have few men of war here & no
band. The Americans have an immense 50 gun ship as Commodore ship
stationed quite close to us & would you believe it the Goths have no band on
board, but some huge drums & squealing pipes which they make a terrible din
upon every night, beat off with Yankee Doodle at 8pm, not only is the noise
horrible, but at that time a tolerable band plays on board
[[4]] the Brazilian flagship, whose music is consequently drowned out before it
reaches us.
My dear Sisters I do not care about making this a long letter I so fully feel that
I am only writing what I may be repeating a very few days after this arrives
viva-voce. Should we be detained here I shall write by the first Vessel that
sails for England & let you know. Give my best love to all & my mother in
particular.
Believe me yours most affectionately | J D Hooker [signature]
You little think what satisfaction you have given by telling me that you have
seen poor Baxter. I am quite an oracle now, everyone asking me about him.
We are all so glad that he got home safe (though not well), he was a very
good man indeed, a universal favourite. I was sure you would find him quiet &
well behaved. JH [signature]
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