[[1]]
Royal Gardens Kew
July 25/ [18]69
My Dear [Asa] Gray
We have returned at last from Scythia via Stockholm spending a few hours en
route at Wiborg [Vyborg]; Helsingfors [Helsinki] & also thence we took the
boat through the Swedish canals & lakes to Copenhagen. Thence to
Hamburgh[sic] [1 word crossed out, illeg.] Neuenhausen, Utrecht, Leyden[,]
Amsterdam then Hage [Hague] & Rotterdam returning here day before
yesterday to face a huge pile of letters & a large chest of papers. accumulated
during my absence-- all dried plants & seeds & having been kindly disposed
of by Oliver & Smith.
[[2]] I find all well & happy here my wife has made a capital traveller on the
whole & the cold weather wind & rain we have encountered were better than
heat dusts and mosquitoes.
Yours of May 8 followed us to St. Petersburgh[sic] -- of June 13th found me
here. What an erratic mortal you are! I really regret your time & money so
wholly withdrawn from the primitive Fl[ora]. Am[ericana]. Bor[ealis]. which I
find as much wanted at all the Herbaria I have visited as at Kew -- however
you are enjoying yourself & deserve the enjoyment -- For now I must
confess I get exceptionally tired of
[[3]] rail way travelling & more still of Hotels -- it will take a great deal to get
me to travel again in civilized countries -- I do long to get into the jungles &
live in tents or have my own cabin at sea.
You have no doubt heard all about St. Petersburgh -- which was in certain
ways a such success in others a complete fiasco, [Eduard August von] Regel
had no head, & lost what little brains he he[sic] had (wherever they had been
situated) -- he tried too much & being unsupported, (partly I believe because it
was felt that he had put himself too far forward). he made a thorough mess of
the arrangements. For 4 days no one saw him, & no sort of preparations were
made by him or by any one else to receive us, or
[[4]] to introduce us, or in any one way to put us in rapport with the Russians.
We tumbled into the city &[?] continued for the best part of a week unknown &
unrecognised, unable to speak a word of the language & utterly helpless. We
fortunately had many kind personal friends & I was able through them to do
much of Regel’s duty -- but the complaints were loud & long. No Botanist of
Russia took any part; & dear old [Alexander Andrejewitsch von] Bunge who
came to St. Petersb[urg]. on purpose, was not even put in the jury list nor his
presence announced in the official lists -- I was furious at this & set it right 5
days after his arrival. The show was good, wonderful for
[[5]] 60° N[orth] -- Medals were distributed by the score & some 30 or 40
decorations distributed--They offered me a high one on my arrival
independent of the congress & I declined it, on various grounds. The
Gard[eners'] Chr[o]n[icle] has stated that it was owing to Dr. H[ooker']s advice
that decorations were not given to Delegates of England. This is utterly
untrue. I was never consulted about them & the decoration offered to me was
before the meeting of the congress & independent of it.
We found the Russians most kind & polite, St. Petersburgh a most horrid
place, in other respects Moscow delightful. Stockholm is enchanting &
Anderson & his wife most kind & attentive taking us every where -- even to
Upsala when I received a regular ovation & Latin speech
[[6]] from old Fries, a noble old septuagenarian -- [Johnan Erhard] Areschoug
is Prof[essor] of Botany a genuine physiologue who does not know Tilia
Europaea & does not care to. Theodore Fries is more promising. The
antiquities museums of Stockholm are superb & beat ours hollow, Denmark
again beats Sweden. Oersted & Lange waited] us there with every attention -At Hamburgh we spent one day with Reichenbach & the other with Booth
enjoying both amazingly.
At Herrenhausen we spent the horribly rainy forenoon at amongst Wendlands
Palms at Utrecht Miguel received us with open arms & took us into his
charming house where we spent 2 nights: he is a most hard working Botanist
[[7]] & his knowledge of Phil[osophy?][,] plants & of books & Botanists &c is
most extensive he had 4 grown up Dau[ghte]rs with him of whom 2 will visit
us in Sept[ember]. I find all right[?] at Kew, but Smith too hard worked,
amongst a heap of official letters is one on opening the garden at 10 am -which I have to report upon -- I feel it is inevitable & right; but it will require a
complete reorganisation & great increase of outlay & dish me they cannot
make it up to me in any way -- I do not want more pay nor wish for more, I am
one of those who live from hand to mouth with always a small balance on the
wrong side of my bank--book, & the more I get somehow the larger that
balance gets! --Then too no one can help me much -- no one
[[8]] can write this letter to you! & having grown with the growth of this
establishment I know too much & can do too much: "knowledge is power" -- till
it becomes overpowering. I shall certainly go in for an aid to Smith -- he
will else break down. I am of tougher metal, & coarser fibre --
Darwin writes from N.Wales very poorly indeed, cannot walk 1/2 mile. Baker is
gone on his holiday. Bentham is off as you know -- & may see at Geneva or [1
word crossed out, illeg] elsewhere. Thomson is well for him -We are very sorry indeed to have to hear do poor an account of Mrs Gray. are
our kindest regards to you both
Ever your affec[tionate] | J D Hooker [signature]
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