[[1]]
Royal Gardens Kew
Sept[ember] 9/[18]74
Dear [Asa] Gray
I have just received yours of Aug[ust] 27th, & as it is too dark to dissect plants, I will
answer it at once firstly thanking you heartily for so jolly a screed. I could have
sworn that I saw Farlow opposite me at lunch -- he surely was here twice, but I give
in to him. I have such hosts of callers & lunchers.
True the potentiality of the spiral vessels was the important point -- As to English
observers knowing little of what foreigners do in development &c -- wait & see how
much Farlow will know 5 years hence. The only
[[2]] way to keep that up is to go & work with them. Our Environment & demands
requires us to give systematic & descriptive Botany the first place & our generic[?] is
wholly different from the German.
I shall indeed be glad of Valron[']s[?] Index, & bless you for it.
The Thistles all safe, many thanks, also Torrey's sheets by Dix well.
Belfast went off capitally -- it was the best meeting I ever attended. Huxley[']s lecture
was the best thing by far. Lubbock[']s was also excellent.
I am exceedingly sorry about Farlow's paper having appeared without
acknowledgement, & will
[[3]] enquire & write about it to you. I cannot think that any fault lay at [William
Thiselton] Dyer's door -- I think he only introduced Farlow -- He is now away on
holiday.
I send a copy of my Belfast address it is not official nor accurate, nor full, so you
need not notice it. I was most strongly against printing it before the Proceedings
came out in which it will appear in full. The fact is that it was most hastily knocked
together & not out of my hands till 10' before delivery. Dyer who collected historical
materials was very unwell too. By some unaccountable accident all notice of
Edwards['] observations in Curtis Bot[anical]. Mag[azine]. is omitted! How much
mischief would be
[[4]] avoided if others would follow your example of keeping quarrells[sic] to the
principals. I have luckily kept out of the Linnean row, though taking a full part -- but
Carruthers is as bad as ever -- has got the Trustees Brit[ish] Mus[eum] to forward a
letter from him written by him, to the Admiralty, complaining of Kew depriving the
Brit[ish] Mus[eum] of all Government collections of plants made for a quarter of a century &
implying that I had withheld what I ought to have sent to Brit[ish] Mus[eum] -- This
letter has been unknown to me, though a Trustee, sent as I say in the name of the
Trustees! The Admiralty, where I was quite privately shown this previous document,
declined to entertain the complaint, or even to send it to me for an explanation, being
extremely annoyed with the insolence of it's ! tone. I cannot
[[5]] tell you how cut I am by this whole proceeding, which I am now about to take up.
I can quite fancy that that owl, Mr Winter James (the chief Librarian) who officially sent the
complaint in the name of the Trustees, did not see that its object was to compromise me in my
position as Trustee -- it is all on a piece with Carruthers['] & Owen’s letters to the
papers against my appointment as Trustee. The letter shows Carruthers['] ignorance
of the whole history of Botanical collections; it makes various unfounded statements,
& appeals to the Admiralty respecting Purdie[']s, Wilford[']s & other plants with which
the A[dmiralty] had nothing to do, together with others that have no existence[?]!
No doubt Eliot sounded Haveley[?] about America, for H. talked to me about it -- he
would not think of it -- he wants quiet & not work, can make any money by his pen &
would not take Owen’s place at Brit[ish] Mus[eum] for the Mus[eum] full of gold.
[[6]] The Mus[eum] people are not nice cattle to drive at all, & their policy (ie.
Nat[ural] Hist[ory] makers) is so illiberal that the "Public Offices" (Colonial Office,
Indian Office etc) send it nothing.
Old Gray retires at Xmas after 50 years service -- very feeble & broken broken & will be
succeeded by Gunther, an able active man, but not pleasant to be over or under -he will do great good however. I should doubt Owen’s being replaced -- he intends
to hold on (D.V) (Diabolo volente) till he has moved the collections into the new
building. As to the Nat[ural] Hist[ory] Trusteeship, it is a perfect farce. They form a
standing sub--committee, & consist of D[uke] of Devonshire, D[uke] of Argyll,
Visc[oun]t Eversley, Sir P Egerton, Sir G. Burrows & self!!! Old Winter Jones & the
Keepers do just what they like "in the name of the Trustees".
Ev[er] y[our] aff[ectionate] J.D. Hooker [signature]
[[7]] I have heard nothing of what Carruthers may have circulated about me beyond
that, apropos of the Welwitch collection, he had the singular bad taste to tell Senor
Guege[?] of Coimbra, now of Lisbon, that he would not be content till he had me in
the witness box & questioned in court as to what became of the Antarctic collections!
I could not believe this till I wrote to Mr Guege[?] & had it confirmed in writing -Carruthers believes that I was paid Naturalist to the Antarctic expedition & did not
give up my collections. I need not say that Ross claimed them all, & then returned
them to me with directions as to what to do with them.
I hear that the Welwitch affair is to be settled this autumn.
Thanks for Fremontia seed we are seeding the plant against a wall
[[8]] I have sent Thuret half & to Hanbury. Thanks too for Fresia[sic?].
I have sent seeds to Bolander & will send more.
Baker will send Refugia[?], but I doubt if Gratis, as we have drawn largely on our
allowance.
I will do for Leeman whatever you like, £5. or £10. on my own account.
I shall send to Bolander per Smithsonian.
What of lower Cryptog[am]s of Wilke's voyage has been published?
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