[[1]]
ROYAL GARDENS KEW
Ja[nuar]y 20/[18]80
My dear [Asa] Gray,
Pea-body & Co startled me by the sending of a letter with a huge red-sealing-wax
seal (I thought America had outgrown that pompous aristocratic device) I opened it
with a fluttering heart -- had I left unpaid debts in America,? or had the defunct
millionaire left me an overlooked legacy! or was it an answer to my touching appeal
of the P.O.[?] some 10 years ago, that he would "remember you" -- well, you know
the result, & most opportune it is -- for I did not put by 1d last year, & I have now to
[[2]] find £800 to set Charlie up in practice in Norfolk -- oddly enough in the place that
Tom Lombe had! Coltishall & where a great uncle of mine had the practice last
century. The said practice is much increased -- a rail-road having gone there from
Norwich. The man who now has it bought it from Lombe, & offers Charlie 1/3 share
for the said sum, & I must "raise the wind" for the purpose.
Reverting to Peabody & Co I must say that I was staggered when they presented me
with my amount on leaving Boston; & I left the consideration of it till I got on board
the steamer -- when I could make nothing of it -- & relieved[?] myself with the idea
that I had drawn an extra cheque in San Francisco
[[3]] & any how[sic] had got off so awfully cheap from America that I ought not to
even to question enquire into the whereabouts of the balance!
The worst of it is now, that it has brought an uneasy feeling that I owe it to you in some
shape! That it never would have been mine (nor treble it) but for your solicitude in my
affairs.
Your letter to Henslow is most nice nice & will please him much, I return his to you.
I wrote you the other day & have no further news. Sargent wants any amount of the
Indian wood &c of which (& other things) there are 36 tons measurements coming to Kew
from the India Store Dep[artmen]t & I cannot tell you how many tons we have
already disposed
[[4]] of -- the accumulation of 30 years extravagant collecting in India without
judgement or regard to cost & of utter mismanagement indolence & caprice on the
part of the India Museum authorities here -- I suppose there never was such a
revelation of the sort (in the museum way). Many many thousands of pounds must have
been spent in India upon the collecting of duplicates on duplicates put up in the most
expensive manner to be destroyed unopened by rust, dust; rats & insects. There are I
am told cases of Cashmere shauls[sic] riddled by vermin, sent for exhibition (those of
course are not amongst coming with my 36! of Vegetable produce & a silver elephant
Howdah! I need not say we are tremendously hard worked. Dyer gets through work
most wonderfully, & is a very skilful manager. The Indian Gov[ernmen]t give us
£2000 to
[[5]] add to the big Museum & I have screwed £450 out if the Treasury to add to the
little one (that my father inaugurated), so we shall have space enough: but it will cost
us the rearrangement of both Museums "au fond" & as poor Dyer had just completed
that operation we do growl at the job.
I am awfully worried with the carelessness bad paper & printing & worse colouring of the
Bot[anical] Mag[azine] which has fallen off dismally. Reeve & Co are screws of the
tightest; grind down artists, colourists, lithographers paper--makers & printers & do not pay
the editor except under threat of withholding the drawings also the "trade" hate them
I am told. I am quite disheartened about it. It was hard enough losing Fitch but Mr
Barnard’s drawings are charming & justice is not done to them. We have just
dismissed
[[6]] Mr Spencer Moore from the Herb[arium]. for gross insubordination & insolence,
in fact he behaved so ill that I insisted on his dismissal from the public service, which
was carried out -- & then withdrawn, also with my approval [one word crossed out,
illeg.], in favour of his resignation: he is a lunatic.
I see Baker is about to attack the Agaves & Fourcroyas -- oh dear.
[James Edward Tierney] Aitchison has a lot of news & good things from Afghanistan.
Ever aff[ectioantel]y y[ou]rs | JD Hooker [signature]
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