[[1]]
To Lady Hooker (Copy) *1
Darjeeling, Apr. 26 1849 *2
My dearest mother,
Another day’s grace being allowed for the English mail, I avail myself of it to write
currente calamo to you. I am exceedingly busy & have already closed (yesterday)
my letters to my father & Frances & Col. Sabine, so you will not expect that I can
give you much news. I am packing a box for the Kew museum: it contains
specimens of cloths stuffs &c. with which I hope my Father will be satisfied. No
news yet of my servant Clamanze having reached Calcutta *3 with my collections! I
cannot but feel anxious.
This minute I have heard from T. Thompson, who seems to be in poor health &
bad spirits. His appointment to Patna is gazetted at Calcutta; but the intelligence
has not reached him: he has been too unwell to proceed with his Reports at
Ferozepore, & is off for 3 months sick leave. His collections have all been
dispatched to Calcutta in excellent order. I am sorry to say that Lord Dalhousie has
been compelled to refuse Thompson’s application for leave to join me at present,
owing to a stringent order from the Court of Directors. As I am convinced that his
Lordship would have granted it if he could I am not at all annoyed, though
sufficiently disappointed. Thompson’s plan is to continue working at his journals: if
health permit, to join his regiment in the Punjaub [Punjab] next Nov[embe]r, &
immediately after to take the 6 months’ leave, which he is then entitled to claim., &
come to me at once: After which his plan will be regulated by mine. Before he quits
India by the May Steamer, he will visit his cousin Sconce, at Chittagong whither I
should extremely like to accompany him, via the Cossya & Tiphera, because that
country will be perfectly salubrious at the season in question. The report of
Prof[esso]r. Thompson’s death alarmed poor Tom dreadfully, & Gardner’s decease
[[2]] has been quite a blow to him: he writes in wretched spirits & complains of
bilious & dyspeptic maladies, which I trust are of no serious importance. I have
already begun a letter of consolation to him & will despatch it immediately: He
recommends that my Father should provide for the safe transmission to England of
Gardener's M.S.S. & collections, & he wished that the superintendence of this
business should be confided to me; if so, it must be by the direction of the Colonial
Office. It would interfere with Borneo, but I hope that Papa will decide as he judges
best, acting on his own responsibility, without regard to my opinion: so far as I am
concerned I care comparatively little where I am employed while I am away from
England.
I have just been writing an exceedingly long epistle to Humboldt & can really add
no more than my love to Bessy, whom you may tell that my dog is growing into a
splendid animal.
your most affectionate son, | (signed) J.D.Hooker.
ENDNOTES
1. This letter is a copy written in a hand not that of the original author, JDH, and
not signed by him. The copy was probably made by JDH's mother or sister.
2. A note written in another hand records that the letter was "rec[eived]. Ju. 23rd".
3. The city formerly known as Calcutta is now called Kolkata.
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