[[1]]
Darjeeling
Apr 27 [18]50 *1
My Dear Father
I returned from Calcutta thither on the 25th & have been ever since arranging for Tom
<Thomas Thomson> & my passage to Sylhet. We take boat from below Titalyah,
from a place called Dulalgunge [Dhaulganj] on the Mahanuddy [Mahanadi], & drop
down to the Ganges by via Malda, Gour & to Rampore. There we go to Dacca
[Dhaka] & so up the Soorma to Pundua at the foot of the Khassya hills, which we
ascend at once from Pundua to Churra[Cherrapunji]. We shall probably stay but a
few days at Churra preparing to go back to Nunklow which is behind much of the
rains.
We have been extremely busy collecting baskets of Orchideae &c which I send down
to Calcutta [Kolkata]
[[2]] there will be about 40 very large baskets full of very fine things indeed. I have
already sent as many mens load to Punkabaree & provided carts to take them
thence to Dulalgunge. -My glazed cases have never yet reached the foot of the hills, which is most
provoking as I have an immense collection of Rhodod[endron]. dalhousieae,
punctatum, & argenteum all ready for them. Where they are all stuck I know not, but
the difficulty of getting things along these roads is always terrible. I take three loads
of these roots down besides hoping to pick up the cases. They were sent up
[[3]] with Booth's things who went to the Garrows [Garos] instead of this & never ever
sent me notice of my boxes.
Your little overland arrived by last mail & I received it in Calcutta, most gratefully. The
Prodr. Fl. Nep. *2 I sent at once for Booth. The latter is said to be coming now straight
to Dorjiling [Darjeeling].
Lobb has left this, he was a most steady industrious man, but made no sort of a
companion either to Tom or myself, or to us in company -- he is so conceited &
pragmatical & prosy. He had a wonderful eye & all his arrangements seemed perfect
for roots & plants -- his plan of small glazed cases is admirable & I hope
[[4]] he will introduce the live Rhododendrons.
I sent you another packet of Larch the other day -- mine are growing beautifully in
the open air but I suppose Jock Smith puts all my Alpines into a stove of 80˚.
Enclosed are a few more seeds[.] I can collect nothing now of any consequence here
but Orchideae & such like.
I spent 2 days at Cathcarts, last week his collection of drawings of Dorj[iling] plants
amounts now to near 200 & he has 5 artists at work who will continue at it all
summer. Their wages are on an average £4 a month & I do not think that the whole
five turn out one plant a day. They are however extremely
[[5]] well done & colored too.
Except the Plectocomia in young fruit, of which I have dried herbarium specimens &
others, & the enclosed, I have found no remarkable novelty; nor has Tom, who has
been working during my absence. The latter I enclose a raceme of & would be
obliged by Benthams looking at it :-- it puzzles Tom & myself dreadfully. I take it for
Urticeous fm [family?] Tom won't have it so.
My first Sikkim years collections are doubtless home by this time & will I hope give
satisfaction. They are but small in comparison to those now en route.
I have thought no more about Nepal. It appears to me extremely unlikely that you[?]
will approve & there are so many reasons
[[6]] for my not wishing it except it should be your opinion that it were advisable to do
it & this as I say I can hardly think likely. Lord Dalhousie begged me the last thing not
to give it up, which however I did on many grounds & as far as I am concerned
definitely. He even offered me a companion, which I refused; saying that I would not
choose any one I knew less of than Thomson.
The Actinometer and Telescope are all safe & in beautiful order. I have made some
fine observations with them already. I wish they were going to Nepal with me instead
of the Khassia though I really believe that the latter
[[7]] is botanically much the best country for Thomson & myself, certainly much the
easiest.
I expect to leave this on Wednesday morning & to arrive at Pundua in about 20 days.
Ever your most aff[ectionate] son | Jos. D. Hooker [signature]
[[8]] Darjeeling 6000 ft.
Small dioeceous tree. Leafless in winter [one word crossed out, illeg.], straggling, 5 -13[?] ft high. Branches from base, stems & branches strict[?] spongy with large pith,
covered with cinereous bark. Leaves & flowers produced as in the mulberry along
the [1 word illeg.]. Male fl[ower]. [1 word illeg.] racemes, - ♀ unknown. Leaves deltoid,
ovate, irregularly toothed, petioles simplex in caul[?]. Pubescence slight, stipules 0.
No taste or glands or dots. Stamens I think opposite the spinanth. pieces. I have seen traces
of a pistillum in the ♂ fl[ower]. which are quite Urticaceous [two small sketches appear here
with one larger one depicting several leaves attached to a branch and a further small
sketch which appears to be of a curled leaf, labelled vernation involute] *3
Vernatum involute
ENDNOTES
1. An annotation written in another hand records that the letter was "rec'd June 16."
2. Prodromus Florae Nepalensis, Don, D. (1825).
3. An annotation written in another hand record the sketched plant as "Dobinea
vulgaris".
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