[[1]]
H.M.S. "Erebus" Berkeley Sound. Falkland Isl[an]ds
November 25th 1842. rec[eive]d Monday, March
6. 1843
My dear Father
On Sunday the 13th Nov[embe]r we again cast anchor in this Sound, when I had the
great pleasure of receiving the proof of your unbounded liberality both in presents &
writing. The "Hebe", the "Princess Royal", & the "Philomel" had all arrived during our
absence, all with tokens of your goodness for which I cannot thank you too much.
Though every thing else is good & useful, of course I prize the letters most for they
are so fully satisfactory on all points, & tell me so much, that I cannot yet remember
the whole. & only fear that the time you must have taken to compose them should
have been employed more usefully to yourself.
Immediately before leaving this for the Horn I wrote letters to yourself, Mother, Maria,
Eliz., Ward, & Mr Lyell &c & left them behind for a passage; they went about 3 weeks
ago, in a small brig, the "Sociedad" to Rio, along with 3 boxes & a cask of things for
yourself, & which (all but the plants) you will please to keep private -- About 2
months before I wrote to Maria by Buenos Ayres.
Our trip to Hermite Isl[an]d I enjoyed extremely & it was not wholly unprofitable, but I
shall make it the subject of a separate letter & only gossip as you call it in this. In the
first place regarding poor Mary's removal, through your & my Mother's kindness I
was so perfectly aware of the certainty of her fate, that I mourned for her deeply long
ago, & the receipt of the actual fact & thus it cost me little more pain to read of, it
than the renewal of so sad a subject always must. Though it is impossible not to
wish her back we have no cause to regret her departure but such as the ties of blood
call up. Could she in her present state have a regret, it would not be that she could
not return, but that we are so long to waiting to be enjoying it with her. As long as
memory remains to us, her last illness must always be a mournful though not a
melancholy circumstance, for she was a bright & not a sad example to all of us. The
subject is however very painful & I have neither words nor heart to continue it. -- How
thankful I am to read about your happy & comfortable state at Kew, & of the excellent
health you all enjoy -- What more can you want than a good & affectionate
[[2]] family in a comfortable house? I can hardly conceive your wanting me to make
you happier, every thing seems so snug. According to Fitch's drawing the house
seems all that could be desired & with more than an ordinary share of the beauties of
nature. It is now nearly 1 1/2 years since I have seen a comfortable house of any kind &
have only now found out that I have a keen relish for such comforts as you enjoy. I
have not seen a rose or any thing worth calling a flower since I was in Colenso's
garden, though by the bye it was only this morning that I took of[sic] my hat to the
first flowering specimens I had seen of the Viola Maculata & Calceolaria Fothergilla.
Your account of my Grandfather & Bessy[']s health was quite delightful, of the former
quite unexpected, though I cannot yet fully hope to see him again, it often strikes me
as possible that I may receive in person his last blessing, whether it comes at home
or abroad however it will be deeply felt. The books you send out are capital.
Lindley[']s Elements [of botany] seems a most valuable work to me & the very one I
wanted, for I have a very high opinion of him as a nat[ural]. order man, -- though he
makes too many it is impossible not to admire the thorough knowledge he has of the
subject; & now that a linear arrangement will never do & Fries's motto "omnis ordo
sectio? nat[uralis]. circulum per se clausum exhibet" is daily gaining proof, Lindley's
groups & alliances of plants which like sects are more like one another than any
thing else, must be invaluable. I am no judge of the goodness of his arrangement of
the groups, but it is the throwing the nat[ural] ord[er]s into groups & shewing[sic] the
dependence of one group on another which improves[sic] me, his theory of the
mosses is an eyesore to me & shows the folly of theory without practice.
Endlicher[']s Encheiridion seems capital, but I have not had time to look at it. Brandes
Dictionary most useful especially on ship board. Kew & its gardens is very apropos.
I thought I had told you that I bought at Sydney Murray[']s Dict[ionary]. of Geography,
you are very kind however in sending it to me & I thank you all the same. The new
Icones are beautiful though it is only at meal times that I can look at them, I have
now from you Pts 6, 9 & 10. with plates of No 11 up to 528. -- Colenso's ferns are
beautiful & very characteristic plates. -- Drummond[']s Swan river plants & Baxter[']s
(too long unpublished) most noble[.]
[[3]] Does not the Macrostigma belong to Boraceae? -- Asplenium bulliferum pl. CD.xxIII
is I believe only a var[iety] of the V[an].D[iemen's].L[and]. [Tasmania] A. Laxum Br. -My Etaballia is sadly stiff especially the dissections, & I would have my kind friend Mr
Bentham to know that HMS Erebus is no Surveying but a Discovery ship we are all
rather testy on that point. I know the names of all the Falk[land]. Isl[an]d. pl[an]ts
figures, they are exceedingly characteristic -- No one that I have seen ever saw the
Chiliotrichum 8--10 ft high or above 6 -- Gunnera Falk[landica]. is I fear identical with
G. Magell[anica]. I have the 2nd Fuegian species but wretched specimens *1 P.S.
doing beautifully in the case. only one with an old stamen or two from under the
Snow; it is much smaller with shiny leaves & is alive & well in Ward's case with the
common one, which varies here excessively in size, as any sps. will show, it is now
in flower. The embryo I examined but my notes are not at hand, it agrees with the
descriptions & is identical with those of my new New Zealand species. -Homoianthus will I hope be out before we leave. -- Bolax of course is very common,
but the tufts like very small haystacks, indeed smaller than haycocks -- Senecio
littoralis very common & very beautiful seldom albotomentosus -- The Banks are
white with the beautiful Oxalis flowers often pale pink. -- I have the fr[ui]t of the
Rubus by which I knew its genus. -- Chabraea is just in flower, the smell is precisely
that of Benzoin, not in the least like Vanilla -- Ranunc[ulus]. bitern[atus]. is in flower
very common & is yellow which puzzled me. -- I could hardly believe that Gard[ner?].
could mean by his Brassica! the Arabis which has either fl[ower] or fr[ui]t all the year
round. Viola maculata is a beautiful thing with golden yellow scentless flowers. -- I
have no descript[ion] for the following loose plates. What a noble thing 517 & 518 is,
marked New Zealand, where I saw nothing like it -- 519, 520 is I suppose Senecio
candidans & a capital plate. -- The Eriocaulon's are, I guess, Gardner's splendid
discoveries. So much for the Icones which only want dissections of the seed (if Fitch
would do it) to make them equal to Deleport. The duplicate plates I have laid by to
bring home with me for the herb. -- The Journal I have only skimmed over. What an
extraordinary plant Jung[ermannia]. microscopia is -- I am very glad to see Mr Smith
attending to Ferns & publishing them -- The Asplenium magellans[?] is doing well in
Wards case with some Hymenophylla. A Fern House would be a
[[4]] novel & attractive thing in Kew or two one hot the other temperate -- Dr Gardner is
home at last & Professor at the Andersonian from which I hope he will rise -- Our
opinion of Bailliere used not to be good, he is however I hope a good man of
business & it is well that he has the Spirit to carry on the London Journal of Botany -I ordered a Silver mate*2 cup from Monte Video, to come down by the brig Alarm, but
have seen nothing of her since she left this 4 months ago -- Lindley I am glad to see
still communicates with you on Orchideae, I do not like him so much as a descriptive
as a systematic Botanist. He was rather too mighty a man for me, before leaving
England, to pay much attention to an Ass[istan]t Surgeon. With regard to the note at
p. 48 of No 1 of the Lond. B.J. you will remember that in this cruize[sic] we found the
Macrocystis alive & growing in Lat 64 & the Infusoriae & confervae in 78--10'-Does Mr Loudon take much interest in Kew Gardens? -- It will be good for Botanical
Geography, that Mr Watson is again going to be active: it is a favorite[sic] branch of
mine, the more especially because my regions are different both in climate & forms
from any other. The publication of D'Urville's plants who was at Auckland Isl[an]d
will cut me out of many of my best things -- The Memoir of poor Cunningham is
admirable & singularly enough, on the same day on which I opened it a Barque from
Sydney arrived with a very nice old gentleman a Mr Nolan a very old settler, who
knows Gunn & Sir J & Lady Franklin & also was well acquainted with both
Cunninghams. I have lent him the monograph with which he is delighted but
especially with the Portrait, which he says is the best published: he will see you as
he knows Mr Aiton & I shall give him a letter to leave for you -- He seems a highly
respectable person, though I know nothing of him & you may like to meet some one
who has seen me. -- The memoirs of the Duke were very acceptable, having lately
given my last to the Governor here who has been very attentive to me, but is a poor
stick of a Gov[er]nor in a place like this where hands are more useful than heads: he
is full of theory & has planned out Towns roads & quays in a place where he cannot
supply us with fresh beef, & has not a Cabbage or a Potato to give away. He is
making pounds, game Laws & custom duties
[[5]] in a very foolish manner. Selling or rather offering for sale Town alottments[sic]
*3P.S. Government settles this at home as he calls them at £50 p[e]r acre & other
land not worth 6d at 12/ p[e]r acre by which the few that want to buy are quite
dispirited. I have been to see Whitington who is very civil to me, but am very
cautious & should be more so with his brother in London; Wright is the worst of the
three. Your trees are doing nicely but he will not make a collector of plants. My time
has been so entirely taken up arranging my Hermite Isl[an]d plants, that I have only
been 3 times ashore since our arrival, chiefly for buying things at Whitington's store.
The "Philomel" had sailed for the W. Falkland before our arrival, & returned a few
days ago, on the same day I dined with Sullivan in the cabin & like him very much,
he is full of zeal & will promote the cause of Botany as much as he can. The
Surgeon Chartres is the only officer I know, & he has a good idea of Botany &
promises to do something for us, & I shall give Capt[ain]. Sullivan the hint to stir him
up when opportunities offer.
And now for a few words concerning our expedition, you must not think that we do
not give the Scientific world & those whom you justly call the "great & the good"
credit for taking a deep interest in us, the fact is they take a great deal too much &
keep us here cooling our heels in packs & Bergs while they toast theirs, & as
Englishmen share the country's credit in, & of, us. -- For my part all I care about is
that such should think of us, but you must remember that I am the only officer who
has received any credit that he can show for his exertions; your, I fear too flattering,
opinion & that of Mr Brown is all I can wish for, & more than I can expect & the
strongest stimulus to continued exertion -- No one that knows & cares for me (as one
that may become a Botanist) would be gratified on any account to see our
Exped[ition]. noticed in the papers, & so I am indifferent on my own part to such
notoriety, but how are my messmates & shipmates situated. All men are not
scientific! -- & unfortunately none of them are ever inclined so, but & yet they are
good sailors, have done their duty nobly, both as navigators & as willing &
[[6]] active hands in the laborious duties of the observatory for nearly 3 1/2 years, in
the worst weather & Latitudes with none of the comforts on board or shore that most
men of war offer them. Further they have taken the ship to 78S[outh] twice, have
never flagged in zeal or spirit in prosecuting the voyage when late in the season &
Ice actually closing round & never stopped till brought up by nature in her most
insurmountable form, & where my dear Father have they seen or heard (but through
your letters) that their services are in the least appreciated? -- In one paper only of
the hundreds we have seen the public are informed that a of our arrival here "after
reaching 76 South" and that "the "Terror" lost her bowsprit in a fog coming up this
Sound". The Admiralty have not even sent a letter of thanks to the men, a
compliment granted on the most ordinary conduct occasions. The promotions
already given have been no boon. L[ieutenan]t. Bird was of some 14 years standing
& a Midshipman at the siege of Algiers. Smith a mate of 7 years. Cotter was acting
Master receiving the same pay &c as a Master, & Mowbray (one of the best fellows
in the ships) was promoted from family interest. There is not one of them that would
not have been promoted from ordinary ships, & so would many others still passed
over had they been at Acre or China -- Every day they see others jumping over their
heads, & can you wonder that they feel annoyed? -- On paying off they will receive it,
but that is all, (or perhaps on coming home), but they cannot enjoy the society or
praise which we should delight in, & which the Scientific world is ready to give. -- I
am here leaving myself totally out of the Question, my next cruize[sic] will not be time
lost for me; whilst the Ice holds animals & I have unexamined plants I shall provide
amusement & instruction & am far from wearying, they unfortunately have no
resources of the kind, besides the work of watch-keeping & wettings, crow's nesting
& log heaving -- The fault lays as you know with our Captain, he knows his credit is
sure & I am sorry to say has no sympathy with any unscientific mind; to me as I often
tell you he is invariably kind & I enjoy his cabin &c as heretofore, but it is very
[[7]] different with others -- Of information regarding the future voyage he is close to
a degree, & appears from Archy [Archibald] Smiths letter to have been so even to
Sabine, but that is no reason why the Admiralty & the R.S[?]. should not give & court
publicity to the merits of an Exped[ition]. so long out from England, as the only
reward, & surely it is a very cheap one, to the unscientific officers. The English papers
are were more full of D'Urville & Wilkes expeditions than of ours, & no one can
suppose they knew more of the facts of it, or had more materials to sing their song
about. Capt[ain]. Ross & myself are the only ones who have private friends among
the scientific, but as long as he does not give much information it would be
Exceedingly bad taste in me through you to puff of the affair, nor moreover would I
care to see every paper full of us; for that will do me no good -- nothing could induce
me to become the mouth-piece of the voyage & I therefore feel constrained to beg of
you to circulate my information only in private; but I cannot help feeling for my
brother officers who talk of the public indifference with much asperity, & naturally
look upon the forthcoming cruize[sic] with much great indifference, whilst I have full
confidence of doing much for myself & others & shall arrive at the Cape with much to
show -- So much for a hearty good growl, for my shipmates sake, father, -- my
opinions of the past & future are far different, but they have no grounds for arguing
with me. -- I am very sorry that my letters cost you so much, & should never have let
them go through the post, but that I thought & so do all of us that 1d covered every
thing under 1oz & 1d more for every additional oz. The fact is Capt[ain] Beaufort is
extremely kind & I do not like to trouble him too much, he is a good man & a staunch
friend, or he would not take so much trouble about our communications; he ought to
know more of our proceedings & I am only happy to hear you say that he likes to
know what I have got to say. You will use your own discretion about this -- You are
quite right about the Tussac Grass*4. The cattle do however eat the large Carex for
the roots are very juicy & sweet, & it grows commonly amongst the Tussac, whence
the
[[8]] the Governor was deceived & asked me to describe it as the true plant. You will
see by the 2nd Communication gone to Lord Stanley that I have now described the
right plant, & a drawing goes home by this ship; I thought it might be the Testura
flabellata but was not sure, for the leaves are not flabellate which I think means
folded like a fan, not arranged on the stem in that manner -- Whitington does not skin
birds himself, but his shop keeper a great oaf does he promises to fill your case -- I have
plenty of Astelia pumila in fruit, & it is now coming into flower. The Tetroncium grows
very scarce (in this season) in Hermite Isl[an]d, my specimens are most wretched &
few, but larger than yours enclosed. At first I supposed it allied to Junceae through
Astelia. Capt[ain] Ross is much pleased to hear that you have got some of the
plants & are getting drawings &c made already, as also that you are charged to give
some account of the Bot[anica]l results. do not forget Bot[anical]. Geography if you
think my notes worth any thing on the subject; I have others on the Geograph[ical]
distribution of Bay of Isl[and]s copious & Falkl[and]. Isl[an]d plants. Those on Cape
Horn are not finished, but I have recorded the leading facts. Capt[ain] Ross has
ordered me to make & send you a set separately, whether the Admiralty send you
the others or no, which I have done to a certain extent with the Hermite Isl[an]d
plants. There is no fear but they will all come right in the end, but he is very jealous
of most of the collections & I am the only one he never interferes with. No one
whatever is allowed to send other objects of Nat[ural]. Hist[ory]. home to their
friends, lest they should be made public before our return; I never ask his leave for it
would be a sad thing to put him to the pain of a refusal. Brown is not far wrong in
thinking the plants safest in his own hands. The fact is they are all waiting for the
return of the expedition to be handed over to us, & the only reason I have for wishing
them to go to you is because you would get on with them. -- I cannot ask Ross to
direct them to you for that would be laying himself open to blame from the Admiralty
whose orders to him are "that all the Gov[ernmen]t sets be directed to them". He
would do it if he could, but his caution is extreme not to break orders of any kind.
There is no fear whatever for the plants. I am glad you liked Lefroy & saw so much
of him. Wilmot is however my best friend though not so attractive till known. You
[[9]] do not mention any thing about young Gregson of V[an]. D[iemen's]. L[and]. by
whom I sent a letter of Introd[uction]. to you; his friends were extremely kind to me
there & I lived in their house close to Brown's old Garden at Risden -- It is a great
disappointment that Harvey will not be at the Cape, I have counted so much on
seeing him & thinking at night when laying out the weeds how pleased he will be to
the see them. All the Falkl[and] Isl[an]d ones I kept back to show him the complete
set at the Cape, but now send them all to you, none kept back, none for
Gov[ernmen]t. I cannot be bothered parcelling & dividing & labelling for the
Admiralty fidgets. As to the R[oyal]. S[ociety]. recommending me to do this that &
the other thing, they give me neither pay nor credit -- nor can I forget that on entering
their council room my own Capt[ain] was the only one to shake me by the hand, & on
leaving it not one of them gave a word of encouragement, bad me good bye or
wished me a safe voyage -- Messrs Royle, Horsefield[?] & Parkine[?] I heartily
forgive them their pride & want of courtesy in treating me like a school boy, but they
miserably failed in impressing on my mind the any idea of true dignity in their high
mightinesses'[sic] the council of the R.S. there assembled -- Dr Vaughan Thompson
did not come near me at Sydney, McLeay never mentioned him, nor had I any idea
he was out of England till the other day; his name is well known to me as the
discoverer of the metamorphoses of Crustaceae, & I could have shewn[sic] him
much that would interest him -- The loss of Sir W[illia]m Symonds' son is a sad thing
please to give him my most respectful Compliments, I had not the most remote
chance of seeing his son there, for he was far away even had we gone to Auckland.
I am quite proud of being F[ellow of the]. L[innean]. S[ociety]. If I could I should send
them a paper but the nature of the Exped[ition]. does not admit of it; after my return I
hope to be allowed to contribute on Mosses, when my first paper shall be your first,
Andreae -- Oh! there is such an Andrea from the Horn, with a long cylindrical theca
opening by 8 valves at the top only. [a sketch appears here] -- The new houses &
walks at Kew will delight me much, but you will find me dreadfully ignorant of
Tropical Botany; you will I feel sure be surprized[sic] to find how totally unknown the
commonest plants will be.
[[10]] Your account of poor Lamberts death is shocking; what an awful state a man
must be in to be afraid to die alone. There are none of proper feeling who would not
most of all like their eyes to be closed by their friends, but to be afraid to die alone
argues the most degrading state of Cowardice, & we cannot but fear[?] fear what the
reason was for such a lamentable state of mind. You will be glad to hear that I have
written to Mr Lyell a long letter sent by the Sociedad to Rio it was indeed very shabby to forget
him so long. To Brown I shall write at once, I could not overcome my repugnance of
writing before knowing that any thing sent home had given satisfaction, thus sending
him words for deeds -- My correspondence is very much behind, the Bootts both Dr
& Mrs have written me long & most kind letters, also which delighted me beyond any
thing & called up most pleasant associations of bygone days my Godfather Dalton's
own handwriting, which I recognised immediately on opening his letter. One half
was from Miss Dalton, then I have letters from Mr & Mrs Richardson most long &
kind; she most properly complains of my not writing to her whereas I did fully from
the Bay of Isl[an]ds, & have it noted too & as I only note them on putting them in the
bag for sending them out of the ship there can be no mistake on my part. Mr Bentham, always
a friend, wrote to me; Archy Smith, Jas Hamilton Mrs Fleming, & Fitch (the letter you
opened & which you would have laughed at had you read it). Poor fellow it is very
kind in him to write, & I shall make it more a point to answer his than any others, but
such a Jargon of nonsense as is too foolish to laugh at, & convinces one that his
fingers are far more useful than his head -- Besides the family circle & Aunt Palgrave
Dawson & my good Grandmother Turner, I am a bad writer at any time but cannot
bear to put anyone off with short allowance of such poor diet, or else I could soon
knock off a quire of note paper -- When I do get on into a letter the writing comes
easier to me & this sort of talking to you is very pleasant. This is term time when I
take 24 hours meteorological register on board, & though I was out all day, awake by
6 yesterday morning & had only 5 hours sleep (out of that stingy allowance which
Grandfather Turner gives to a man) I am not in the least sleepy. A very beautiful
[[11]] dawn has broken this morning 26th of a pale clear blue with a 1/2[?] moon &
now at 5 1/2 AM it is quite light, yesterday was a most disagreeable day with a S.W.
wind & rain which made me feel as of yore on Craighaillach. But with regard to this
dawn, there is a sad want of animated nature to obey the summons of Aurora, no
bursting flowers or singing birds. The very geese & steamer ducks sleep-in here.
The hills are all half yellow half brown, & have no warm tints to relieve the eye &
comfort the mind after looking at the cold blue sky, no balmy breezes, but rheumatic
S. Westers right over the pack. The whole dawn here is so uninviting that when I
have got up to walk out in it, I feel after proceeding a few steps, far more inclined to
return & turn in than go on. With regard to the Marine Zoophytes &c not one have
been sent home, there cannot be less than 300 bottles & phials full of these things
on board all bladdered down by myself, & chiefly collected too, none of the drawings
are sent home & the notes I fear are very poor, which is another reason for my
wishing to go South again to complete the subject; we have several casks full of fish
which will doubtless go to Richardson on our return. Since leaving the Cape they
have never been neglected at any port (but Hobarton) both great & small & in great
quantities. Whenever the seine*5 was shot I attended on the return of the boat, to
pick out the fish that were wanted, a very few I kept myself for Richardson should he
not get them, but my duties of course precluded the possibility of my making any
notes or a large private collection. Capt[ain] Ross often feels himself jammed
between me & McCormick, when the latter wants to keep a nice thing for his Govt
Government collection, & I of course want to put it with ours, for he makes no
general collection of any thing but rocks & Birds & as I take the drudgery of collecting
all other branches of Nat[ural]. Hist[ory]. with the Capt[ain]'s assistance, it would not
be fair that I should be refused the credit of bottling down the more scarce &
beautiful. Whenever there is the slightest difficulty I always give up remembering the
proverb against "those who wrestle with sweeps"
[[12]] The notes on the Falkl[and] Isl[an]d plants are the very thing I wanted, although
I must say I expected M Gaudichaud knew more of Botany than his paper displays. I
have many nice things to add to the list especially amongst the Cryptogamia. May
not your Fuegian Chrysosplenium be the misnamed Hydrocotyle glechomoides Rich.
DC.v.IV.p.70? -- DC. quotes Durville's Flore des Isles Malvinas have you seen it.
Your getting Diefenbach[']s [Ernst Dieffenbach] plants is a capital thing he must have
many curious things I heard of a Cassytha which he found. -- Remember me most
kindly to Gray when you write to N[orth]. Am[erica]. & ask him what he thinks now of
"leaving the North to the Britishers & leading the way in the South" I never heard
what they had done in Botany, but [James Dwight] Dana you know is a first rate man
& worked hard in Zoology; Wilkes we heard was detested by his officers, many of
whom bore the highest character & who left him at Sydney. Both Dr Torrey & Gray
must have such of my duplicates as can be spared on our return, they are both great
& good men & it is most important that in science an intimate friendship should exist
between America & England, America is a country I should like of all others to visit,
where many would treat me with great hospitality; their progress in Botany as in
public improvements is wonderful. The pocket Hygrometer is a perfect beauty & the
very thing I wanted, two have been broken already & I I now use use the 3rd & last
(except this new one, the best of the three). I observe it 4 or 3 times a day & have
done so since leaving England; -- being much interested in the Instrument I should
be sorry to have to break off from want of a spare one. I would thank you therefore
to buy me another out of my bills (if you will not use them) & Capt[ain] Beaufort will
kindly forward it. -- The results of the observations on the state of moisture of any
country is a most important element & nearly connected with Bot. philosophy. The
difference between this place & Hermite Isl[an]d is wonderful -- of course I pay for
the former one, for I have plenty of money & cannot spend it, Newman is the best
maker & will give you one as good as the last with sensitive thermometer. You may
tell him that my new one is much better than two others of his I have used
[[13]] which were supplied to the Expedition. I have not read the "Athenaeums", they
are glorious stand by for the Ice. The fruits & vegetables are above all praise &
came out uninjured, I have eaten them before & they are equal to the fresh fruit, I
gave some in your & my mother's name to Capt[ain] Ross & to the Mates Mess of the
"Terror" who are dearly obliged -- we tried the apples & carrots, the former are
perfect, & the latter, though most excellent, do not preserve so well as Parsnips.
You could not have sent any thing more acceptable than these, as also the pickles
which are far superior to the ships of which we get an oz daily. The Terrors plants
are I believe all collected by Lyall he does not do much, but is very careful -- The
Snowdrop of these Islds is I believe either either Epipactis Lessonii or Sisyrinchum
filifolium. Primula is excessively abundant -- Caltha appendiculata was in flower at
Hermite & a similar new species, neither true Calthae in my opinion, also the C
sagittata a true sp of the genus. both the first & last are common here but I have not
met them since our arrival this time -- I know that my first Auckl[an]d Isl[an]d plate
was Myricaceous, but gave no names, as I thought Brown would overhaul them, I do
not wonder at Browns Bentham[']s finding that out, as his friend Alph[onse]. D[e]
C[andolle]. has published the N[ew]. Z[ealand]. Choripetalum (if I remember the
name) in the Trans[actions of the] L[innean]. S[ociety]. I suspect some other New
Zealand Nigrasinae are also polypetalous -- So much my dear Father for answers
seriatim & comments on your good letters to me.
9 PM. I have been busy to day packing up my plants to go in a few days by the
General "Governor Halkett" to England. The Admiralty cask is just headed down &
contains large collections with the duplicates of the Falk[land] isl[an]d plants, all but
the seaweeds, I retain 2 sets on board, one for you which I shall take out & send if I
can. The Hermite Isl[an]d plants contain few duplicates & the specimens of the
flowering plants wretched. The set is complete except in seaweed, the majority of
which & all the uniques I lay aside for you as also all the duplicate Cryptogamiae -- 2
or three truncheons of woods of Fuegia, large branches with Misidendrons, & some
gigantic seaweeds are added, also two boxes of large spe rock specimens of
Falk[land] Isl[an]d Lichens, about which some pains were taken -- You are rather
sanguine perhaps in expecting me
[[14]] home soon, & so was I premature in thinking so. Not that I have any idea of
our future motions, & indeed expected you would know more about them. This will
be our last trip to the Ice I should think. What Beaufort means by wintering in the Ice
I cannot conceive, except it may be that we are ordered to keep some term days in
the S Shetlands or thereabouts, which I have no objections to, except for the
darkness, but wintering in the Ice is quite out of the Question -- We cannot remain in
the pack except under sail, for the S.W. winds would gradually blow us out of it, &
besides what would be the use of it. Capt[ain] Ross may have said & doubtless
intends if we should find an accessible harbor[sic] far South to spend some time in it,
perhaps a winter, but it is sent idle to suppose that such could be found where the
Ice & Snow is are perennial. There is no great winter cold to shut us in safely, in a
few days, or winter summer heat to thaw it. All the Ice in the Antarctic ocean is
formed by the gradual accumulation of Snow, or small pieces of Ice which only
dissolve by being drifted to warmer Latitudes -- The Icebergs are probably the
accumulations of centuries. These bergs are stranded all along the coasts. -- The
barrier is probably only a large solid pack filling up a broad shallow bight, like that of
Benin or S. Australia -- Some unusual severe winter, ages ago, first filled it with a
sheet of Ice & as the Snow fell it sunk deeper & deeper every year till it stranded, the
sun has no power on it now & so every snow shower must add to its height. What
Atmospheric changes the revolutions of centuries may produce we cannot yet know,
but whilst the climate of the South is so equable & the removal of Ice by shifting
probably proportioned to its slow accumulation to the S[outhwar]d of the Packs, these
vast phenomena must remain comparatively unchanged. The Barrier, the bergs
several hundred feet high, & 5-6 miles long, & the mountains of the great Antarctic
continent, are too grand to be imagined & almost too stupendous to be carried in the
memory. However I am getting further South instead of going home. -- After leaving
the Cape we have St Helena & Rio to visit & I do not know what afterwards but
Sabine says that he does not
[[15]] expect Ross home until the Autumn of 1844 at the earliest see report of Council of R.S.
for *6 printed for private circulation only -- If this be true so it is an unusual thing in the Navy, to
keep officers out 5 1/2 years, & rather too bad to the unscientific officers, who only
calculated upon 3; for many of them are getting on in life for their rank, & all are
dependent on the service. It is nothing to me if they keep us out 6 except the want of
seeing my friends, for I am always improving myself & it will give me a greater claim
on the scientific world, & what is more I am the youngest officer or man in the ship
who has gone through the whole cruize[sic] -- I tell you of this, but you build too
much on my return, about which I fully expected you to give me information. The
Observatories are to be carried on till 1845, which renders it possible that we may
remain out for more than a year longer. It is I must say any thing but fair or
honorable[sic] to conduct to make officers work as ours do, year after year, for the
good of the scientific world, & harness them to the ships, like horses to a mill, for an
indefinite & unusually protracted period, they cannot leave it if they do not like it
without feeling that their motives may be attributed to cowardice. I am astonished at
Capt[ain] Beaufort[']s ignorance of our future movements, his good sense will tell him
how highly disagreeable it must be to the Officers to serve as they are doing, & it is
equally bad to keep so kind & zealous a friend to the Expedition as he is, in the dark.
I never trouble my head about where we are going, but should like to know, only that
I might tell you, whether we spend any time amongst the Islands to the South. With
regard to the prospects of this coming cruize[sic] I am any thing but sanguine of
great success. -- The past winter has been a very bad one indeed, & further we
know that though the sea was clear of Ice when Weddel went down, there was Ice
when the two French & the Yankee Expeditions attempted his Longitude, whether
they tried to get through it boldly or no is not to the Question, there is no doubt it
existed -- My opinion is that the packs shift slowly & that a place open for one
season may be shut for many successive ones
[[16]] I have heard that an English Lieutenant called Rea or Wray went down there in
a sealer, & met the pack in 60º -- Now though I sincerely hope to make the pack &
get through it, rather even than meet no Ice, still we have twice been entirely
successful, & it is not humanly probable that ships can always penetrate at whatever
point they take the pack. -- A little more Ice last year would infallibly have stopped us
had it detained us a few weeks more. I would willingly give up all my pay to be sure
of gaining 70º again for the French & Yankees will surely laugh if we are foiled in any
one attempt. Should we find much Ice we shall be a long time in it, doing our
endeavors[sic] to get South, they are fine times for me as the smooth water sailing is
quite delightful, & it is a great comfort to know that if we cannot get on we can always
go back with the S.W. winds & the ships of the Ice. Should we fail we shall all feel it
deeply & almost wish to be allowed to try again. It shall not however be our faults if
we do fail, it may be our misfortune & a very sad one -- None of us despair of
success in beating the French & Yankees but it is ourselves we want to beat & thus
we are our own enemies.
Nov[embe]r 28. As I heard that our letters must be on board the vessel tomorrow I
had to tresspass[sic] on the Sabbath in a measure though I wrote nothing that I
would not have said on that sacred day. I must say that I felt a relief when the bell
struck 8 last night & with a lighter heart I continued my work till late on this morning.
Amongst others I have written to Dr & Mrs Boott & shall to Dr Boott, the high esteem
you always held that family in, & the regard you always showed when talking of them
in Glasgow, prompted me to write quite as much as their valued letters to me did, for
as you know I never had the opportunity of making their acquaintance so intimately,
as being friends of yours, I should have liked -- However, so it was, that after writing
to other persons some 6 or 8 letters telling them all how cramped I was for time &
insinuating what a favor[sic] it was my writing at all, I sat down & gave Mrs Boott
what was about as much as any 3 of her predecessors had, for I cannot bear to put
off any
[[17]] friend of yours with a shabby letter. After that I dropped a few lines to Fitch
which I left open for your perusal, as I do not know whether you will like its tenor, but
think you will, you can seal it with Linneus[?] & forwarded it to him -- Here I have a
long letter put into my hand from Davis by the Quartermaster & must break off to
answer it. It turns out to be a yarn for his friend Mr Darwin which he wants me to
look over before sending it privately with some rock specimens to Darwin. All this
morning I have been superintending the closing of the large Wards case, which I
filled with trees & plants at Cape Horn; they are in noble condition a very few have
died & are therefore removed. They consist of many plants of the Evergreen &
deciduous leaved beech the latter a lovely tree which would be a great ornament in
England. Berberis ilicifolia, Gunnera magellanica has flowered since put in.
Gunnera n. sp. Pernettia &c 2 or three species -- Chilotrichum amelloides. An
Orchideous plant. Wintrana aromatica. Polytrichum dendroides & a new sp.
Leptost[omum]. menziesii, Asplenium magellanicum & several small Hymenophylla
Abrotanella emarginata, Caltha sagittata &c new sp. near appendiculata.
Leptostomum macrocarpum (kept alive in a bottle since leaving New Zealand) seeds
of the Kerg[uelen] land cabbage sprouting already, & of Cineraria congesta from
Boothia! If the Cineraria leucanthema & other smaller things I cannot remember as a
Leptinella, Jungermannia lamellata &c &c. They have been for 5 weeks in the case
& look extremely well. The old box which has twice gone down to the Ice & also was
filled at New Zealand is terribly shaken, so that I have had to get it caulked, puttied,
glazed & finally lashed together in a seaman-shape manner Dr Gibson R[oyal].
N[avy]. a passenger of the General "Governor Halkett" takes kind charge of it & to him I
shall give most particular written directions about keeping salt water & air from ready
access, also from allowing the Sun to heat on it in the tropics -- Lyell sends a large
case of Falkland Isl[an]d plants he has put the Astelia in, but I do not know what else
not having had time to see them. Tell me what you want from the Cape also from
Rio de Janeiro.
[[18]] I have written to Brown this morning, & all that I have asked him for is to give
me the Natural Order of Gunnera through you. -- I have written to Dr & Mrs
Richardson separately, to Archy Smith, Ward, Bentham &c. When one is young
friendships are in a manner offered to him, which as he grows older cannot be kept
without it is shown that they are prized, when old they often cannot be got for love or
money I must therefore keep fast the old ones, I know to be good, & not run the risk
of losing them & not being able to get others afterwards -- xxx -- I have just put on
board for you & addressed to the R. Gardens Kew 2 square wood boxes of
specimens of Nat[ural]. Hist[ory]. one containing a large bundle of duplicate New
Zealand plants, chiefly Ferns -- The other bird skins. -- A parcel sewed up in sail
canvass[sic] containing the duplicate Hermite Isl[an]d Cryptogamiae, & the entire
collection of Falkland Isl[an]d Algae. A small box which Davis has under my
superintendence made up for his friend C. Darwin & C.D. is put on the corner of the
address, he did not know how to address it; you will pay the carriage of it for me & of
the other things out of the bill I enclose, & I shall write to Darwin through you of
Davis's wish that he keeps the things tolerably totally private, until the return of the
Exped[ition]. This is sad smuggling work altogether but I cannot bear the staying out
of England so long, & not sending for someone[']s good the results of our labors[sic],
that they may share the pleasures we feel. It appears to me so dreadfully selfish &
what is more keeping these stores in board always in fear of mould & damp is not a
pleasant charge not to talk of the room they take. I have one or two beautiful skinned Penguins
for the lobby but they are not dry enough to send by this opportunity: -- In writing to
my amiable & courtly friend Jas Hamilton I have asked him to spend a quiet evening
at Kew, & tell you he has heard from me, I have further promised him that you will go
on with
[[19]] your work & not let him distract you. He was never strong & his duty must now
be so laborious that a quiet evening walk about your delightful neighbourhood would
be an excellent thing for him. -Ere this arrives you will have received a cask & 3 boxes of private specimens sent
with the letters mentioned in the beginning of this, & hope that some of the duplicates
of Auckland & Campbells Is[lan]d will give you satisfaction. Except for some
specimens Capt[ain] Ross had gathered for me I did all in Campbells Is[lan]d with my
own hands in one day. -- It also contained a present to you from Davis of our ships
overtaken by a gale of wind near the edge of the Pack, they look very helpless, but a
sailor would tell you how another would run her through the Ice with no little sail set
& no serviceable rudder, as you see. -- As to their execution you are the best judge
& he is rapidly improving; the accuracy & portraiture of the ships I can answer for; he
did several of them but this was much the best; he would do any thing for me & I
have asked him to do something else which you may like, as being executed on
board the vessels themselves -- The beautiful circumpolar chart you sent me I lent to
him, when I have received another note from him just now, offering to keep it, &
return it to me at the Cape with our coming track inserted, ready for going home to
you -- he loves dearly anyone who taken an interest in the Expedition -- Sullivan
knew him & spoke most highly the other night about his services, when attached to
the Beagle. Capt[ain] Ross has written to Beaufort about his having made the
beautiful charts &c sent home, & you might ask Capt[ain] Beaufort about him, merely
as a friend of mine, for he well deserves some encouragement.
29th. I have just seen the live plants safely secured & well locked up, every crevice is
closed & the moisture nicely dewing the glasses, nothing
[[20]] can be better than their present condition if only taken a little care of board -Several things are coming into flower & the Caltha maturing its fruit. She goes
tomorrow morning early. I shall fill the smaller case of with Falkland Isl[an]d plants &
leave it with Mr Whitington for transmission to England by the first opportunity,
probably by one of his vessels. -- I shall not have time to write so much home as I
intended but add a few notes on the Falk[and]. Isl[an]d & Hermite Isl[an]d pl[an] ts for
your notice, should you be able to do any thing further for the plants before our
return. Capt[ain] Ross has told me that the casks sent to the Br[itish]. Mus[eum] are
not their property by any means, see "Proceedings of the R.S. No 50 Novr 30 1841.
page 333 under the head of Report of the council, where it is expressly stated, that
they are thus disposed of "for their present safe custody". However there is no need
for troubling any more in this matter; they are all right & if you be called upon to draw
up any report on them, you have every right to demand from their Lordships that they
be forthwith placed for the time in your hand, offering if you like to return them; when
you may depend upon it they will not be further bothered with them -- Poor Swainson
I have just heard is getting on very badly in New Zealand I should never recommend
anyone to settle there. -- The Company are giving universal dissatisfaction, a
gentleman in the Governor Halkell is going home to sue them at law. You may
remember my opinion of the country in my New Zealand letters, as good for very
little, but a naturalist. Have any plants come home from the French settlement on the
middle Isl[an]d at Akaroa. Banks'[sic] I believe was there. In proposing me to publish
Floras of New Zealand & VDL. I fear you overrate my Botanical powers for I am very
ignorant of any plants but those I have seen. My strict Flora Antarctica will always
begin where the Pines cease & I should
[[21]] like it to contain the most of the country S of the Straits of Magellhaens (but
Darwin will give me good limits there), provided I can gain access to the proper
materials. Auckland, Campbell, Kerguelens Land, & the Falklands will be the only
other stations, except what few you have for McQuarrie [Macquarie] Island. Do tell
me in your next what the things are which Frazer sent you; & ask Brown whether any
things have ever been collected in Prince Edward's, the Crozets, Royal companies
Isl[an]d.. Emerald Isl[an]d & whether Websters Deception Isl[an]d or Cooks S
Georgian plants are in the Museum. -- Tristan d'Cunha & St Pauls & Amsterdam
though in such low latitudes, have an Antarctic Botany, but I have seen none of
them. On leaving England I had hoped that all my letters to you should have been
written on paper of the previous sheets, but I am quite out of it not another scrap left
& I had to buy this here. My dear Mother & sisters must excuse me writing by this
opportunity & so must Aunt Palgrave, I cannot thank them too much for their letters
to me & shall do so in writing before leaving this, probably in a little more than a
week, I shall now give a running list of the plants & close the letter at the last
moment. -Again called away & have returned from the Barque "Governor Halkett" & seen my
much prized case carefully lashed down on deck as much out of the way as possible
-- I have a painted canvas cover for it in bad weather, & the passengers one & all
promise to
[[22]] take care of it & screen it in hot weather, I have been very civil to all the
passengers & Captain on purpose & invited them to dinner several times. Mr Nolan
(who asks for a letter to you) & a Mr Porter are very civil) also Dr Gibson R.N. for
whom I have written instructions; he will write to the Admiralty immediately on his
arrival lest the Admiralty letter should be any how detained. She goes straight home
& so they ought to do well if shaded in the tropics.
[[23]] Falkland Islds. Phenogamic Plants.
1. Hierochloe or Torresia. -- Melica magellanica DC Rous ? at any rate confounded
by Sprengel with 2 other very distinct plants of which one is the Holcus redolens of
New Zealand the other probably the Hieroch[loe]. Antarctica of Brown Prodr[omus].
Habit that of the Bay of Isl[an]ds plant
2. Agrostis
4. Senecio littoralis
[a small sketch appears here]
3. Aira
4a. Gunnera Magellan
go in a pendulous seed -- -- -5. Portulaceae Spergula Labiae one of those curious things allied to the Spergula of V[an].
D[eimen's]. L[and]. Bartling & Endlicher.
6. Carex trifida ? my old Tussac.
7. Trisetum ?
8. Gaimardia australis nat ord very dubious.
9. Triticum -- 10 Arundo I took for a Alopecurus but is not.
11. Agrostis. -- 12, 13, do. do. 14 Poa -- 15 Festuca -- 16 do
17. do. -- 18 Agrostis -- 19 Festuca -- 20 Agrostis -- 21 Empetrum rubrum 22
Callixene marginata -- 23 is Gaultheria Arbutus microphylla ?
24 Nanodea muscosa one spec[ime]n. only. 25 Myrtus nummularia -- 26. Thlaspi
27. Cardamine glaialis DC. 28. Crucifera your Arabis
29 Pernettia P. empetrifolia 30 Atriplex. -- 31. Ranunculus n sp. 32 Statice caespitosa
Poir. -- 33. Kerg[uelen] Land plant. -- 34. ? ? ? Umbellifera. -35 Caltha sagittata 36 Ranunc. Hydrophilus. -- 37. -- biternatus
38. Stellaria debilis Gaud. -- 39. The two Mycrophylla one species -40. Bulliarda moschata Gaud. -- 41. Sclerantheae ? -- 42 Chiliotrichum
43 Homoianthus -- 44 Abrotanella emarginate Cass. --
[[24]] 45 Nassanoia gaudichaudii. -- 46. N. serpens
47. Senecio vulgaris. -- 48. -- S. candidens. 49 Chabraea suaveolens
50 Aster vahlii. 51 Macrorhynchus ? pumilus DC. 52 Taraxacum
53 Chevreulia lycopodioides -- 54 Compos[itae]. ? . -- 55 Baccharis 3dentata recd
confusion of habitats with cuneifolia (over) in DC. -- 56 Gnaphalium affine 57.
Senecio ? Smithii S. littor[alis], [illeg.] non ? 58 Azorella lycopodioides, Gaud. -59 A. filamentosa Lam. -- . 60 Bolax glebaria -- 61. Caldasia nov sp. true Caldaria, but
Azorella deciduous. . D'urv.
62 Celeri -- 63 Hydrocotyle ? 64 Rubus geoides. -- 65. Veronica serpyllifolia but
stem with minute hooked pubescence 66 Caltha appendiculata. -- 67 Gentiana
magell. -- 68. Calceolaria fthergillii
69 Oxalis ebbeaphylla 70 Plantago P. monanthos. D'urv.. -- 71 Haborageae vid Callitriche
of Gaud. -- 72 Limosella ? an Littorella?. 73 Rumex. R. acetosella? 754 Crucifera very curious
nov gen see the long funiculi & horizontal seeds. 75 Gunnera vid 4a…
76 Viola pyrolaefolia [pyrolifolia] maculate. -- 77 Arucaria Acaena adscendens. 78
Nerteria[sic Nertera?] depressa very different from the Bay of Isl[and]s plant -- 79
Galium 3fid
80 Primula P. farinose. 81 Pratia repens -- 82 Lysimachia ?
83. (Polylepis) The Achillaea tomentosa of Gaudichaud !!!
84 Sagina n.s. procumbens. -- 85 Arenaria media . -- 86 Cerastium viscosum ?
87 Cerast n. C. arvense. Lineare quoazd Gaud. 88. Stellaria media -- 89 Poa annua
90 Carex. -- 91 Carex 92 Do. 93 Oreobolus obtusangulus
94 Juncus grandifloras all these single flowered ones should form a separate group.
-- 95. J. magellanicus. -- 96 J. scheuchzerioides.
97. Luzula alopecurus. 98. Sisyrinchium filifolium. -- 99 probably a Chloraea. 100
Eleocharis. 101. Do. 102 Astetia pumila
103. Poa -- 104 true Tussa xx 107 Gnaaphalium[sic] consanguineum
[[25]] Gaudichauds list my mother & Maria have so kindly copied is invaluable & will
alter the names of some of the above, when I have time to study it -- I cannot praise
what I can gather of his knowledge of the plants from what Maria copied out of the
Annals before my leaving England. My notes on the above plants are copious & I
hope accurate. My notes on the Cryptogamia though far from being so neat as the
Auckl[an]d I[sla]nd &c are ready for going home but being copious I cannot sit down
to copy them nor would they be so complete without the sketches.
The Hermite Isl[an]d plants are in a very rude state our time being short & I was as
anxious to note on the spot as to collect. Had I had the least idea that my former
notes would have given you half as much pleasure I would have copied those of
New Zealand plants out as neatly when to the Southward; but I must confess that the
long interval of time that had passed since sending them without receiving any news
about them, though unavoidable, rather dispirited me from copying both writings &
drawings; that it did not slacken my zeal however, even after our arrival here, the
notes of Bay of Isl[an]d mosses & grasses of Falkl[and] I[sla]nd Phenog & Cryptog &
of Hermite Isl[an]d do, will convince you when you see them. Could I have thought
that the execution of the former would have so gratified you, even that finger work
should not have been spared. The dissatisfaction my first plants gave has weighed
on my mind until the receipt of your last letters & all along made me fear that I was
physically incapacitated for the high trust reposed in me which the longer I remain in
the Exped[ition] the more honorable[sic] do
[[26]] I feel it. My services now are not those of a day although but a few days have
been spent in collecting. What I must regret is the want of duplicates for my friends;
the plants are generally small & very troublesome to collect -- A small branch of a
tree is cut into 20 specimens & laid at once into paper, you know however how
widely different it is with alpine inconspicuous plants & mosses & what a poor show
the work of hours makes -- It took me 3 hours to lay out the specimens of the curious
Andraea sent home, & then there was the examining & drawing, comparison with
others & drying. What I should do if Capt[ain] Ross did not give me his cabin I
should indeed be adrift. He over & over again offered the same advantages to poor
Cormack (as we call him) he however did not like the work it would force him to
attend to it & was ashamed I believe to let the Capt[ain] see how clumsy he is in
taxidermy & now it is too late that he has learnt to skin birds decently -- his disasters
are quite ludicrous -- The Captain has a noble collection of Birds in casks a most
noble one. I do not let him know that I skin any at all, for he is a capital specimen
himself of a Naturalist no more do Smith or Oakely & you would laugh to see us
playing bopeep along the deck as he comes along, for he has an eye like a hawk &
the moment he suspects the sooner you give up with a good grace the better. -- I
had a narrow escape the other day with a noble Macaroni Penguin with gold feathers
& crest, by jumping down the main hatch as he came up the after one. --
[[27]] Hermite Isl[an]d Phenogami Plants.
1. Misidendron from [1 word illeg.] Banks -- quite at variance with Poppigs
characteers in Endlicher.
2. A curious thing & do not know what it is. *7
3. Station on the hills, when the snow has just left it.
4. Sclerantheae ?? *8
5. Arbutus or Pernettia not uncommon on the hills. -6. Pernettia or Arbutus ascends to the very tops of the hills 1750ft
7. Has just come into flower in my case & a few minutes ago some taken out before
closing the same but not examined -- perhaps Rosaceae. -8. Azorella -- 9. Compositae ? -- 10 Abrotanella -- 11. Azorellas Lycopod.
12 Festuca -- 13 Empetrum rubrum -- 14 Carex near rigida??? -- 15 Caltha near
appendiculata. *9 16. Misidendron fl. Different from No.1. having 3 stamens instead
of 2. -- 17 Caltha appendiculata -- 18 Poor Menzies Viola 3dentata. -- 19 Arbutus
mucronata*10 -- 20 Azorella -- 21 Oreobolus obtusangulus -- 22 Veronica
decussate -- 23 Gunnera the same as Falk[land] Isl[an]d. -- 24 Myrtus nummularia;
-- 25 Juncus Schurz ?? 26. Sisyrinchium ? nov sp.?*11 -- 27 Colobanthus ? -- 28
Plantago 29 Deciduous Beech your F[agus]. Antarctica fl. ♂. -- 30 Acaena. -- 31
Caltha sagettata var. -- 32 Cerastium -- 33 Primula -- 34 Juncus *12 Scherz.?.
36Winterana the wood has glandular tissue like the Pines & Tasmaniae -- 37
Berberis ilicifolia. -- 38. B. parvifolia -- 39 Escallonia serrata. -- 40 Halorageae. -41 Bulliarda 42 Ericeae ?? -- 43 Compositae -- 44 Donatia magell. -- 45
Pernettia*13
[[28]] 46. Compositae -- 47. Nanodea muscosa. 49 Compositae
50 Thalictrum ???. -- 51 Fagus Fosteri ♀ including amongst the vars probably the F
betuloides & dubia --*14 53 Ranunculus biternatus
54 Pinguicula ! -- 55 Leptinella -- 56 Galium -- 57 Oxalis no sp. sent
58 Drosera no sp. sent. 59 Cardamine. -- 60 Apium -- 61 Chiltrichum
62 Azorella filament. -- 63 Pratia? -- 64 Acaena ? -- 65 Gunnera
66 Cineraria leucanth[ema]? 67. Another sp ? not gathered. -- 68 Tussac*15
*16 70 Uncinia ? *17 77. Torresia? -- 78 Triticum -- 79 Gaimarda australis
80 Astelia pumila -- 81 Tetroncium -- 82 Oreobolus -- 83 Callixene -84 Juncus -- The Cryptogamia are far more numerous, I am not aware of having
omitted any species of any nat order which came under my notice -- This perhaps
prevented my getting better specimens of some Phenogamia plants that were in
flower but any body can collect them & no botanist will attend to the Cryptogamia -- I
am further anxious to know the proportions that the Nat. Ords. bear to themselves in
different Antarctic Longitudes & to themselves in each locality, as an object of primary
importance to the elucidation of Bot[anical]. Geogr[aphy]. & the effects of climate
upon the vegetable Kingdom. -- Several of the tabular results I have drawn out show
a delightful accordance nor do I know of any result of this expedition which gave me
to such pleasure as to find how beautifully the scale of Grasses rose in the scale of
importance, beating even Browns' published Ideas, & yet they are not the only plants
by which abundance or want the botanical nature of a country may be judged of. As
we go South, Fungi disappear Lichens increase. Pleurocarpi diminish in proportion
to Acrocarpi
[[29]] as do the proportion of Pleurocarpi which fruit to the barren ones. -Cyperaceae decrease -- & Dicotyledons bear a smaller proportion to Monocot.
Nothing so satisfies me that I have observed carefully in any Island as to find these
laws to hold good in Islands the collections made long ago & when it is too late to
remedy any defects to look for more grasses or to wonder if I have not made too
many species of my Cyperaceae &c. We have lately heard that Sinclair was
dismasted after sailing from Australia; & had to put back long ere this he will have
returned & put into your hands a singular parasitical Fungus given me or rather you
from Australia, of which I sent the descript[ion]. in my first letter from this place. The
arrived New Zealand plants you mention were sent from New Zealand & most have
had a tremendous passage. -- I have still 2 duplicate bundles of N.Z. plants for you
below. The brown paper ones now sent may be a little moulded as they got a
thorough drenching from the "Bull's Eye" of Oakeleys cabin being broken where they
were during our passage to the Horn. Some of the Ferns you may like as duplicate
specimens, they were collected with Sinclair.
Nov[embe]r 30 My dear Father I must close this & without writing to thank my Mother
for her most excellent kindness in sending me such letters & gifts nor Maria for her
gifts letters & the exquisite Thomsons seasons her taste in sending me such a book
is only equalled by that of the book
[[30]] itself. I intended to have enlarged upon the subject to herself & to my mother
about every thing else nor to Bessy -- Nor to Dalton or Aunt Palgrave[.] They must
not be angry at my after this writing 3 lines to my Grandfather I wish to write to all of
them & a long one to him but I have been writing this day & night & almost for 3
previous ones & have still to draw up some Meteorological observations which
should have been done 2 months ago -- Procrastination &c. -God bless you all, before leaving this I shall write first to Mother & Maria & then to
you. Best love to Grandfather & all of the above mentioned. My hand is so cramped
that I can scarcely articulate the letters on paper.
Ever your most affectionate Son | Jos. D. Hooker[signature]
ENDNOTES
1. The text "P.S. doing beautifully in the case" is inserted between lines at this point,
with no insertion mark to denote precisely where it should be included.
2. Mate. A traditional South American infused drink made by steeping the dried
leaves of 'yerba mate'; Ilex paraguariensis. Drunk with a metal straw, traditionally
made of silver, from a calabash gourd. The gourd is known as a mate or guampa or
in Brazil cuia.
3. The text "P.S. Government settles this at home" is inserted between lines at this
point, with no insertion mark to denote precisely where it should be included.
4. Tussac Grass. The scientific name for the Falkland Island Tussac Grass is Poa
flabellata. Joseph Hooker was credited with its 'discovery' during the Antarctica
expedition and it caused some excitement and speculation about its potential as a
commercial plant, for fodder & fibres, which would grow in inhospitable climates. It is
native to South America and the Falklands where it grows in clumps in wet coastal
areas. It has been introduced into Scotland.
5. Seine, a type of dragnet.
6. Blank space deliberately left in mss by Hooker.
7. The first of several pencil additions to this list appears on this line. The additions
appear to have been made by someone other than Joseph Hooker. Many of the
listed species have a pencil tick by them. This line also has two small pencil
sketches alongside it.
8. There is an illegible pencil annotation here, written in another hand. Probably a
plant name, followed by a question mark.
9. A pencil annotation appears here, written in another hand, it reads: 'n. sp. & very
curious. Leaves like Digeraea[?].'
10. A pencil annotation appears here, written in another hand, it reads: 'very
variable'.
11. A pencil annotation appears here, written in another hand, it reads: 'very curious
found also in F[alkland]. I[slands]. By W.'
12. A pencil annotation appears here, written in another hand, it reads: 'grandiflorus.
35a Graminea not[?] of Fl[?] I.'
13. A pencil annotation appears here, written in another hand, it reads: 'Habit of
Pernettia but caps & dry cell.'
14. A pencil annotation appears here, written in another hand, it reads: '52 4 ovoid[?]
caps & reniform leaves'.
15. A pencil annotation appears here, written in another hand, it reads: 'in full flower'.
16. A pencil annotation appears here and vertically up the left hand margin of the
page, written in another hand, it reads: '69 Gram Veronica decuss'.
17. A pencil annotation appears here, written in another hand, it reads: '71--76
Griffins[?] all old[?] '.
Please note that work on this transcript is ongoing. Users are advised to study
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