[[1]]
H.M.S. "Erebus", Sydney,
August 5th 1841.
received Dec[embe]r 13th.
My dear father
Allow me to congratulate you upon your appointment to Kew Gardens which young
Clowes told me of a few days ago & which I afterwards saw in a paper of March 23 d.
Clowes also told me that Mary Harriette was still very ill in Jersey & that you were
looking for a house in the neighbourhood of the Gardens, from this I conjecture that
Aiton will not give up his shell, but whether he is pensioned off & you are in the
receipt of his salary or whether they provide a pittance for you out of the Contingency
fund is quite unknown to me, perhaps you have the salary & an addition from the
Government to buy you a house -- I very much rejoice however at your having
obtained a situation you have so long wished for, though again you must be very
awkwardly situated with regard to my sisters & Grandfather, the latter I fear is
bedridden in Glasgow & the only one you have to assist you in your labours is Arnott
& perhaps Fitch. By this time however I suppose most of the work is over; though I
do not know when I shall hear that you are all comfortably settled -- I have already
begun to cater for your new command & have written to Gunn begging him to
increase his own Garden with Alpine & subalpine Tasmanian plants which would
bear the open air in England that he may be ready to send to you when you want
them this I am sure will delight him beyond any thing for he is passionately fond of a
Garden & when living before in Launceston had one of the finest in the Island Mr
Levy[?] is another who could be of immense service & he offers to send capital
things both from Port Jackson & from the new parts of the Colony at Moreton Bay -McQuarrie [Macquarie] harbor[sic] & the McLeay river from which latter place he
brought specimens alive of the Dawsonia & of which he will send you some. Another
person who is very fond of Gardening & knows a good deal of plants is a Mr Bidwell
a merchant here who is going to retire on his property at Moreton Bay, he has lately
returned from a most interesting tour in New Zealand having crossed the centre of
the Northern Island & ascended Tongadido 10,000 ft the highest Mt (volcanic) in the
Island. he brought some very good plants which he has sent to [John] Lindley
among others he showed me a noble specimen of the Dawsonia as large as Gunn's
but with as fine a bunch of leaves as those figured in the M[usci].E[xotica]. whither
these may not be three[?] species I am not sure. Since arriving here I have met
Capt[ain] King at the Captains table who very kindly gave me a letter to Mr
Collenso[sic] [William Colenso] who he had previously put into correspon
[[2]] -- pondence with you. I sat next to him at table & he told me a good deal about
poor Cunningham's death. Richard he said was too fond of the bottle -- Young
Clowes came on board being in town for only a few hours, he did not look so ill as I
expected & should think from what he & others say that his health is improving, he
intends to turn settler at the Hunter river; The McLeays have shown him very great
kindness I was quite ignorant of his being here till Mr McLeay told me of it; the only
intimation I had of it previously was from Maria's saying "I suppose you will see
young Clowes" but whether in V.D.L. Sydney or New Zealand I was left to guess -The former have shown me great attention indeed & I have been a good deal among
them W[illia]m Sharpe is extremely attentive & a most clever fellow as you know,
nothing comes amiss to him. Now he is paying particular attention to Horticulture &
has a noble garden here of 25 acres laid out in the most beautiful manner especially
loaded with Australian E & W Indian plants all of which do well here in the open air
alongside of Snowdrops[,] Jonquils & other European productions. All fruits are here
found to perfection except Gooseberries & Currants -- In Palms and Conifers he is
particularly rich as also in tropical Orchidea.
But I must close this suddenly as we are up Anchor & off for Bay of Islands where I
you shall hear from me. I do not expect to get news from home till [1 word crossed
out, illeg.] we arrive at the Falklands 8 months hence. I have lots more to tell you but
there are 2 buckets of animals in the cabins & 10 dozen of bottles just bought for
new things all kicking about the cabin.
Best love to all | Your most affectionate Son | Jos. D. Hooker [signature]
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