[[1]]
Darjeeling,
Feb 1. 1849 *1
My dear Father
The accompanying letter (No 1.) will acquaint you with the general features of my
wanderings since writing to you from Pemiongchi. I have a very full journal, but am
too lazy to copy it for you at present. Campbell gave me the news of poor Gurney's
death, as also of my friend Williams & his assistant: most melancholy news it was to
greet me on my return from Nepal. I can but offer my sincere sympathy to my mother
& all poor Gurney's relations, all more or less near to myself -- he was a most kind
active & warmly affectionate uncle to me from the day we first met in Calcutta *2. To
the very last he deceived himself with hopes of a recovery which it appears his
friends did not entertain. Courtenay indeed wrote me to that effect 4 months ago, but
such cheerful letters came at the same time from Gurney himself, that I did not give
the due heed to Courtenays. His character in India is excellent: my present host says
he visited his wife on her death bed & won his & her heart by his kind & considerate
deportment to both. As a
[[2]] practitioner he stood very high indeed, & though others might have been as
good & have had better claims to the apt[ointment]. Lord D[alhousie]. gave Gurney:
none were better qualified to hold it. I do feel his loss very deeply, he was a very
altered man from what I had known in London, well liked & well spoken of; much
respected as a member society wherever he was known.
Williams death was awfully sudden he had most imprudently & unadvisedly camped
in a dreadfully unhealthy jungle. Haddon, who writes me the particulars, strongly
urged his retiring (as Haddon did) for the season to the heights. These sad events will
necessarily alarm you a little on my account however much pray you may, as I am
sure you do, trust my prudence. My dear friend Hodgson, keenly alive to my
happyness[sic], & seeing at once how my anxiety on your part for me would interfere
with my comfort, as well as duty, at once recommended me to confine my exertions
to this part of India, where I have still so much to do & with where there is perfect
immunity from disease. My present expedition has made me far too late for Assam
[[3]] an unhealthy climate at all seasons but that now fast closing -- the depth of
winter. With my present prospects of further exploring the snow to travel Westward
would be out of the question, even were the country less known than it is. I have
therefore accepted his affectionate invitation to spend the following season at
Darjeeling -- much as I fret at giving up the prospect of seeing more of India, I shall
be rewarded in the one satisfaction of knowing that I herby relieve you & my mothers
minds minds[sic] from any anxiety on my account, & you are not the only ones for
whose sake I should feel my duty to be a real pleasure.
Our reverses in the N[orth]. W[est]. have or are said to have already disturbed (or i.e.
roused) Nepal, & though my person & property would be safe enough there, under
any circumstances; very trifling wants may interfere with my travelling, were I to go to
Cathmandu [Kathmandu].
The Himala[ya] are inaccessable[sic] West between Sikkim & extreme upper
Assam, for which as for Ava &c all that part, the healthy season would be passed
before I could reach them. Rajmahal, & the hills I was so charmed with last april
have lost
[[4]] all attraction, now that I have seen the real Himal. The advantages I enjoy here,
in Hodgsons society & library &c & in Muller's scientific aid & Campbell's zealous &
anxious interest; are strong temptations to me, who aims at being something beyond a
collector & tourist. My success to the E[ast].of Kinchin [Kanchenjunga] & the
materials I have for throwing some light on the geography geology & meteorology of
the NW W[est] of that mt., make me very anxious to explore [one word struck through,
illeg.] phenomena in its East, & especially to obtain its Botany which is my first
object. My best exertions fall far short of what they should in procuring many of the
Trees &c of Darjeeling & especially their woods & seeds. The drawings I have made,
though amounting to some hundreds, are very deficient in many respects, & wholly
so in the omission of large Nat[ural]. Ord[ers]. of which dried species can give little
idea. My Flora Cibaria & Economira can not be completed in several years or made
respectable under 2 seasons. If I wander far from this, Thomson can not join me, as
he hopes to be able
[[5]] to do in a month or two. I am anxious now that I can get tin boxes to send a
small one monthly straight to Kew, with the best selections of such roots as travelled
best to Calcutta last rains. Hodgson dwells strangely on the simple fact that it is
better to explore one district well, than to wander -- all these points I have weighed to
the best of my ability & decided in favour of Darjeeling & another trip if possible (& at
present there is no fear of being disappointed) to the snows; if not to the passes
E[ast]. of the Mt, to Jongri again. I shall be anxious to hear your opinions of the
course I have adopted.
On my arrival here I found 47 English letters awaiting me arrival -- all yours of Sept.
Oct, Nov. The July & August mails have not brought me any lost I suppose: they
contained the news of poor Bessy's attack, of which I providentially thus hear the
hopeful account with the alarming one -- of Planchon's strange & contemptible
conduct, & of one or two things of less importance.
Last night I was interrupted in writing by the arrival of the box of books, forwarded
[[6]] by my friend Colvile & another from Newman (also cared for by Colvile) with
instruments, all uninjured. Most beautiful & most valuable are the contents of your
box, the pencils colors & Drawing paper are beyond all my expectations, scissors,
pens, knifes, envelopes &c I cannot tell you how opportune all are, for I was very
short. I do thank you for them very much indeed & no less for the jacket & books now
coming & which will arrive in a day or two in Calcutta & here by middle or end of
February. I have such heaps to tell & talk of that I scarce know how & where to
begin.
1. Rhododendrons. of these as of all my plants mss &c you are to make whatever
you think proper. The Fl[ora]. Antarct[ica] nearly broke my back; & I do not
contemplate any such great work (except New Zeal[an]d & Van Diemen *3 ) my
present notion is to publish in forms &c as Icones *4 continues
[[7]] large & expensive illustrations to a few Nat[ural]. forms or genera. There are plenty
of these without interfering with any you may select in the mean time. So pray go
ahead with the Rhod[odendrons]. I hope to send drawings of 6 or 8 more species in
spring. I will send you a small collection of these overland by March mail -- I had no
idea you would trouble y[our]self so much with my specimens as to the naming &
identifications -- pray reject or alter the names as you please.
1. Macrophyllum. the large white flowers silvery leaved -- Sinchal & Tonlgo.
"Griffithea" first adopted before I knew of Wights having one. The tree is good 40 ft
(but not 180) I have notes somewhere.
2. Campbelliae is a red var of arboreum with fol. subtle rusty.-3. R. Wallichii is no doubt Setosum, I had no book when I wrote & they are very
poorly described in DC. *5 after all.
4. R. argenteum is certainly arboreum I have now found it as low as 5000 ft.it passes
gradually into R. Cambelliae. Wallich is right
5. R. Falconeri I believe I am right about the number of petals & stamens
[[8]] but will look again next season. I have seeds & young plants for you.
I am very sorry that Reeves is so troublesome with L[ondon]. J[ournal]. B[otany] -the last numbers you sent me are extremely nice & nicely got up but 2/6 is an awful
run now a days it appears, & as a 1/ pamphlet it may get on better & I dare say will.
Thomson writes from Ferozepore [Firozpur] where he will see the G[overnor]
G[eneral] soon, he has applied previously for leave to visit me. Except this most
grievous & disgraceful war be brought to a close, this will be out of the question, I
sh[oul]d think. -- of Madden I have not heard lately I owe him a letter, he is a fine & clever
fellow, of whom all speak well. Wallich has written me a most kind letter, his
character is getting up at last. The gardens have never been as he kept them since
he left & I see no prospect of their getting up. Falconer is ordered off to Moulmain
[Mawlamyine] to report on the Teak & the operating Director a Mr Macrae, who I
believe succeeded Gurney at the G. H., knows no more of Botany than I do of him. I
am extremely vexed to learn that my collections
[[9]] of Soane river &c are not sent home yet, & have written to F[alconer]. advising
him to take my promise of the 2nd set being sacredly kept for the E[ast]. I[ndia].
C[ompany]. (the Lin[nean] Soc[iety]. the Calcutta gardens) or any where else he
pleases. Falconer has indeed been a most generous & faithful friend to me, of
incalculable value, but his dilatoriness is a disease of the most formidable character
& his Liver &c decidedly affected. It is difficult to speak strongly enough to one who I
owe so many deligations[sic]: but it would break my spirit to have the collections I am
now packing kept a season in Calcutta, for though I say it myself (it is only to you)
that they are most beautiful as to specimens & preservation.
I do suppose Planchon was mad, & sincerely as I regret your loss of his services I
am glad you are rid of the mannikin at whose early deceiving professions of boundless
gratitude &c &c I latterly suspected & now know wher were mere words, poor little
fellow, E[part of text missing] too dense & with no one to guide or check him he
wants soli<dity> of mind & morals. I am indeed glad that Bentham has taken up
Vogel, it could not be in better hands & I have much to answer for on that score.
Your views regarding Aiton's house I do hope will be realized as the Herb[arium]. is
outgrowing it. -- An assist[ant] is now your object & I do earnestly wish I was at home
to help you in this & other difficulties: it is the only drawback to my thorough
enjoyment of my journeyings, for you do miss me in such cases as where 2 pairs of
eyes or 2 whole heads are wanted. Mitten seems your best man, but the wife is the
bore. You had better set my Navy half pay to the score & give £100, than lose the
chance of an honest, careful, industrious man. I have you say £50 from Thomson (I
don't believe I have spent half of it for him) [one word illeg.] which will cover the
expenses of Newman's bills for Instruments of which I am ordering some now for Mr
Muller & for the last boxes sent. It cannot be employed to better purpose on both our
accounts & there is no fear but the future will take
[[10]] very good care of itself as far as I am concerned. You may depend had I been
at home it would all have gone elsehow -- Brown's advice about a man having no
Herb[arium].is very good, but what will you get an English man who has had access to
any other means of learning Botany but his own Herb[arium]. Spruce I am sure you
would not get on with -- & except Mitten no one seems eligible. -- There is no
Zalacca here, I have plenty of that I take for Wallichia. I am extremely glad that
Brown has been *6 staying at Kew again. I shall forget all with only too much pleasure
I certainly once thought he was partial to me; but the coal fossil scrubbings I got
were past endurance. -- Annals of Kew, at 1/-- ought to get on, but as you say rightly,
at the expense of the such papers as Miguels figs & thus continental subscriptions
would be lost both of purchasers & papers. If the Linn[ean]. Soc[iety]. were what it
ought to be, that should be the receptacle for such papers: it cannot be got up I fear
in Brown's life time, for he opposes most desirable reform. Had you courage I should
will you to take the chair to it, where a popular man is dismally wanted: you would
get attendance I know but without the means of reaching the rooms comfortably I
cannot wish you to nor do I think I will be a very constant attendant. I do wish
Bentham lived near London & should think he must also wish it himself. I hope he
knows I would write to him did I not feel he can consider my time & that other friends
are more exacting though less deserving
Ever yr most affectionate son J D Hooker [signature]
ENDNOTES
1. An annotation written in another hand records that the letter was "recd March 28".
2. The city formerly known as Calcutta is now called Kolkata.
3. The island formerly known as Van Diemen's Land is now called Tasmania
4. Icones Plantarum. Published volumes of botanical illustrations initiated by Sir
William Jackson Hooker.
5. De Candolle, Augustin Pyramus. Probably refers to his catalogue of plants:
Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis
6. The address of the recipient appears here as the letter would originally have been
folded in such a way that it formed its own envelope. The address reads "No.2 via
Southampton | Sir W.J. Hooker | Kew | London."
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