[[1]]
HMSSF Sidon *1
Tagus
November 17 1847
My dear Father
Our going into Lisbon gives me the opportunity of writing to you much sooner than
I expected, though after so short an absence & before visiting any strange land, I
have very little to say but what relates to home affairs. You will see from my to
Miss Henslow to ship this home, that we have been getting on most delightfully, &
the prospect of a very pleasant passage as far at least as the Sidon is concerned ,
for what is to happen when I put into Egypt is more than I can say. To stick to the
G.G.'s coat tails will be my plan of action, & hope he will drag me on. Perhaps you
my hear from my grandfather what I am to do about money matters damage from
the T.F. how I am to draw my money from them , but at present I have neither
cash enough or credit to go a day after my arrival . My Grandfather put almost all
my money into business, the remainder is I suppose exhausted on my outfit &
outstanding debts, so that I doubt his being able to get me credit at any Bank in
Calcutta, perhaps the best plan would be for me to draw on you for £400 a year &
you to draw my allowance from the Mr T.F. to the same amount. The G.G. had
received a letter for me at Portsmouth, it was from with 4 most excellent letters of
introduction to Calcutta. I forgot to ask you before you before we left whether my
mother would not like to ask Miss Cracroft to spend a few days at Kew, she is a
most lady like girl & I think that both my mother & would like her very much; I
enclose a note asking her for the names of the friends in India whom she wished
me to see & which she forgot to give me, my mother will perhaps be good enough
to forward it to Mrs Kendal or so that
[[2]] it may reach Miss Cracroft; putting it in an envelope. I have very nearly
finished the copying out of the V[an]. D[iemen's]. L[and]. *2 plants & will send them
home by Dr Salmon (not Miller) of this ship along with the Niger mss I have called
the new V.D.L. cruciferous plant Bretonia perhaps Planchon will see if the name is
pre-occupied & draw up the characters, as also of the Fagus what I called Gunnii
in the m/s journal of Gunn's trip to the interior. The brown paper bundle of V.D.L.
plants which just arrived, & contains these things had better go any-where into the
2 V.D.L cabinets in Fitch's rooms (there next the window, after taking specimens
with the tickets out for the Herbarium. I already miss my books, *3 very much & I
wish I had known how easily I could have taken all with me, pray do not forget to
let Dr Richardson know by what ship we send them that he may send the case of
bottles by the same method he would prefer having them go to Barnes by the
steamer. I hope to write to you in a day or two from Gibraltar & and tell you what I
shall have seen in this city beyond whose walls I hardly expect to get on our short
stay. With best love to all Believe me yr ever affectionate son J.D. Hooker
[signature]
Please send a respirator out with my books or otherwise.
Falconer will take any small things out for me as letters, the respirator -- his
address is at "Edward's" Norfolk Street Strand.
Endnotes
1. Her Majesty's Ship Steam Frigate Sidon.
2. The island formerly known as Van Diemen's Land is now called Tasmania.
3. 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 read: "To
| Sir W. J. Hooker | R[oya]l Gardens | Kew | Nr London."
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