[[1]]*1
H.M.S. Erebus, April 25, 1842
Berkeley Sound, Falkl[an]d Isl[an]ds
My dear Aunt Palgrave*2
Once more in snug moorings, I take up my pen to write a few lines to you, who never
fail to greet me with a letter by every opportunity. So long a time has however
elapsed, since my hearing from England; & changes crowd on, so thick & fast, during
my absence; that I cannot tell when or where, this letter may reach you; probably it
will arrive in London during Autumn, when, with Uncle & some of my cousins, you
may be preparing for, or may have started upon, your accustomed Tour at that
season. Wherever you may be, I hope it will find you in health & happiness, & that
oll all may be better with our mutual relations at Kew, than I dare to expect or hope.
If I mistake not, I wrote you a note, shortly before leaving the Bay of Islands & when
we expected to have had, at the Chatham groupe[sic], another opportunity of
communicating with home. The weather, however, interfered, & we could not even
sight the land for the dense fog, which annoyed us not a little, as there could not be
another chance till we should arrive here. And now we have been 3 weeks at
anchor, without the opportunity of forwarding our despatches: two vessels, indeed,
have arrived but non has sailed. Another is now in the offing, which we hope to be
the "Arrow," or "Sparrow," (small ships on this station) & which may both bring us
news from Rio & take back our letters to meet the Falmouth Packet.
[[2]] Our last season's cruize in the Antarctic Regions, though very successful, was
not so pleasant as the first: for we made our no Land during the whole of our voyage,
& were, for nearly 2 months, in the Pack Ice, using our utmost endeavours to
penetrate beyond the 68th degree S[outhern] Lat[itude], which we did at last, &
coasted along a heavy pack, until we reached the Barrier on the 22 nd of Feb[ruar]y.
On the following day (the 23rd), at 7 p.m., we went about, in 78o 9' S[outhern]
Lat[itude], & 161o 27' W[estern] Long[itude]: having added about 100 miles to the
Barrier, & been a very few miles to the Southward of where we were on the 2 nd ,
Feb[ruar]y last year. Thus, at a very late season, we accomplished far more than
could possibly have been expected: for besides the immense quantities of Ice we
had to pass through for 400 miles, we were hampered by perpetual gales of wind &
thick snowy weather. And now we enjoy harbor with more relish than I can express.
Although perhaps to others, this w[oul]d appear a most dismal place, to me it is a
Paradise, -- barring the want of Trees & the rainy weather. You are perhaps aware
through how many hands these Isl[an]ds have passed, & how often attempts have
been made by the English, French, Portugueze & Buenos Ayreans, to colonize them,
all which attempts successively failed. Now, however, England has tried again;
having, a few days years ago, hauled down the Ensign of the S[outh] American
Republic, substituted our own & left a Lieutenant R[oyal[ N[avy], in charge at Fort
Louis, who has been superseded by a Governor, sent out by the Secretary for the
Colonies. The whole country is low & marshy or peaty; covered everywhere to the
tops of the hills with excellent grass, except where the Quartz Rocks appear,
generally capping the hill tops. On the seacoast a much larger Grass or Sedge
grows (a Carex) which
[[3]] may be called the mainstay of the Islands; as it affords fodder for the numerous
herds of wild Cattle & Horses, which now cover the place. There are only 60 souls
here, including the Governor*3 (Lieut[enant] Moodie), with 12 men of the Sappers &
Miners, whose chief employment consists in breeding cattle, which are caught wild
by the Gauchos*4 & afterwards tamed. These Gauchos are kept in pay by
Government for the purpose, & they are, as you may suppose, good equestrians &
capture the wild beasts with great address by the lazo[sic]. The country appears too
cold for wheat; but for Turnips, Oats, Rye, Barley &c, it may do well, & will probably,
in time, become a highly important place, where Ships can revictual, th either in
going round or returning from the Horn.
Lieutenant Moodie seems an active & intelligent young man, most anxious to
improve the Colony & to gain every information respecting its productions. So he
has engaged me on the Botany & more especially on the Grasses of the soil, for he
finds that his fodder grasses will not make into good hay, nor will the Sedge do for
thatching, nor will either serve for a Lawn. So you may suppose I am very proud of
being useful to him & I have found an excellent Triticum for thatching, on the rocky
coast; & also some Poa & Agrostides for Sheep lawns, & these he will try to employ.
Besides the quantity of fresh meat that we obtain here, Wild geese abound on the
hills & are easily shot; when roasted they quite rival, in size & flavor an English bird,
indeed of these geese & rabbits, we have far more than we can eat. Snipe & 2 kinds
of wild Duck are also most abundant. I seldom shoot, but I went out, the other day
with 3 others, & with some Dogs, & we brought home upwards of 60 Rabbits,
[[4]] 10 brace of Snipes: & we might have shot 6 or 8 Geese, but we were already
overloaded, for though of the same species & originally introduced from Europe, the
Rabbits here are much bigger & better than English ones.
Soon we shall be obliged to take up our residence ashore, our Ships requiring to be
hauled up & undergo some slight repairs. Already a Pier is erected, opposite our
anchorage, & what with Carpenters' shops, Storehouses, Blacksmith's forges & the
quantities of Spares, Sails, Boats &c. ashore, the scene is quite enlivening; & looks
like a little Town, of which our observatories represent the Gentlemen's Houses. For
my part, I have plenty to do, collecting plants for 3 days of every week, & arranging &
making notes upon them during the other 3:-- a plan to which I rigidly adhere. During
any spare hours at night, I skin Birds, often thinking how my father will like to see
them, as well as the plants, with which latter, however, I never let the birds interfere.
Our cruize has been, generally speaking, very unproductive in fine or handsome
Birds, especially when near the South Pole. I have not, however, forgotten my
cousins, but have a white Petrel for them, actually shot within the 78th degree of
S[outhern] Latitude: they are most beautiful creatures & our constant companions
when in, or near, the Pack Ice, flying over, or round, our Ships, or hovering on the
crests of the waves, & picking up the marine animals, with extraordinary agility.
They do not take the baited hook, like other Petrels; but must be shot when flying to
windward, whence they fall on board. Hence it is very difficult to procure good
specimens, & they are so very fat & full of oil, that the skinning of them proves a
troublesome job.
[[5]] Hitherto we have not heard how the success of our first trip to the Southward
has been received at home, & after such a very long interval we are most anxious to
know whether we have given satisfaction or no. Three Promotions have, however,
been seen in the Navy List & sanctioned by Capt[ain] Ross, -- of Capt[ain] [Francis
R. M.] Crozier, who is posted, -- Lieut[enant] [Edward Joseph] Bird, made a
Commander, -- & our late messmate, [Alexander J.] Smith (Mrs Gray's of the Brit[ish]
Museum, cousin) who is raised to the rank of Lieutenant & consequently has gone to
the Gunroom. There are now, therefore, only 3 of us in the mess, a very comfortable
Trio, though we miss Dayman extremely, whom we left under Sir J[ohn] Franklin's *5
wing at the Hobart Town Observatory. How long we shall be here, I cannot tell: nor
whether we go to Rio or not. I suspect not, as we have the means of making a new
boltsprit*6 here.
The date of my last news from home is March 29th, -- more than a year old: but I am
as anxious that my friends sh[oul]d know of my safety as I am to hear from them, it
being now 5 months since my last letters were written. By one of the few Papers
that we have seen here, I observe that my father is still on the Council of the Royal
Society, & so he is alive, which is no small comfort. I trust the change of Ministers
will not affect his situation, unless for the better. Can the late floods on the Thames
have reached Brick Farm? Of this place I heard something from my excellent friend,
Dr. Sinclair.*7 And now, my dear Aunt, I shall cease troubling you with anything
further than my kind love to Uncle & cousins & all who care for your ever obliged &
most affectionate nephew | (signed) Jos. D. Hooker
[[6]]*8
ENDNOTES
1. This letter is a 19th Century manuscript copy written in a hand not that of the
original author, Joseph Dalton Hooker. The copy was probably made by Hooker's
mother or sister so that a version could be circulated amongst family and friends.
2. Elizabeth Palgrave (née) Turner (1799 -- 1852). Sister of Joseph Hooker's mother.
Married Francis Palgrave (née Cohen), who took the name of Palgrave upon
conversion to Christianity.
3. Richard Clement Moody (Moodie) (1813 --1887). Lieutenant--Governor, & later
Governor of the Falkland Islands. He was also a Colonel in the Royal Engineers. .
4. Gauchos are the equivalent of the North American cowboy.
5. Rear--Admiral Sir John Franklin (1786 -- 1847). British Royal Navy officer and
explorer of the Arctic who served as Lieutenant--Governor of Van Diemen's Land.
He disappeared on his last expedition, attempting to chart and navigate a section of
the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic.
6. "Boltsprit" is an alternative word for "bowsprit", a spar running out from a ship's
bow, to which the forestays are fastened.
7. Dr. Andrew Sinclair (1794 -- 1861). British surgeon who was notable for his
botanical collections. He visited the Bay of Islands on H.M.S. 'Favourite' in 1841,
where he encountered the Ross expedition, and joined William Colenso & Joseph
Hooker on several botanical expeditions. He later served as New Zealand's second
Colonial Secretary.
8. Page 6 of the original letter would have been originally folded to show the address
of the recipient. There is a note on this contemporary copy that it was addressed to
E. Palgrave and was received on July 8th.
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