[[1]] *1
H.M.S. Erebus. Bay of Isl[an]ds.
N[ew] Zealand.
Oct[ober] 8th 1841. finished Nov[ember] 23rd.
My dear Mrs Richardson, *2
Having no excuse to offer for my neglect in not having addressed you, long ere this
time, I shall not attempt any exculpation, feeling that you know me too well to
suppose that I can have forgotten such kind friends as D[octor] Richardson *3 & you
have ever shown yourselves to me.
In the first place, allow me to thank you for the very nice letter which I received from
you a few days ago. Such a truant of a correspondent as I am, did not deserve even
a scolding epistle, how much less then such a kind & long one as you have sent me!
You fear that "it may not prove interesting," but, let alone the pleasure which a letter
from a friend always gives me, it also contained much news. My mother had
informed me that a good deal of sorrow had visited your family, which it grieves me
much to hear of; but I sincerely rejoice in the well being of my little friends at Haslar.
Long may they be spared to you to follow their father's steps, with as little connexion
as possible, with "the Service!" You may perceive that I refer to your enquiry, as to
how the Service suits me, which I shall endeavour to answer candidly.
Premising that I hold it a certain thing that "no person, who can help it, should go to
sea, except as Captain or Passenger, for any length of time," I shall proceed to
inform you that there are some circumstances under in which a Voyage is a most
useful thing. Under no considerations, should a person addicted to science enter the
Service to undertake a Voyage, not in except with such circumstances facilites as a
Voyage of Discovery (or still better a Land Expedition) presents. In the ordinary
Service it seems to me, that, with few exceptions, there is little encouragement &
less opportunity afforded
[[2]] for improving the mind. An educated person could ill brook this, especially as it
would be a constant source of regret in after life, for the seafaring trade allows plenty
of time for thought. It is not as with the merchant & mechanic, whose daily labor[sic]
engrosses the mind even when he had left the shop or office; for in the passing times
of peace there is little or no money to be picked up & hence hardly any provision for
the future. "H.M.S. Favorite" is now lying along--side of us, & I would not be one of
her officers for treble pay, though they are all very nice fellows. The Executives
seem to think of nothing beyond the Hemp, Wood & Tar, & the aim of the idlers is to
get over, as quickly as possible, what little they have to do, that they might have
more time to in which to do nothing! In saying this, I do not wish to be too severe
upon the Navy, much less to cast any imputation on the "Favorite," in particular, in
whose Gunroom I am always made so welcome; but I do think there is no situation in
life, presenting so few advantages for the pursuit of any branch of Literature or
Science, as that of a naval officer, in an ordinary Ship of War. Perhaps I am
presuming too far upon the slight knowledge I have of a seafaring life, when I thus
speak my mind. You will however excuse me, & pray ask D[octo]r Richardson
whether what I say holds good.
You amuse me, & instruct me too, by your account of the Daguerrotype *4 & the
Penny Postage *5. It is almost impossible to form from newspaper accounts any
adequate idea of how the system of cheap transmission of letters works. When,
however, you tell me how easily small debts may be cancelled (by the by, rather
awkward for me) & small specimens of natural History be sent, from one part of the
Kingdom to another, I can see how very useful it must prove to all classes of the
community, & to Naturalists in particular. My father always longed for a 1 d postage,
which would save him much money & now he has gained his wish just as he
removes to London, whence the most of
[[3]] his correspondence used to emanate. Many thanks for your kind
congratulations on his removal, as also for the affectionate manner in which you
speak of my poor sisters: these sorrows are so long protracted, that one is apt to feel
callous at times, until a fresh arrival from home, with no better news, aggravates the
distress.
I sincerely condole with you & D[octo]r Richardson upon your own afflictions; but, as
you say of mine, they must all end somewhere, when unexpected joys will prove the
more acceptable.
On board here, my time is very fully occupied with different branches of Nat[ural]
History, especially Botany, My medical duties are very trifling & the slight knowledge
I ever posessed of my legitimate profession, is fast vanishing, & with no practice to
impress it on my mind, I feel little inclination, as it were, to prolong my college life, by
studying such dry details. In not enjoying greater opportunities of going to a distance
to collect, I am certainly disappointed, but then the facilities which Capt[ain] Ross *6
affords me on board for carrying on my drawings &c are far beyond what I ever could
have counted upon. I cannot obtain, at any time, more than 3 days' leave, which I
enjoy every week, the first 4 days belonging to the Surgeon. Hence I have no
excuse for not thoroughly examining the neighbourhood of the place where we may
be anchored, & among the lower orders of the Vegetable Kingdom I always find a full
field. Besides this, every department of Zoology, save the Birds, have devolved on
Capt[ain] R[oss] & myself, & having laid in a large stock of bottles, &c, at Sydney, the
collection is getting very fat indeed. Though I have no time to go out regularly
hunting for Insects, still I manage to pick up a good many: then the Seine yields a
good harvest, & Capt[ain] Ross himself is indefatigable in walking along
[[4]] the beach collecting everything & sending it to me to stow away. He transmits
none of these collections home nor ever hints at what he intends should become of
them. I, however, sincerely hope that the Fish, of which there is a fine collection,
consisting of every species seen since we arrived here, will be go to D[octor]
Richardson: for my part I cannot doubt that it will be so, for he often says, "how much
Richardson would like to see this"! I often wish that my time admitted of my drawing
them, before they were put away; but with such numerous branches of Nat[ural]
History to claim my attention, & the Botany of New Zealand to investigate, I have
done little more than take notes of the parts of one or two of them, & especially of a
noble fish weighing 45 lbs., a kind of Tunny, here called a Yellow-Tail, which is
skinned & secured in brine. For my own use there is always a large Drawing Table
under the two larboard*7 stern Windows, where no person is allowed to interrupt me.
I have also drawers, a locker & book--shelf in the cabin, so that no excuse is left for
my not working. Capt[ain] Ross never permits even his own meal hours to disturb
me, & at night I have one end of his table & may keep the lights burning as long as
ever I choose. At sea the Towing--net is always kept a going, when the weather is
fair enough & I draw all the produce, as far as possible. Very curious Fish are
sometimes captured: among them a most beautiful little Salmon, with the most
resplendent burnished colours of deep blue all over & silver spots, it is not
uncommon in the open sea in warm latitudes: also several most extraordinary
Ribband fish of which I made drawings, for they shrivel up to mere specks in spirits.
To the Southward, the only Fish found within the Antarctic Circle, were one or two,
seen in the bills of Birds, one of which, apparently a Clupea, was dropped upon the
deck by a Petrel. The sea however abounds with Marine Animals, & if I remember
right, we did take
[[5]] one or two small fish near the surface in the Towing Net. A beautiful little Shell,
of the genus Limacina, the Whale's food in the Arctic Seas is not uncommon; indeed
the forms of the Crustacea especially, captured by the net or dredged up from 300
fathoms, are wonderfully Arctic.
You have doubtless, ere this, heard enough of the position &c, of our new land. For
our parts we are heartily tired of being asked about it & intend starting tomorrow
(Nov[ember] 24th) to find something better worth talking of.
I heard the other day from my old messmate at Van Diemen's Land. Leiut[enant]
Kay *8 is quite well. During the time we lay there, I saw a good deal of Hepburn, *9
who was in good health & a most worthy & highly respectable man; in great esteem
with the Governor. We talked a great deal about yourself & D[octor] Richardson &
the poor fellow was quite delighted to hear from me all about your family & home at
Haslar. He has a comfortable salary & house at Point Puer, near Port Arthur, where
I went & saw him & is very fond of his garden; which Miss Craycroft & Miss
Franklin*10 enrich with the choicest productions of the Government Garden at Hobart
Town.
Were I to devote a whole letter to the subject, I could not say too much of Sir John
Franklin *11: his unremitted kindness to us all & to the Crews of both Ships, though
nothing remarkable from him, was quite unbounded; he always went up & down the
Derwent with us. & on all occasions was most enthusiastically cheered. When we
left the river for the Ice, the good old gentleman shed tears when going over the side;
& as he shook hands with each of us & said "God bless you all," it was really quite
affecting. On our return he met us, about 10 miles down the channel, when his
[[6]] joy knew no bounds. You would have smiled to see with what alacrity he came
up the ship's side & welcomed us all, hat in hand, with the heartiest (to use a vulgar
expression) pump--handle shake. He goes out to the Observatory every morning,
gives the officers there a carte--blanche to Gov[ernmen]t House, & as Dayman*12
tells me never fails to ask if he has heard from me, or from any other on board the
Ships. Of Miss Franklin I never saw much; as she is not yet introduced into general
society; but, on one occasion, a large party of us went out to see Lady Franklin's new
Gardens, when I escorted the young Lady & was highly pleased with her society.
Now my dear Mrs Richardson, the time before our sailing is getting very short so you
must excuse my saying any more. Let me again thank you for remembering so
unworthy a correspondent & with my kindest compliments to Dr Richardson[,]
believe me most truly & gratefully yours | J. D. Hooker
To Mrs Richardson, Haslar Hospital, Gosport
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. Mary Richardson née Booth, Sir John Richardson's second wife and a niece of
Sir John Franklin.
3. Sir John Richardson (1787 -- 1865). Scottish naval surgeon, naturalist and Arctic
explorer. He served on John Franklin's first and second Arctic expeditions. In 1838
he was assigned as senior physician to the Royal Naval Hospital at Haslar near
Portsmouth where young naval surgeons awaited their assignments. He was a friend
and collaborator of Sir William Jackson Hooker's.
4. The daguerreotype process was the first practicable method of obtaining
permanent images with a camera, revealed to the world in August 1839 in Paris.
5. Universal Postage was the invention of Roland Hill. It marked the beginning of
the Post Office as a genuine public service. The first adhesive postage stamp, the
penny black, was introduced on 6th May 1840.
6. Sir James Clark Ross (1800 -- 1862), between 1839 and 1843 commanded
H.M.S. Erebus on this Antarctic expedition and charted much of the coastline of that
continent.
7. Larboard is an early version of the word "port" which derives from Middle-English.
8. Joseph Henry Kay (1815 -- 1875). Naval officer and scientist, who served on
H.M.S. Terror during Ross's expedition until he left the ship in Hobart Town. He
stayed with the Lieutenant--Governor Sir John Franklin while helping with the
establishment of the magnetic observatory. He remained in Hobart as director of the
observatory.
9. John Hepburn (1794 -- 1864). Seaman & Arctic traveller. He served as able
seaman on Franklin's first Arctic expedition when the officers found him
indispensable and by far the most reliable, honest, courageous and hardworking of
their subordinates. When Franklin became Lieutenant--Governor of Van Diemen's
Land, Hepburn sailed with him, finally serving as superintendent of Point Puer
convict establishment for boys.
10. Eleanor Isabella Franklin was the daughter of Sir John Franklin and his first wife,
the poet Eleanor Anne Porden who died in 1825 of Tuberculosis.
11. Rear--Admiral Sir John Franklin KCH FRGS RN (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.
12. Lieutenant Joseph Dayman had been the Mate on H.M.S. "Erebus".
Please note that work on this transcript is ongoing. Users are advised to study
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