[[1]]
Bot[anic] Garden Cambridge
USA
Sept 28/[18]77
Dearest Hyacinth *1
I have taken my passage by the Marathon which sails on the 6th at 8'pm from
Boston & have secured a whole cabin to myself in the best part of the ship, so
I may hope to get some of my work done on board if the weather is tolerable. I
hope that by sailing so late I shall escape the Equinoctial gales.
I shall go from the steamer[?] at Liverpool straight to the Railway.*2
Sir D. Wedderburn *3 writes from Niagara asking was me to let him know by
letter to New
[[2]] York, when & how I should sail last
I have answered but not not[sic] heard whether he will accompany me. Not having
a return passage, & having plenty of money, he may take one of the more
Expensive steamers from New York.
Dr Gray & I are working very hard at our collections here. Mrs Gray[']s little
dog that they had had for 13 years died yesterday of old age, a great sorrow -it was a small black terrier the poor beast's joy at their return the other day
was very pretty to see & it survived all my 3 dogs.
[[3]] About your meeting me at Liverpool. I must leave it to you, I need not say
how glad I shall be to see you but it will no doubt depend on how you feel -weather & so forth. If I had the tame[?] passage as for Parthia (& it should be
shorter as the homeward always is) we should take 11 days - but you will
know when we arrive at Cork harbor from where the our arrival will be
telegraphed to London. Willy [William Henslow Hooker] would find this out for
you. They would know at the office in Charing Cross *4 & if you then leave
London you would arrive in time at Liverpool. You might send me a line
directed to the Cunard Co[mpany]. Steamer Marathon
[[4]] Cork Harbor -- to be sent on board on arrival -- and a letter addressed to
me on board at Liverpool if sent to the Cunard Co[mpany]. office (D. & C. Mc
Iver & Co., Water Street, Liverpool would no doubt be sent on board by the
Pilot *5 or otherwise on our arriving at the mouth of the Mersey & I should
know whether you were at Liverpool or no.
I wrote to you on 24th from here & addressed to Kew, as I did not know where
you will be. I suppose you will go to the House before I return & if so this will
probably reach you there.
I am in the ardent hope by seeing you a week after this arrives in Your
affe[ctionatel]y devoted husband | J D Hooker [signature]
ENDNOTES
1. Lady Hyacinth Hooker née Symonds later Jardine (1843--1921). Joseph
Hooker's second wife, they married in 1876.
2. This text is written vertically up the left margin of page 1.
3. Sir David Wedderburn, 3rd Baronet (1835 -- 1882), British politician with an
interest in geography; joined J D Hooker and Asa Grey on some of their
expeditions in America.
4. The following text is written vertically up the left margin of page 3.
5. On arrival or departure at busy ports ships were required to take on board a
Pilot who would take control of the ship and guide it safely to dock.
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