JDH informs his mother, Lady Maria Hooker, that on his return from Cape Town he received a letter from his father, William Jackson Hooker, addressed to him at Madeira, 5 Oct 1840. Discusses the news that his brother William [Dawson Hooker] has gone to Jamaica for his health leaving his pregnant wife Isabella at home. If necessary JDH says he will raise the child with his sister Maria as their housekeeper. JDH has visited Baron Ludwig, known as Baron Snuffy, who gave him William Henry Harvey's GENERA OF SOUTH AFRICAN PLANTS: CAPE TOWN & a picture of the Ludswigburg Gardens. JDH has an account of the Constantia wines & Vineyard. The Cape botanist [Christian Freidrich ] Ecklon has gone mad. The 'Erebus' now sails for Possession Island, one of the Crozets where there is a seal fishery. JDH will send his next collection from Van Diemen's Land [Tasmania], including algae from the southern regions. He also has duplicates to send of his current collection, including minerals & a replacement for the St Helena Commidendrum that had the stem eaten by a cockroach. The damp on the ship has made it hard to preserve the specimens. JDH also has pine cones, sketches & other small things to send home. Mentions expenses for drawing paper & washing. Thinks that Captain Beaufort has not transmitted WJH's letter to JDH reliably. JDH has written to his sisters Maria & Bessie [Elizabeth] at Kensington. Asks that his father remember him to Mr Arnott, Dr Graham, Mr Childra & Mr Murray. JDH will send his father an account of Ludwigsburg Garden soon & will write to Adamson, Mitchell & [Charles] Lyell from Van Diemen's Land. JDH sends his plants home to the Admiralty by 'Lord Lynedoch transport' with a letter from Captain [James Clark] Ross requesting they be forwarded to Glasgow.
Transcript
Simons Bay, Cape of Good Hope
April 4th, 1840
My dear Mother
Though I have to write against the wind, I take up my pen to tell you with what pleasure I have received a letter from my father directed to Madeira, & dated Oct[ober] 5th. It was brought here during my last absence at Cape Town, from which place I returned yesterday & from having got another box made for my plants & have been so busy that till the present moment when we are weighing anchor I have not had time to sit down & fulfil an intention I had harboured of sending you a very long letter detailing on what had befallen me since anchoring here. Whenever the breeze springs up we set sail so you must not wonder that I may abruptly terminate this -- So poor William*1 has gone to Jamaica, if you but knew how often I think & dream of him you would not be surprized at the sorrow I felt that he should have parted from you though it is doubtless for the best. poor Isabella is left behind & likely soon to add to our family at home this may in some respects be a pity but I feel sure it will be a delight especially to my sister to take charge of the child until my return when I shall consider it my own should it be considered better to leave it behind than take it to a foreign country, or should any other circumstances demand another father for it. I wish very much that I had received that letter before as I had intended to send my brother a check which I can well spare, it is now too late -- & I am sure money must be wanted, he should not look upon it as a gift, at any rate it w[oul]d be but poor recompense
Simons Bay, Cape of Good Hope
April 4th, 1840
My dear Mother
Though I have to write against the wind, I take up my pen to tell you with what pleasure I have received a letter from my father directed to Madeira, & dated Oct[ober] 5th. It was brought here during my last absence at Cape Town, from which place I returned yesterday & from having got another box made for my plants & have been so busy that till the present moment when we are weighing anchor I have not had time to sit down & fulfil an intention I had harboured of sending you a very long letter detailing on what had befallen me since anchoring here. Whenever the breeze springs up we set sail so you must not wonder that I may abruptly terminate this -- So poor William*1 has gone to Jamaica, if you but knew how often I think & dream of him you would not be surprized at the sorrow I felt that he should have parted from you though it is doubtless for the best. poor Isabella is left behind & likely soon to add to our family at home this may in some respects be a pity but I feel sure it will be a delight especially to my sister to take charge of the child until my return when I shall consider it my own should it be considered better to leave it behind than take it to a foreign country, or should any other circumstances demand another father for it. I wish very much that I had received that letter before as I had intended to send my brother a check which I can well spare, it is now too late -- & I am sure money must be wanted, he should not look upon it as a gift, at any rate it w[oul]d be but poor recompense
for all the kindness I have received from the poor fellow's hands. The child I do hope to bring up, & you must tell that to my future house keeper Maria [sister] to whom I send my best love.
Baron Ludwig*2 has just lost his wife & so could show me no attention when I called first. On again calling a week afterwards he gave me several presents. Among these Harvey's Cape book*3. & a picture for my father of the Ludwigsburg Gardens[,] of which I have full account of to send home when copied out. As of the Constantia wines & Vineyards*4 which are very curious. The Baron has I find no further honour in his own country than being called Baron Snuffy. I have heard more of this than I care to repeat. During my stay stay in Cape Town I boarded -- everything is extravagantly dear. Ecklon*5 another Cape botanist has gone mad -- We go now to Possession Island*6 one of the Crozets where there is a seal fishery established. My next collection will be sent from Van Diemen's Land*7 & will I hope contain some good things especially algae from the Southern Regions[.] I shall also send some duplicates of the present collection along with a few minerals &c. The plants sent are in tolerably good order, the cockroaches attacked them the other day & ate away the stem of the Commidendrum from St. Helena & one or two others which I had not time to replace from the duplicate coll[ection]. The excessive damp of the ship has been my worst enemy requiring me to take them on deck & dry them almost daily in the tropics. The pine cones I have had
netted for which I paid a glass of grog -- I have a good many sketches, small things which I shall send home by some opportunity or they will be claimed on my return. I ran out of drawing paper long ago & laid in a new stock at a tremendous price here. I also had to buy some at St Helena for 4/- per sheet. Washing is enormously expensive everywhere but here. Now that letters go for 8d all over Britain I do not care to send single ones through Capt[ain] Beaufort as I fear the letters my father must have sent through him have miscarried. I write to Mary & Bessie [sisters] at Kensington because they are alone & may not at once hear of me & further I think it pleases them to address them separately. How does Maria get on with her drawing? Does she practice music any more; I wish she would. Tell my Father to remember me most particularly to Mr Arnott[,] Dr Graham[,] Mr Childra & Mr Murray[.] I intended to have sent him the acc[oun]t of the Ludwigs gardens but have not time just now. Adamson & Mitchell I must also write to from V[an] D[iemens] Land also to Mr. Lyell*8 my most kind friend. Mr Harvey is expected here again. I need not say I am more anxious to hear my father's opinion of my plants than anything else[,] he may depend upon my best exertions in collecting. The plants go home by the Lord Lynedoch transport & are sent to the Admiralty. Captain Ross*9 sends a letter requesting Capt[ain] Beaufort to forward them to Glasgow forthwith.
My best love to all | Believe me dear Mother | Your most affectionate Son Jos D Hooker [signature]
Post Paid | Lady Hooker | Woodside Crescent | Glasgow. N[orth]. B[ritain].
1. William Dawson Hooker (1816 -- 1840). Joseph Hooker's older brother, he was also a doctor and naturalist. He went to Jamaica in the interests of his health but soon died there of yellow fever. He was married to Isabella Whitelaw Smith who had their child, Willielma Dawson Hooker, after William's death.
2. Carl Ferdinand Heinrich von Ludwig (1784 -- 1847). German born pharmacist, businessman and patron of the natural sciences who established Cape Town's first botanic garden, known as Ludwigsburg Garden.
3. William Henry Harvey (1811 -- 1866). Irish botanist who specialised in algae. Author of Genera of South African Plants: Cape Town (1838).
4. Constantia Valley is the oldest wine--making region in the southern hemisphere dating back to 1685. It is still seen as the benchmark of South African wine.
5. Christian Freidrich Ecklon (1795 -- 1868). Danish botanical collector and apothecary, collected extensively in South Africa.
6. Possession Island is the biggest island in the sub-Antarctic Crozet Archipelago.
7. Van Diemen's Land was the original name used by most Europeans for the Island of Tasmania, now part of Australia, named in honour of Anthony van Diemen, the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies who sent Abel Tasman on his voyage of discovery.
8. Sir Charles Lyell (1797 -- 1875). British lawyer and the foremost geologist of his day. He is best known as the author of Principles of Geology.
9. Sir James Clark Ross (1800 -- 1862). British naval officer and explorer known for his exploration of the polar regions. Captain of the Antarctica expedition of 1839-1843, comprising the vessels HMS 'Erebus' and 'Terror'. Joseph Dalton Hooker was the expedition's assistant surgeon on the 'Erebus'.
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