Hooker, Sir Joseph Dalton
JHC292
Hobarton, Van Diemen's Land [Hobart, Tasmania],Tasmania
JDH/1/2 f.50
Hooker, Sir William Jackson
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
5-4-1841
© Descendants of Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker
Correspondence from Antarctic Expedition
The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
English
Original MS
4 page letter over 1 folio
 
Transcript

near the shore I have always been looking for some trace of vegetation in the sea but now I am perfectly convinced that in this longitude vegetation does not enter the circle -- Emerald Island off which we passed some seaweed is probably the Northern limit. The success of the expedition in geographical discovery is really wonderful & only shows what a little perseverance will do for we have been in no dangerous predicament & have suffered no hardships whatever; there has been a sort of free masonry among the voyagers to keep up the credit they have acquired at having done wonders, & accordingly, such of us as were raw to the ice made up our minds for frostbites & attached a most undue importance to the simple operations of boring packs &c which have now vanished, though I am not going to tell everybody so; I do not here refer to travelers who do indeed undergo unheard of hardships, but, to voyagers who have a snug ship[,] a little knowledge of the ice & due caution is all that is required; at one time we thought we were really going on to the true S. pole, when we were brought up by the land turning from S to E. where there was a fine volcano spouting fire & smoke in 79° S & about 9000 ft high, covered all over with eternal snow except just around the crater where the heat had melted it off. I can give you no idea of the glorious views we have here, they are stupendous & imposing, especially when there was any fine weather, with the sun never setting among huge bergs, the water sky both as blue or rather, more intensely blue than I have ever seen it in the tropics, & all the coast one mass of beautiful peaks of snow & when the sun gets low they reflect the most brilliant hints of golden yellow & scarlet & then to see the dark cloud of smoke tinged with flame rising from the volcano rising in one column, one side jet black & the other reflecting the colours of the sun then [.] Turning off at right angles by some current of wind & extending many miles to leeward. The idea that we have penetrated far farther than was once thought practicable, & there is every thing beyond what we see is enveloped in a mystery revived for future voyagers to further. But you are all this time wondering what are the fruits of this expedition to me especially. During our stay at L[or]d Aucklands group, I made a collection of plants with which I hope you will be pleased, among them are two tree ferns, & many new species, have accompanied some them with as full notes as I could especially relating to their geographical position. There are some most remarkable new genera, & I think a new nat[ural]. ord[er]. among them., whether they will go to you or no I cannot tell, nor am I so anxious, as I have many duplicates for you & Polytrichum together with some others, 2 pretty Hookeria &c -- all my time when we have had fine weather to the S[outhwar]d has been taken up in examining them, & I fully think that Mr Brown will be most pleased with the notes, & drawings which are numerous, they must however be judged very leniently of, I have endeavored to be careful & when the motion of the ship is such that my things have to be lashed to the table & I have to balance myself to examine anything under the microscope I fear many errors have crept in -- At Campbells Island our stay was so very short that I had only one good days botanizing. There again I collected as much as I could taking a man to carry y things & help, Capt[ain] Ross also collected a great deal for me one day, when I was busy arranging & making notes , he brought his gally along side with its bottom like a garden. The two tree ferns grow here too, & I got them & they are sent to you just as they were dried (the Cryptogamia I mean.) I endeavoured [to] take a complete set out for government, but have no inclination to trouble myself about it if they go to you there is no occasion for it, if to Brown I can pick them out afterwards for him if the neither I shall be the better pleased that the set is imperfect -- I spoke to Capt[ain] Ross about the plants not going to you & he took the matter quite to heart, I did not mention it till after we got to sea, as he has so many things to attend to & the news came tom me so late that it

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Hobart Town Van Diemen's Land
April 5th 1841*1
My dear Father
Yesterday at 4 PM we anchored above old station opposite the paddock, & accordingly I hasten to have this letter ready to send you by the first opportunity which will be in a very few days -- We have indeed had a most glorious & successful cruize to the Southward & seen many wonders hitherto quite unexpected, though it has been very unprolific -- we reached 78.°3 Sth latitude & approached as near to the S[outh]. Magnetic pole as was possible within 150 miles, having laid down its position with perfect accuracy from observations made to the N.W. & S.W. of its position -- We have run along & roughly surveyed an enormous tract of land extending from 72° to 79° S Lat[itude] every part of it further south than any hitherto discovered land, & our progress was finally arrested by a stupendous barrier of ice running 300 miles E & W -- I shall however give you a list of our positions every day at noon since leaving V[an] D[iemen's] Land last that Maria may lay it down in your S. Polar chart & shall add a small chart of the coast seen. P.S. I have too much to say to leave room. Nov[embe]r 12. 1840 at 5 AM sailed down the Derwent Sir John [Franklin] accompanying us for about 30 miles -- 13th Lat.44''.10'.15'', Long.149.29.9 -- 14th Lat 45.13. Long. 151.58. -- 15th Lat 45.33' Long. 152°45' -- 16​th lat. 46°.15' Long. 154.28 -- 17th,, L.49'.46. L.158 -- 18th L.49°.23 L.160°.10' -- 19th L 50°. 28'
L. 164.9’ – 20th made Lord Aucklands Islands -- Dec[embe]r 12th sailed from Lord Aucklands group 13th 7AM made Campbell' Island anchored in S. harbor. Dec[embe]r 17th Sailed from Campbells Island all well & zealous for southern discovery --18th L.54.21.23. L.169°.11'. 19th L.55°.56' L.169°.29. 20th. L.56°.44'.26''. L.169°.32' --21st L.57°.47'.20'' L.170.24 -- 22nd L.59°.0'.38''. L.170.57. -- 23rd L.59.41. L.169°.35' 24th L.60°.32'. L.170.33. -- 25th L.62.10. L.170.24 a gloomy Christmas morning &c --26th L.62.3. L.172 27th L.62.43. L.173.47. Freezing almost all day for the first time. 28th L.64.32 L.173.0 -- 31st L.66.22 L.171.49 first saw the white petrel -- Jan[uar]y 1st L.66.32.20. L.170.24. -- 5th L.66.55 L.174.31. -- 6th L.68.17. L.175°.21 7th L.68.31. L.175.49. sailing through the loose pack ice that we entered yesterday -- 8th L.68.28.29. L.176.31 9th L.69.15.30. L.176.14. -- 10th Lat. 70.23. Long.173.48. Having passed through the ice we are again in clear water -- 11th L.71.14.35. L.171.15. passed the latitude of Cook's farthest South 2.30 saw an immense range of snow capped mts to the S. at night tacked to keep off a pack -- 12th L.71.49. L.170.52. Landed for a few minutes on a small island off the land all snow & ice no trace of vegetation 13th L.72.6.37. L.172.19. -- 14th L.71.51. L.172.40. --15th L.71.55.30 L.171.52. -- 16th Lat.72.12 Long.172.15 17th L.72.8.57. L.176.6 173.35 -- 18th L.72.56 L.176°. 6' -- 19th L.72.32. L.173.39. -- 20th L.73.47. L.171.50. -- 21st L.74. L.170.43. 26th L.75.3. L.169.4. -- 27th 75.47. L.168.59. Landed with very great difficulty on a small island entirely covered with snow except on the cliffs where it cannot lye[sic] coast lined with ice -- could not get a yard up from the boat no trace of vegetation -- 28th L.76.57. L.169.25. Saw an active volcano at a great distance S. covered with snow except round the top of the crater -- at night saw an immense line of ice 160 feet high rising eastward from the volcano -- 29th L.77.47. L.176.43. Running along the Barrier of ice. -- 30th L.77.6 L.189.6. lost sight of the Barrier from thick weather & snow -- 31st L.77'.6. L.189.6. among the pack ice. February 1st Lat.77.6. Long.188.27 among the ice -- 2nd L.77.45 L.187.0 -- at 9.15 PM we reached Lat.78°.3'.6'' S. Saw the barrier about 5 leagues off -- 3rd L.77.17. L.185.27. passing through much ice -- 4th L.77°. L193°.29' Sailing through thick ice. 5th L.77.10. L.193[?].48 in a pool of water surrounded by ice watered by taking in lumps of ice. 6th L.77.1.25 L.186.35 -- 7th L.77.39. L.187.5. -- 8th L.77.39. L.187.5. Running through much ice -- 9th L.77.56. L.190.15 Ran into a bight in the barrier

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a most stupendous sight, running through much ice all day -- 10th L.77.32 L.186.48. passing through quantities loose ice. 11th L.76.11. L.187.51. running along a pack edge through streams of young ice. 12th L.76.31. L.184.56. -- 13th L.76.54. L.183.16. -- 14th L.76.22.33. L.178.15 -- 15th L.76.3.11. L.170.15. -- 16th L.76.32. L.166.12. still for several days past among the young & old ice which is sometimes forming around us. Saw the volcano emitting a stupendous column of smoke tinged with flame -- 17th L.76.35 L.165.31. Running along pack edge among much loose ice -- 18th L.76.5. L.166.11. much ice -- Stars seen for first time. 19th L.75.3. L.168.45. -- 20th L.75.9. L.176.26. Running to the westward through & storming[?] the N. coast of the continent with a hard S.E. gale -- 21st L.71.5. L.169.58. -- 22nd L.70.27. L.166.40. counted 84 immense bergs in sight -- 23rd L.70.17. L.167.26. off the land as before -- 24th L.69.52. L.168.9. -- 27th L.69.23. L.167.55. -- 28th L.69.56. L.117.36. -- March 1st L.69.4.24 L.167.42. off a heavy pack saw the first aurora 2nd L.68.23. L.168.6. -- 3d L.67.32.14. L167.1. Running along the pack through much ice 4thLat. 66˚.48'.38'' Long.165 ˚ .45' -- 5th L.65.34. L.167.47.-- 6th L.65.51. L.164.45 -- 7th Lat.65.29 L.162.15 -- 8th L.64˚.38' L.162.53'. Sailing through young & stream ice -- 9th L.64.21. L.164.32. -- 10th L.64.5. L.163.17. -- 11th L.64.3.28 L.163.12. -- 12th L.64.12. L.161.28. -- 13th L.63.28 L.159.35. 14th L.62.41. L.156.59. -- 15th L.64.0. L.156. -- 16th L.64.11 L.154.40. -- 17th L.64˚.21 L.153. 23rd L.62.12. L.136.17. -- 24th L.62..11. L.133.52. -- 25th L.60.22. L.131.28. -- 26th L.59.24. L.130.3 -- 27th L.58.4. L.135.18. 28th L.57.21. L.127.46. -- 29th L.56.28 L.129.57. -- 30th L.55.9. L.132.28. -- 31st L.54.4. L.134.51. -- April 1st L.53.4. L.135.18. the last iceberg seen to day. -- 2nd L.51.1o L.136.56. -- 3d L.48.56. L.138.34. -- 4th L.46.34L140.36. -- 5th L.44.52. L.143.27. 6th L.44.1. L.147.57. -- 7th anchored (off the government paddock) for the first time since leaving Campbells Island.
And now as regards the object of the expedition, it is certainly a failure, our intention having been to have made observations on the actual site of the S[outh] magnetic pole, & also to have wintered within the Antarctic circle, that we might have made a series of experiments with such instruments as must be used on land -- from the first object we were deterred by the pole's lying inland, among a stupendous range of mountains covered from their tops to the sea beach with everlasting snow & ice -- nor can we anywhere approach the mainland, as the sea is covered with streams of ice & floes, bergs &c & the whole coast lined with enormous tabular masses, filling up all the bays & sometimes extending in one continued line for many miles -- The In approaching such a coast the danger arises from the chances of a shift of wind, or a gale which would prevent our working off when all the ice would set down on the coast & jam us, or, what is quite as bad, we might be becalmed & frozen in, for the sun has no power to melt the ice even in the height of summer, & wintering in such a latitude Capt[ain] Ross pronounced as totally impracticable, as we should be frozen in, & only get out when a current should take the pack which would imbed us north & melt it in warmer water. All the polar voyagers were astonished beyond measure at the stupendous masses of ice & their singularly regular figure; they are all square or oblong squares, generally about 60-100 feet out of water & of course 7 times that below, it, 7/8th being always under water, they are all formed along the coast & drifted north from it -- 84 have at one time been counted from the mast head, of all sizes, from 1/4 mile to 4 miles long; this was in about 70˚ South. -- The whole of the land surveyed from 72 to 79 presented the appearance of range upon range of peaked mountains, covered every where with snow, except where the precipices were too perpendicular for it to lye[sic] & these are exposed to constant disintegration from the masses of snow rolling from above down their faces, & sweeping huge masses onto the icebergs below on the cliffs which when they are removed from the coast by a gale, transport these erratic boulders -- all the coast of one of the islands we landed on is lined with masses of ice covered more or less with sand stones & rocks -- In such situations it is impossible for plants to grow & when I add that during the whole time that we were within the circle, the Therm[ometer] never rose above 32˚ & very rarely so high you will not be surprized[sic], & this on board the ship its average range was 18˚-24˚ never lower than 12˚, of course ashore it must be much cooler -- the sun is very powerless here, at 75 North the sun in summer raises the mercury in a black bulb therm[ometer] to 100˚ & upwards, but here only to 42˚. The sea is equally unproductive, its temperature averaged 29˚, & 28˚ in the freezing point of sea water -- When

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near the shore I have always been looking for some trace of vegetation in the sea but now I am perfectly convinced that in this longitude vegetation does not enter the circle -- Emerald Island off which we passed some seaweed is probably the Northern limit. The success of the expedition in geographical discovery is really wonderful & only shows what a little perseverance will do for we have been in no dangerous predicament & have suffered no hardships whatever; there has been a sort of free masonry among the voyagers to keep up the credit they have acquired at having done wonders, & accordingly, such of us as were raw to the ice made up our minds for frostbites & attached a most undue importance to the simple operations of boring packs &c which have now vanished, though I am not going to tell everybody so; I do not here refer to travelers who do indeed undergo unheard of hardships, but, to voyagers who have a snug ship[,] a little knowledge of the ice & due caution is all that is required; at one time we thought we were really going on to the true S. pole, when we were brought up by the land turning from S to E. where there was a fine volcano spouting fire & smoke in 79° S & about 9000 ft high, covered all over with eternal snow except just around the crater where the heat had melted it off. I can give you no idea of the glorious views we have here, they are stupendous & imposing, especially when there was any fine weather, with the sun never setting among huge bergs, the water sky both as blue or rather, more intensely blue than I have ever seen it in the tropics, & all the coast one mass of beautiful peaks of snow & when the sun gets low they reflect the most brilliant hints of golden yellow & scarlet & then to see the dark cloud of smoke tinged with flame rising from the volcano rising in one column, one side jet black & the other reflecting the colours of the sun then [.] Turning off at right angles by some current of wind & extending many miles to leeward. The idea that we have penetrated far farther than was once thought practicable, & there is every thing beyond what we see is enveloped in a mystery revived for future voyagers to further. But you are all this time wondering what are the fruits of this expedition to me especially. During our stay at L[or]d Aucklands group, I made a collection of plants with which I hope you will be pleased, among them are two tree ferns, & many new species, have accompanied some them with as full notes as I could especially relating to their geographical position. There are some most remarkable new genera, & I think a new nat[ural]. ord[er]. among them., whether they will go to you or no I cannot tell, nor am I so anxious, as I have many duplicates for you & Polytrichum together with some others, 2 pretty Hookeria &c -- all my time when we have had fine weather to the S[outhwar]d has been taken up in examining them, & I fully think that Mr Brown will be most pleased with the notes, & drawings which are numerous, they must however be judged very leniently of, I have endeavored to be careful & when the motion of the ship is such that my things have to be lashed to the table & I have to balance myself to examine anything under the microscope I fear many errors have crept in -- At Campbells Island our stay was so very short that I had only one good days botanizing. There again I collected as much as I could taking a man to carry y things & help, Capt[ain] Ross also collected a great deal for me one day, when I was busy arranging & making notes , he brought his gally along side with its bottom like a garden. The two tree ferns grow here too, & I got them & they are sent to you just as they were dried (the Cryptogamia I mean.) I endeavoured [to] take a complete set out for government, but have no inclination to trouble myself about it if they go to you there is no occasion for it, if to Brown I can pick them out afterwards for him if the neither I shall be the better pleased that the set is imperfect -- I spoke to Capt[ain] Ross about the plants not going to you & he took the matter quite to heart, I did not mention it till after we got to sea, as he has so many things to attend to & the news came tom me so late that it

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could have done no good for this he scolded me & said "the Admiralty before I left allowed me to dispose of all the collections of nat[ural]. hist[ory]. Through Capt[ain]. Beaufort as I liked, he Capt. B., promised to see that the plants should all be immediately sent to you" & further Capt. Ross wrote with the collections to Capt. Beaufort reiterating his orders, as however he received no admiralty letters he cannot conceive why his wishes were not complied with -- Next to yourself there is no one to whom I should prefer this collection going than to Brown[,] it is however the feeling, the most unnatural feeling, that Brown has thus shown the both of us & to you in particular that seriously annoys me, as far as the good[?] of the collections are concerned you are no loser I am well aware; but the present collections may go the same way. I have taken great pains with the drawings -- I am very uncertain however whether (considering how few good days I have in these blowy latitudes in which it is possible to examine), the loss of time that finishing the drawings takes is a compensation for the small proportion I can thus get through. I have rough duplicate copies of the notes & drawings should they be lost[?].*2

Captain Ross intends to write again to Beaufort with the present collections & I have just received a splendid box of books from you, I cannot thank you enough for them, if you could but conceive the delight they give me. For Nee's [von Essenbeck] & the Amaenitatis[?] & Acharins organisms[?]. I am especially obliged as also to my grandfather for the other German books which I doubt not he sent, though I have received no letters from home since my arrival. I know however too well how good a correspondent you & my mother are to suppose you have not written, very likely Gunn who has removed to Launceston has the letters & a parcel of books that arrived too late for my excellent friend Johnstone to bring out with him for I find in the present box No.12-15 of the B[otanical]. Journal & I have not yet received the former ones -- I am heartily glad that it is separated from the Annalla, as it is, the new in it is excellent & the whole affair tasteful & very good am highly delighted with it. The letter on the D. of 15 is also very good & is in my opinion as little * as much as you could say. The plate I expected would be the Lycianthus it is better however as it is -- The genera Filicum have I see reached the 50th odd plate -- The season here has been dreadfully hot & every thing is burnt up about Hobartown -- I have just seen Kay, who has been left behind in charge of the observatories[,] he tells me that Elizabeth's health is nit much improved ^ that Mary is not well either, this news grieves me much though I wait patiently for more direct news -- My Grandfather however us tolerably well god bless him though bedridden I fain hope he will receive my affectionate love by this letter. Lady Franklin has gone to New Zealand in the "Favorite" but is expected back soon[,] there have been many changes here since we left -- I fear you have not progressed regarding Kew Gardens, the promises of ministers are very easily broken, every thing is no doubt for the best in the long run. In a few months you will see Gardner *3 I should have rejoiced to have been at home to receive him[.] I suppose he will immediately set to work at his plants. For my part I am very glad we did not winter South as I consider it 12 months gained what we shall do I cannot tell, probably go from here to Sidney[sic], New Zealand, Chatham Island down to the ice & up by the Falklands & then for old England[.] as soon as I can get my bill made out I shall send it home to cover some of the expenses of what you have laid out for me -- you shall hear from me very soon again -- with best love to my mother & grandfather, Maria, Eliz[abeth]. Mary & the little one Believe me your most affectionate son
Jos D. Hooker[signature]
*4 P.S. I am very much ashamed to send this letter in such a state but cannot help it, I left my cabin for a few seconds & it was blown on deck where the people where washing & scrubbing -- it must go immediately as it is & you will excuse & not attribute it to disrespect.

ENDNOTES


1. Annotation written in another hand records that the letter was 'received Aug. 13.'
2. The address of the recipient appears here at right angles to the bulk of the letter text as the letter would have been folded in such a way that it formed its own 'envelope'. The address reads: "Sir Wm. J. Hooker| Woodside Crescent | Glasgow | Kew | London". It also bears several postal marks and has been redirected from Glasgow to William Hooker's later residence in Kew Gardens. There are also pencil annotations written in another hand which appears to be a list of names, possibly of people to whom the letter should be circulated.
3. The text from this point to the signature is written along the right hand side of the page at a right angle to the bulk of the letter text.
4. This post script appears at the top of page 1.

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