*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

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 1d postage, which would save him much money & now he has gained his wish just as he removes to London, whence the most of

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

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

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

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