H.M.S. "Erebus”*1 Berkeley Sound Falkland Islands
August 24th 1842. (rec[eived] Feb[ruar]y 11 Sat[urda]y 1843)
My dear Mother,
By the Brig "Alarm" of Jersey which took an Admiralty bag to be forwarded from Buenos Ayres[sic] I sent a letter to Maria in May last; since which there has been no other opportunity of writing home -- only one vessel having arrived, H.M.S. "Cargo fort" Ld George Paullott Capt[ain] on her way to the West coast of S[outh] America. Having put into "Rio" she brought us the welcome news that our letters sent on board HMS "Arrow" had arrived at Rio after a very short passage of 14 days from this Port, & were on the following day forwarded by H.M.S. "Actaeon" for England, so that we calculated that you would receive them on or before the 10th of July, thus having abundant time for answers to be returned before our final departure for the South[war]d. You will be, I am sure, as sorry to hear as I am to tell you, that not one of the many letters you have written to me have yet arrived, & that March 1841 is still the latest date of my news from England. Do not think however that this unfortunate circumstance causes me any uneasiness, or still less, that I forebode sorrowful tidings because they are tardy ones. A Brother of Smith's was the 3rd Lieute[nan]t of the "Cargo fort" & he told me, that my father had told Smith's friends of an opportunity of sending to the "Erebus" which he had taken advantage of, & that a box for me was sent to Mr Wright an agent of Mr Whitington's to be forwarded by a vessel consigned to Whitington's brother, here, & which vessel has been due this 3 months. Unfortunately the English Whitington (George) is a great [liar] - no matter what - & Mr Wright is no better, albeit he is a Botanist, & that there is no chance of this vessels arriving or ever sailing -- Whitington's law-suit about a previous vessel may have come under your notice, during which, in evidence, he claims property in the Falklands to which he has no little title whatever & makes a few other inaccurate statements; whilst Wright lays a shameful & unfounded charge against Lieut[enant] Tyssen (the late naval resident here) whose hospitality he enjoyed for some time here, & whose character is quite above suspicion; for these & many other good reasons I have never expected the said ship & only hope that my Father may have seen or heard enough to induce him to withdraw my box from such peril. There was also a report on board the "Cargo fort" that H.M.S. "Fly" & "Bramble" were coming here (on their way to Torres Straits), bearing our dispatches, we have given her up too, long ago, & we now build upon the "Philomel" which was lately taken into Dock, previous to being commissioned for these Islands. She is not expected

until Spring. The Winter is now nearly over here & has been very severe indeed, more so than any previously known, young ice forming abundantly between us & the shore, on the salt water, with much snow & cold weather. You will be surprised to hear that we are on the eve of sailing from this Port before receiving dispatches from home, indeed we are all ready for sea, & as soon as the Term day is over (Saturday) shall get the observatories on board & sail, probably on Tuesday next, for St. Martin's cove or Hermit Island, a little to the Northward of the Cape Horn which I shall again double[?] twice for before returning here, in about two months. You will see an account of the spot into Weddell's voyage & Capt[ain] Forster's, under the name of Wigwam cove, also in Capt[ain] King's & in Fitzroy's. I am exceedingly glad to be off, being, as all of us are, very tired of the Falklands, whose Botany I have pretty well gleaned & I expect much at Cape Horn where the Beeches grow. Four officers are to be left here, in charge of one observatory who with Lieut[enant] Mc Murdo of the "Terror" who invalids home & waits for a passage. I therefore leave this & other letters behind me to be sent off by the first opportunity. In the "Athenaum" [Athenaeum] I see that my father is on the council of the Royal Society as I suppose he sometimes attends the meetings, though from these being so late it must be inconvenient for him. I also see in the Argus newspaper that Kew gardens are getting into fine order, adding, that Sir W[illia]m['s] appointment in itself was guarantee for that, which gratifies me beyond anything, for next to getting a good situation nothing can be so pleasing to know that one is giving satisfaction in it: further than this I know nothing of my family, though I rummage every Athenaeum & advertising sheet of books in the papers in the hope that something may meet my eye to found conjecture upon. The obituary's[sic] are most prolific for in news of my friends some of whom I regret much, as old Menzies for whom I had a speciment of Hypnum Menziesia put up in paper, also Don & old Dr Caudaller -- You sometimes wonder, I dare say, how I manage to spend so much time as must necessarily be passed on board ship, at this season, for the ground is so entirely covered with snow & ice down to the water edge, that there is no collecting any thing[sic] but seaweeds. In the first place we always breakfast at 8; when I see the sick (when there are any) make my report, & then go to my table in the cabin where the microscope stands, to examine & describe plants. At 12 we dine which does not occupy more than 20 minutes, "quick at victuals if not quick at work" you will say, after which these short afternoons give me about 3-4 hours more of daylight, when I read till 6, our tea time. This tea is our last meal & more of a dinner than the noon repast. It is called "Tea" because the ship[']s company at that time enjoy the beverage which "exhilirates[sic] but not inebriates" at that time, though we never drink tea but either coffee or beer when we have it. Ship's tea being warranted old leaves & hedge tops.

After Tea, or dinner if you please I spend the evening in reading writing or skinning birds of which I have a tolerable collection from this place & finally retire at a very uncertain hour. On a former occasion I told you that the governor had been very kind to me & I find his library (a very nice one) a great attraction, so that I often spend a day there & afterwards take on board with me any of his books that please me. Those I have been lately reading are Pope's Homer's Iliad*2 Mrs Hemans' poems*3 Daniell[']s chemical philosophy*4 & Pugin[']s Christian architecture*5, a very miscellaneous selection, but even from the last with all his faults & bigoted Roman Catholicism I have gained much good. Keith's evidence*6, & Pollok's course of time*7 I had read before without appreciating them as I now do; '-- Stephen's travels in the East pleased me much & Millner's church History*8, what I have seen of it, for it is too much for me to get through here.
Have you seen the portrait of Capt[ain] Ross? if so tell me your opinion of it & I will send mine; it was sent to him at V[an]. D[iemen's]. L[and]., as was one for Capt[ain] Crozier, but Capt[ain] Ross did not open his until yesterday, when he found in the case two long letters from Major Sabine, which was annoying enough but served him right; I only wish I had a chance of opening any thing[sic] & finding a letter inside; -- Sinclair must have returned long ere this & would tell you more about me than I ever can hope to know of you previous to my seeing you in England. I often look back with very great pleasure to the time I spent profitably in his society, for he is by far the best informed man I ever met with in this glorious profession of the sea, & one who better deserves to rise quickly in his profession than any naval medical officer with whom I am acquainted; Dr Richardson [part of mss missing] always excepted; it is true he did not appear to me bright & still less talkative, but e thing he says is to the purpose & his conversation to me always useful, his gratitude to [part of mss missing] father for what little he may have done for him, which Sinclair he must exaggerate, sounded most pleasing to my ears. In letter writing, as in conversation, nothing is so complete that I am afraid to bring anyone relation or friend on the paper without a great hazard of committing myself, & this must be my excuse for this letter[']s being so stupid. It is true, & know it well, that you prefer far to hear about myself, at least, your affectionate regard makes me think so, but still no one, however egotistical, can look over a letter in which the 1st personing[?] prevails without repugnance, unfortunately it must be so with this as at present the ship & Pl. Lans are all the world to me. -- The weather & state of the country now swamped prevents my making any excursions to a distance, though I enjoy the short walks about the Bay very much & seldom go out without picking up some novelty. At present my time ashore is wholly taken up with seaweed & marine animals, for which purpose I wander along the beach at low water with long boots on, collecting; but the wind is so cutting & the water so cold that I often wonder whether my hands spend most of the time in the water or my pockets, whither they are won't to stray, as on days of yore. -- Capt[ain] Gardiner of Zoolu[sic] country notoriety is the only gentleman here except the Gov[er]nor & his clerk, but he keeps himself so entirely aloof, that, much as I should like to have some conversation with him, it seems to be impossible; poor

fellow he has lately married a young wife a daughter of the Clergyman of Hampstead [several struck through words illeg] & has by a previous marriage several young children, & he came here on his way to Patagonia. No opportunity has yet occurred to take him there, so he has had to spend the winter here, which seems to have soured his temper very much. -- I often wonder whether Isabella & my niece*9 have accompanied you to Kew, & if so, how the little one is getting on, you must teach her to be ready to know me next year; for I can remember several circumstances when only 3 years old both in Norwich, Framlingham & Yarmouth as also in Lowestofft[sic] & Halesworth. -- With regard to friends & relatives it you must use your discretion with regard to remembering me to them, for I do not know who among them are within your reach & I suppose I may as well send my kindest compliments to the many nice new acquaintances we have made in at Kew as to the good old ones left behind in dear dirty old Glasgow. We begin to think now that we may reckon in Months the probable time that will elapse before I may be expected to inspect the Kew cabbages as grown under the eye of Sir W[illia]m Hooker, nor should I be sorry to think of it in weeks; wishing however is of no use & that we may enjoy our meeting better I must endeavour to improve the interval at the Cape I count much upon seeing "thanks" & the great Baron Ludwig who was unfortunately prevented from showing me any marked attention when last at Cape Town. There too I shall certainly on my arrival expect a letter from you sent by the Post Office, as short as you please; several of our officers & men have received letters here, which, had they been entrusted to the admiralty would not yet have reached us. Capt[ain] Beaufort (to whom my father must give my most respectful comp[liment]s) is certainly the surest medium for letters, but I must repeat what I have urged on your notice*10 before in other places, that a letter entrusted to the Post would have surely reached me long ere this I need not tell you to give my love to all my relatives whoever they may be that remain. To my Father, Maria & Bessy I am about to write, after which you need not expect me to begin another letter until November, after our return from the Horn. Believe me | My dear Mother ever your most affectionate Son | Jos. D. Hooker[signature] | Best love to Aunt Palgrave & all your near relations.
Lady Hooker
Care of Sir W[illia]m Hooker
Royal Gardens Kew Near London