Copy *1 H.M.S. "Erebus"
Berkeley Sound. Falkl[an]d Islands
Sep. 4. 1842 (re[ceive]d. Feb. 11. 1843)
My dear Maria [Hooker]
This sheet should rather have been devoted to Elizabeth, seeing that I wrote to you by the last opportunity (in May) a letter which went by way of Buenos Ayres, but I intend addressing her too, nothing doubting that both she & you have sent me letters, which are not yet come to hand, but which I hope to receive on our way from Cape Horn, whither we propose going in a very few days. In a box & cask, for my Father, I have put 4 or 5 little boxes of Shells for you & I trust they may prove interesting; as some of them, though with little beauty to boast, are p rare in the places where they were picked up. While collecting them, you were often brought to my mind in very wild & desolate spots, and this, were I not naturally fond of collecting, would alone have sufficed to render the task pleasing to me. None of them are properly cleaned, nor are any labels attached, except to the outside of each box; so that perhaps you will gum a label on each specimen, for the habitat is as important as the shell, & no good conchologist should omit such a duty to his or her collection.
All yesterday I was employed dredging for shells *2 & sailing about the harbor[sic] with a fine breeze & altogether I picked up a good many things after a hard day's work; though there were but not any very few shells & only one scarce shell alive, a fine specimen of the rare Voluta magellanica, the first I have seen & which, of course, goes to the Government Collection. Whether I

shall be so fortunate as to get another, I do not know; if so, fraternal affection may outweigh Patriotism, especially if there is a chance of keeping it quiet. There is only one Land Shell found here, a very minute Planorbis: the 2 specimens of murex in the box were given to me & they came, I believe, from the South Seas. My few Auckland Island Shells & the Albatross Eggs, *3 with specimens of the Antarcctic New Land, are all in another box, down in the hold, which I cannot get at, to send home by this opportunity.
This is a sadly dull place & were it not for Natural History I know not how I should dispose of my time, for there has not been an arrival since the "Carysfort" in June, & all together, only 3, during the 5 months we have spent in this harbour. Our Mess is now very small indeed, & composed only of Yule & myself, Oakeley having become a Lieutenant since MacMurdo has invalided[?] to go home, whose place he (Oakeley) fills up as Junior Lieut[enant]. of the "Erebus", whilst Lieut[enant]. Sibbald goes to the "Terror" as their 1st Lieutenant. Our berth is so large for only us two, that it seems dismal, so we are going to divide it by running a canvas screen across, which will make it very snug; -- and whenever we give a party, the screen can be removed. Our stock all came down from Rio in the "Carysfort" & proved most seasonable; for we had to use Purser's Stores, which are very coarse. Most of the good things we lay by, until we start for the Southward, since we can get plenty of fresh provision here. Our Beef we put in Corn, & we live, very mainly, on Rabbits, which are quite inexhaustible

& our Steward being a very fair cook, we have them dressed in all sorts of ways for a change. The Geese have become very wild & can scarcely be got within shot of; & further, as the Berries have all gone off, these birds now go down to the beach & eat kelp, which renders their flesh exceedingly unpalatable. The Snipes are just immigrating & afford delicious food, also a small kind of Teal, which is rather rare.
Summer has at last commenced here, but except the budding of a few insignificant little plants, we see no happy signs of the favourable change. There are no trees or hedges to put forth foliage, no Snowdrops, Crocus or Hellebore to show their flowers; all here is one uniform yellow--brown grass, except where a few rocks are seen on the hills & the mountain--tops, which are covered with snow. It often freezes hard during a Falkland Island winter, but generally accompanied with such falls of snow, that I have had but one day's skaiting[sic], which from want of practice, tired my ancles[sic] very much.
The only gentleman here, except the Governor, is the celebrated Captain Gardiner, of the Zoolu [Zulu] country, who was driven thence by Dingaan, the Kaffir Chief. He has been living some time on this island, waiting for an opportunity to take his wife & children down to Hazy Bay in the Straits of Magelhaens [Magellan] on the Patagonian Coast. His wife is, I believe, a very nice person & equally enthusiastic in the cause with himself; she is daughter to the Rev[eren]d Mr Masters (I think this is the name of a clergyman at Hampstead, so that aunt Palgrave may know something of her friends, & may inform them that the family are all in

excellent health. The poor Captain himself seems much annoyed by his long detention here & except some Sealer comes in which may convey him to the Straits, he may yet wait a good while, only 3 Ships having arrived (as I mentioned before) since we came in lay here. For my part, I now never dream of seeing one, & have quite given up going into the rigging to scan the horizon, as it is a grievous waste of time & clothes.
We now are all ready for sea, & expect to sail tomorrow for some port near Cape Horn, probably St Martin's Cove in Hermit Island. Shells, I believe, are very rare there; but I shall get what I can for you. We hope to see some of the Natives, who appear to be a very curious race of Savages, probably in as low a state of degradation as can be; at least according to Darwin's account, though Weddell speaks more favorably[sic] of them. Our stay there will probably be for about 2 months, after which we shall return to this place & I hope receive many letters from England, which must now be of old date. However, I shall not build much on the agreeable prospect of hearing; for fear of disappointment; nor should I much wonder if he we have to go again to the South without intelligence.
This winter has been unusually severe, which will be against our progressing very far towards the Pole. I hope, however, that this will not be the case, as it would be a pity to go for the last time & to return, without, at least, beating Weddell, who penetrated to 74( South. In these high latitudes the seasons are peculiarly variable & it is probable that the same places are for a series of many seasons, open & clear of Ice, & that they again slowly fill up & remain inaccessible for several years to

come, which makes me think that we may find much Ice, where Weddell met with none. Sailing in the Pack Ice is, however very pleasant work, it being light all day, & the lanes of water, through which the Ships are pushed, are as smooth as canals. Besides, we have then plenty of opportunities for mollie--mawking, or visiting from ship to ship, a curious term, in use among the Greenland Fishermen, who, when their fleets of whalers meet, are in the habit of congregating to one Ship, & are then said to molliemawk, because the birds of that name assemble together in a similar manner in the North. There is also a good deal of fun in the Pack with the Seals & Penguins which we catch, & especially when we have an occasional good game of snowballing, on a Floe.
As I gave you, in a former letter, some account of our Christmas holy days, I shall not recapitulate, but shall conclude by wishing you as happy a New Year (which will come at about the same time as this letter) as I hope to enjoy in the Pack. There I shall think of you & wish you many happy returns of the season, & to myself that I may pass but few more out of your society.
Your most aff[ectiona]te brother | J. D. Hooker
To Miss Hooker.