Darjeeling
Apr 27 [18]50 *1
My Dear Father
I returned from Calcutta thither on the 25th & have been ever since arranging for Tom & my passage to Sylhet. We take boat from below Titalyah, from a place called Dulalgunge [Dhaulganj] on the Mahanuddy [Mahanadi], & drop down to the Ganges by via Malda, Gour & to Rampore. There we go to Dacca [Dhaka] & so up the Soorma to Pundua at the foot of the Khassya hills, which we ascend at once from Pundua to Churra[Cherrapunji]. We shall probably stay but a few days at Churra preparing to go back to Nunklow which is behind much of the rains.
We have been extremely busy collecting baskets of Orchideae &c which I send down to Calcutta [Kolkata]

there will be about 40 very large baskets full of very fine things indeed. I have already sent as many mens load to Punkabaree & provided carts to take them thence to Dulalgunge. --
My glazed cases have never yet reached the foot of the hills, which is most provoking as I have an immense collection of Rhodod[endron]. dalhousieae, punctatum, & argenteum all ready for them. Where they are all stuck I know not, but the difficulty of getting things along these roads is always terrible. I take three loads of these roots down besides hoping to pick up the cases. They were sent up

with Booth's things who went to the Garrows [Garos] instead of this & never ever sent me notice of my boxes.
Your little overland arrived by last mail & I received it in Calcutta, most gratefully. The Prodr. Fl. Nep. *2 I sent at once for Booth. The latter is said to be coming now straight to Dorjiling [Darjeeling].
Lobb has left this, he was a most steady industrious man, but made no sort of a companion either to Tom or myself, or to us in company -- he is so conceited & pragmatical & prosy. He had a wonderful eye & all his arrangements seemed perfect for roots & plants -- his plan of small glazed cases is admirable & I hope

he will introduce the live Rhododendrons.
I sent you another packet of Larch the other day -- mine are growing beautifully in the open air but I suppose Jock Smith puts all my Alpines into a stove of 80˚. Enclosed are a few more seeds[.] I can collect nothing now of any consequence here but Orchideae & such like.
I spent 2 days at Cathcarts, last week his collection of drawings of Dorj[iling] plants amounts now to near 200 & he has 5 artists at work who will continue at it all summer. Their wages are on an average £4 a month & I do not think that the whole five turn out one plant a day. They are however extremely

well done & colored too.
Except the Plectocomia in young fruit, of which I have dried herbarium specimens & others, & the enclosed, I have found no remarkable novelty; nor has Tom, who has been working during my absence. The latter I enclose a raceme of & would be obliged by Benthams looking at it :-- it puzzles Tom & myself dreadfully. I take it for Urticeous fm [family?] Tom won't have it so.
My first Sikkim years collections are doubtless home by this time & will I hope give satisfaction. They are but small in comparison to those now en route.
I have thought no more about Nepal. It appears to me extremely unlikely that you[?] will approve & there are so many reasons

for my not wishing it except it should be your opinion that it were advisable to do it & this as I say I can hardly think likely. Lord Dalhousie begged me the last thing not to give it up, which however I did on many grounds & as far as I am concerned definitely. He even offered me a companion, which I refused; saying that I would not choose any one I knew less of than Thomson.
The Actinometer and Telescope are all safe & in beautiful order. I have made some fine observations with them already. I wish they were going to Nepal with me instead of the Khassia though I really believe that the latter

is botanically much the best country for Thomson & myself, certainly much the easiest.
I expect to leave this on Wednesday morning & to arrive at Pundua in about 20 days.
Ever your most aff[ectionate] son | Jos. D. Hooker [signature]

Darjeeling 6000 ft.
Small dioeceous tree. Leafless in winter [one word crossed out, illeg.], straggling, 5 -- 13[?] ft high. Branches from base, stems & branches strict[?] spongy with large pith, covered with cinereous bark. Leaves & flowers produced as in the mulberry along the [1 word illeg.]. Male fl[ower]. [1 word illeg.] racemes, -- ♀ unknown. Leaves deltoid, ovate, irregularly toothed, petioles simplex in caul[?]. Pubescence slight, stipules 0.
No taste or glands or dots. Stamens I think opposite the spinanth. pieces. I have seen traces of a pistillum in the ♂ fl[ower]. which are quite Urticaceous [two small sketches appear here with one larger one depicting several leaves attached to a branch and a further small sketch which appears to be of a curled leaf, labelled vernation involute] *3
Vernation involute