Hooker, Sir Joseph Dalton
JHC38
Darjeeling, India
JDH/1/10 f.99-100
Hooker, Sir William Jackson
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
9-8-1848
© Descendants of Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker
Indian Letters 1847-1851
The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
English
Original MS
4 page letter over 2 folios
 

JDH sent the most important news, re. travelling in Sikkim, in a letter to Bessie [Elizabeth Hooker]. Flowering season in Darjeeling is advancing rapidly, recent additions to the collection incl. fine Cyrtandreae, a new Balanophora & many other tree specimens. JDH is behind with his drawing & has given up doing fungi. [Archibald] Campbell [AC] has sent him a new Caryota palm & a citrus with enormous pink fruit. Palms JDH has are: Calamus rotang, Phoenix sp. & 2 Arecinae. Roots of Orchids & Cyrtandreae sent to Calcutta [Kolkata]. [Hugh] Falconer has sent JDH books for free, including vols by De Candolle, Walpas, Kunth & Royle. JDH thinks all his Rhododendrons are new species, he advises that this should be clear on examination of the numbers of cells in the ovarium, the hairiness of the filaments & the shape of the calyx. [Brain Houghton] Hodgson [BHH] & JDH are both ashamed of Royle's book, the only good part is Hope's entomology section. JDH has captured an Indian Goliathidae, an opalinus like the one he drew from 'Mr Melly's cabinet' as a boy. JDH has made a small insect collection incl. some lovely beetles. Common insects incl.: Stag--beetles; Coccinella, most commonly Penetala; a Bostrychus that kills oaks, a metallic gold Caprida & noisy Cicadas. JDH sent collectors to the Terai but they became ill, he plans to replace them with Mechis who are a race used to living in malarial places. 10 collectors have been sent Tonglo for Rhododendron roots & are bringing things back in instalments, JDH also has collectors in Sikkim but they are too far away to bring things back in good condition & will not put plants in papers. He hopes AC will also send some collectors beyond the snow. JDH asks for stationery supplies to be sent whenever WJH is sending him an overland parcel. Under date Aug 10 [1848] JDH adds that he has sent men to the Terai & still awaits the return of his Nepal men, these matters are managed for him by BHH.

Transcript

natives will never go alone -- I have sent 10 men to Tonglo top again for roots of Rhododendrons & whatever else may be in flower. They are to come back in couples with instalments; the first two came in with some good things from the intermediate valleys & I expect some from the mountain daily. 6 men are in Sikim[sic] but the distance they have to go is too great & I cannot get these natives to put plants in papers -- Campbell I have begged to send two men across the Snow, again, which he thinks he can do; with these I must send papers, though the last were hardly worth the great price I had to pay; though I was glad enough to get them.
When you send me an overland please always, to put in a few magnum bonum pens Pencils, any Colors (I pay 4/ for 10d cakes) envelopes & note papers & Indian wax. -- one stick, one pencil & one dozen of quills would be a boon my consumption being terrible. Also from Roake & Varty a "Scribbling diary" & "pocket book" for 1849. -- The S[cribbling].D[iary]. is a small foolscap folio size rated -- but size is no matter. The mail is in & I am anxiously expecting my mother's letter. Your ever most affectionate Son Jos D Hooker [signature]
Love to my mother. Hodgson is better again.
Aug 10 I have got 3 men to go down to the Terai & send me up plants by post. The men from Nepaul [Nepal] with paper have not come back yet & I have got to send others. Hodgson manages all these things for me most admirably he is a most efficient aid & [for] his troubles you must mention him very often if printing any thing about me. *4

Page 1


Darjeeling August 9 1848 *1
My dear Father
As you are still suffering as far as correspondence lets me know your state, I do not hesitate to inflict another letter on you. Though my letter to Bessie will tell you the only news of any importance I have to give which concerns the travelling in Sikkim.
The rapidity with which the flowering season is advancing is quite wonderful & I have accordingly doubled my establishment of collectors. This last fortnight I have got a glorious lot of things, such fine Cyrtandreae especially & a good gale of wind helped me to many of the trees. Campbell too is as active as ever he can be & I generally get 2 instalments sometimes 4 daily. I cannot possibly draw all I ought though I do my best to, & the poor Fungi are gone to the wall altogether. I cannot go 100 yards from the door without getting new things, today a new Balanophora close behind the house, actually within a stones throw. Campbell has today sent a new Palm (Caryota not in fl[ower]. or f[rui]t) & a

Page 2

Citrus whose ripe fruit weighs 4 lbs I had drawn the flower previously it is so large pink outside, the fruit very long unripe, 5 inches, quite a diff[erent]. sp[ecies]. from the long fruited one I got some weeks ago *2 . My other Palms are Calamus Rotang -- a small Phoenix & 2 Arecinae one apparently new genus. I can name neither by Kunth.
I have sent two more parcels of roots to Calcutta *3 since I wrote last, chiefly Orchid. & Cyrtandreae -- a great many will have rotted I know, as this has been a season of unusual drought & heat, & consequent sickness in the plains. I have not heard from Falconer this 3 weeks & suppose he is ill again; he has sent me 4 cases of books soldered in tin by Post free! which is the only way of getting them now a DC. [De Candolle] Walpas, Kunth & Royle -- this week of books & plants has been perfect revelry -- My Rhododendrons I find are nearly all if not all new, arboreum certainly not among them, pray attend to the number of cells in the ovarium, hairiness &c of filaments & above all shape of calyx. Hodgson & I

Page 3

I have been reading Royle together & are heartily ashamed of it, it is really a miserable book. Hope's Entomological part the only good one. By the bye I captured today one of the India Goliathideae which I drew when a boy from Mr Melly's cabine a small species, very beautiful called opalinus I think. I have a few insects, some splendid beetles; but have to keep them in spirits & cannot get bottles, for love or money. Stag--beetles & Coccinella exactly like our 7 - Penetala, are the most common -- a Bostrychus (apparently) kills the Oaks. Large bugs are very common some gorgeously colored & a Caprida is the most splendid metallic fiery gold beetle I ever saw, the metal being on the upper surface of the abdomen & transparent horny Elytrons. Cicadas are very abundant on the trees & magnificently colored; they make so great a din that one must talk loud in the woods to be heard. I sent 3 men down to the Terai the other day who sent me up my plants daily by post but they took ill & have come back. I am however trying to get two natives of these malarious holes (Mechis) to collect there. One I have got but these

Page 4

natives will never go alone -- I have sent 10 men to Tonglo top again for roots of Rhododendrons & whatever else may be in flower. They are to come back in couples with instalments; the first two came in with some good things from the intermediate valleys & I expect some from the mountain daily. 6 men are in Sikim[sic] but the distance they have to go is too great & I cannot get these natives to put plants in papers -- Campbell I have begged to send two men across the Snow, again, which he thinks he can do; with these I must send papers, though the last were hardly worth the great price I had to pay; though I was glad enough to get them.
When you send me an overland please always, to put in a few magnum bonum pens Pencils, any Colors (I pay 4/ for 10d cakes) envelopes & note papers & Indian wax. -- one stick, one pencil & one dozen of quills would be a boon my consumption being terrible. Also from Roake & Varty a "Scribbling diary" & "pocket book" for 1849. -- The S[cribbling].D[iary]. is a small foolscap folio size rated -- but size is no matter. The mail is in & I am anxiously expecting my mother's letter. Your ever most affectionate Son Jos D Hooker [signature]
Love to my mother. Hodgson is better again.
Aug 10 I have got 3 men to go down to the Terai & send me up plants by post. The men from Nepaul [Nepal] with paper have not come back yet & I have got to send others. Hodgson manages all these things for me most admirably he is a most efficient aid & [for] his troubles you must mention him very often if printing any thing about me. *4

ENDNOTES


1. An annotation written in another hand records that the letter was received Oct 2nd
2. Two small, rough illustration of the plant appear here
3. The city formerly known as Calcutta is now called Kolkata
4. The text under date of Aug 10 is written along the edge of page one at a right angle to the rest of the text

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