Still awaiting reply to Lord Dalhousie's letter from [Sikkim] Rajah. If [Archibald] Campbell finds out the Rajah intends to oppose them they will travel to Jongri on the south face of Kinchin [Kanchenjunga] rather than going via the east face to the Tibet passes.[Brian Houghton] Hodgson [BHH] too ill to accompany JDH & AC also injured. JDH sent [Hugh] Falconer [HF] his journal of trip from Bhaugalpore [Bhagalpur] to Darjeeling. HF is ill but has found JDH another Portuguese servant who he hopes will be half as good as 'Friday'. He has added to his growing collection: Balanophora typhina, B. polyandra, a Rhubarb & a new Aconite used to make 'Bikh' poison, of which he has museum specimens. Recounts story of man killed with Bikh poisoned arrow. Has sent live roots of 150 species to Calcutta [Kolkata], mostly Orchideae & Seitamineae. Has specimen of a very large tree fern for WJH. During break in rains JDH collected more roots incl. Magnolia, Helwingia & white Rhododendrons. Oaks & most other seeds are not ripe yet, Compositae are just blooming & there are relatively few grasses. Though he is obliged by expectation to embrace many disciplines in his explorations, JDH has not neglected Botany. By measuring mountains, recording weather & explaining his work locally JDH has gained credit in India. The Surveyor General was always secretive about his activities. JDH has measured Kanchenjunga & Sinchal with instruments from Captain Thuilliers & calculated height of Tonglo with Muller. JDH has sketched the flags at Ging & a panoramic view of country around Darjeeling. Also found: pink flowered Luculia, [William] Griffith's Larch & a curious little Rhododendron. Has forwarded a letter from Thomas Thomson from Karakerum range beyond Ladakh, also written to Mr Philipps. Discusses conditions for sowing some seeds he is enclosing & compares to similar sent by Edgeworth for the Gibson Craigs in Edinburgh. The Lacteraea should be in flower soon, he thinks it will be half hardy.
Transcript
to kill the Bears which carried off their crops by night: he patrolled a field, adjoining another similarly patrolled, & was shot by mistake & died in 24 hours. The precise symptoms I did not ascertain; it occurred a good many miles from this. I have sent live roots down & got excellent museum specimens.
I have just sent 15 baskets of roots to Calcutta *2, by Post "Banghy" *3, as that species of "Parcel Delivery" is called which spans all India, & is a department of the Post. -- There are nearly 150 species in all, chiefly of Orchideae & Seitamineae, of which I have a fine collection of dried specimens & drawings. The number of roots is very great: I suppose 6 or 800, at least, but so many will die en route, that I do not expect to see very many at Kew. I have got a good specimen of the Tree--fern for you: it was the largest 17 ft long I could get, in any tolerably accessible place, & took 8 men to lift; & these men are no children -- I could get larger, 20 or 30ft, but do not think it worth while: such
Darjeeling Sikkim Himalayah
October 1. 1848 *1
My dear Father
The Rajah has as yet vouchsafed no answer to the G. Gov[ernmen]t letter addressed to him by Lord. D[alhousie] which he might have done were he gracious. I am all prepared for a start towards the end of this week, ere which time Campbell hopes to know whether direct opposition is intended: if so I give up the proposed route by the E[ast]. of Kinchin [Kanchenjunga] & the passes to Thibet [Tibet] & start for Jongri on the S[outh] face of Kinchin 40 or 50 miles from this & half a days walk below the perpetual snow. I think I can get there; but it is no use talking about a place of which no one knows any thing at all. I must measure the quantity of paper &c exactly by the number of men I can persuade to accompany me & can victual. Hodgson I am sorry to say, Has had & now has, another attack of Liver complaint & it is impossible he should accompany me. Campbell, unluckily, brought his horse close up behind me I was riding this morning (whose amiable qualities he was aware of, but forgot) & received such a kick on the ankle, that it is possible he may be laid up too; but I hope not. Except
Muller & Barnes, there is no one else I would take as a companion, & both are invalids. "Friday" of course goes.
I wrote you by last Marseilles mail, & sent to [Hugh] Falconer a few days ago a continuation of my journal, from Bhaugalpore [Bhagalpur] to this place, & one or two excursions about here. Falconer is again very ill & wrote by an amanuensis, he has despatched me a great stock of things, & another Portuguese serv[ant]t. who he had immense difficulty in getting for me, at £2,,10 a month: if he is half as good as Friday, he will be worth the money: -- more than half I hardly expect.
My collection increases still rapidly. I have found 2 more Balanophora -- typhina Wall (picta, Griff.) & polyandra Griff., both ♂ & ♀. My head Lepcha went a good way towards the snow, & brought me some very excellent plants. A superb new Aconite & Rhubarb, amongst them. The former (a very diff[erent]. sp. from palmatum) is also used for poison(Bikh) B i k h -- a man was shot about 20 miles from here the other day, with a
Bikh poisoned arrow. He belonged to a village, the people of which kept watch
to kill the Bears which carried off their crops by night: he patrolled a field, adjoining another similarly patrolled, & was shot by mistake & died in 24 hours. The precise symptoms I did not ascertain; it occurred a good many miles from this. I have sent live roots down & got excellent museum specimens.
I have just sent 15 baskets of roots to Calcutta *2, by Post "Banghy" *3, as that species of "Parcel Delivery" is called which spans all India, & is a department of the Post. -- There are nearly 150 species in all, chiefly of Orchideae & Seitamineae, of which I have a fine collection of dried specimens & drawings. The number of roots is very great: I suppose 6 or 800, at least, but so many will die en route, that I do not expect to see very many at Kew. I have got a good specimen of the Tree--fern for you: it was the largest 17 ft long I could get, in any tolerably accessible place, & took 8 men to lift; & these men are no children -- I could get larger, 20 or 30ft, but do not think it worth while: such
curve very much & are not typical of this species. I hope to get it sent down to Calcutta, by the military board, but am not sure -- down it shall go, whatever it costs me!
I have been busy collecting again, the rains having cleared, though I fear not finally: & I have got another batch of roots to send down. 30 of the young plants of big Magnolia amongst others, Helwingia, more white Rhododendrons & sundries. The oaks are not nearly ripe yet, nor are the plants' seeds in general: the rains are scarcely over & it requires the following dry month to perfect seeds. Compositae are only now blossoming, I am getting a dozen or two grasses from this elevation;-- a miserable proportion.
I am exceedingly obliged for the things you sent on by last mail; which I understand have arrived safe in Calcutta. I hope my bills will pay for them all. I shall have another to send at the end of the month, I have run you to a great deal of expense on my account already & you have always behaved most liberally to me. My solace is that you
will not find that Botany has suffered by my fondness for other pursuits, without which no traveller of this exacting age is thought accomplished. I have gained great (though undeserved) credit here & no little help, by measuring the heights of the mts & keeping up a good meteorological register. The Surveyor General who spent last season here would tell no one what he was after, & the poor people who had shown him much kindness were are very much disgusted. I keep no secrets & if I cannot (& do not wish) to measure with the accuracy of a Surveyor , I do so sufficiently accurately for all practical purposes & at a very little outlay of time. With a pocket sextant & compass lent me by the Assistant Deputy Surv[eyor]. general (Capt Thuillier a most excellent fellow) I worked out in 2 hours the height of Kinchin from this place & made it 28000 ft.-- Sinchal I have worked Barometrically with no trouble at all & make it 8653.Tonglo Mr Muller & I have just worked out from the observations I took in May : it is 10,000 ft. --I have not done much to sketching lately. but went to Ging to draw the Flags, of which I told you in one of the mss now sent home & have nearly done a pen & ink panoramic view of the whole country, from about this place; which will give you some idea of it. A fine new Luculia with rather deep pink flowers & oderate (not oderatiss) is one of the new things I have found since writing: I have some roots in fair order but rather too large, it is hardly in flower yet. I have also another of the alpine Rhododendrons & have sent good roots. I have a very bad specimen of Griffith's Larch, which I hope to find in Sikkim (no cones only bad leaf). There is a curious little plant here I take for a Rhod[odendron]. which I only have in fruit. I will send roots of it. I sent a letter from Tommy Thomson the other day dated 12 marches only from the top of Karakerum range (beyond Ladakh).
I have written to Mr Philipps by this mail.
A couple of seeds are in this paper, both should be sown in wet peat under glass, but not in a hot house, I should say. Looking over my seeds I find I have more than I expected & will send them home for next mail. All those sent by
Edgeworth to the Gibson Craigs at Edinburgh flourished in the ope
Best love to all & regards to Planchon | ever your most aff[ectionate] son | Jos D Hooker [signature]
1. An annotation written in another hand records that the letter was "rec'd nov 24."
2. The city formerly known as Calcutta is now called Kolkata.
3. Banghy post was a system which transmitted post by a relay of bearers known as banghywallahs.
4. The address of the recipient appears here as the letter would originally have been folded in such a way that it formed its own 'envelope'. The address reads "via Southampton | Sir W. J. Hooker | Kew | Nr London".
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