Tumloong alias Sikkim Durbar Rajah's Residence
I am in my tent
12 Nov[ember] [18]49.*1
My dear Father
I hope that you may not have had causeless alarm from evil reports of my safety having gone to England, & write this in a sort of forlorn hope that it may reach your hands as soon as any other news of me, & thus set your mind at ease. I am a prisoner under the Sikkim Rajah, along with Campbell, but my bonds are not very heavy & I am under no apprehensions whatever on my own or Campbell's account. He was seized & very roughly used, on political grounds, & I, in the hope of extracting information from me by intimidation & otherwise, as to what course these stupid people should pursue. In this I am happy to say they have utterly failed & I think they are so nonplussed that they will not detain us much longer. Campbell is very strictly guarded, I am much

better off & have so very many friends amongst these poor people (to an evil faction amongst whose rulers this is attributable) that I hope & believe I can be useful. My Travels are in no way the cause of this outrage, nor can I extort from my custodians a pretext for my imprisonment, I know them full well to be, the fear of two tall Englishmen, & the aforesaid desire of gaining information.
I am altogether prohibited from approaching or communicating with Campbell, but we keep up a capital correspondence!
My hand is so fatigued with writing, copying his despatches to Govt. for I dare not send the originals by this opportunity, & sending a copy of my journal for Hodgson to forward to you, that I can write no more -- the said

journal H[odgson]. will send you a copy of at once. I also so very much doubt this reaching you that I do not care to write much hereby.
I have made you a fine collection of seeds & am in excellent health & spirits too. The weather is wretched, fog rain, but this place is low (about 6000ft) & the climate delicious at this season.
My old friend Meepo sticks well to me, & will I hope get this on to Darjeeling where a demonstration from the military will affect our release at once -- the Rajah has not 50 stand of arms, nor 50 men to handle them.
I have now to beg & implore you not to make a stir about this -- I have never deceived you nor my mother, & intreat[sic] you to remark that all I say on the score of my position not exciting any apprehension of my safety, is strictly true, & to make it otherwise is mere romancing. I am allowed the

free use of all my instruments plants & books & am busy & well occupied all day long.
Pray write to Frances Henslow & Aunt Palgrave & do not allow my Mother to harbor dismal thoughts of any description -- I have heaps of letters written & writing, Bentham, Berkeley, Darwin &c but send only this by this chance. Campbell's situation is distressing for Mrs C[ampbell]'s confinement is expected early in December & she has usually been confined a month earlier than that.
Best love to Bessy who I hope enjoyed her visit to Scotland.
Have any of my Meconopsis grown? I have ripe seeds of another, quite new, yellow flowered & very beautiful. Thomson is to be at Darjeeling on the 20th. No news about Nepal I have written you heaps of letters of late & have several sheets still to send.
Ever your most aff[ectionate] Son | Jos D Hooker [signature]