Darjeeling Jun[?] 23rd 1848 My dear Mother,
I quite forget whether I wrote to you by last mail, or only promised to, the latter most likely. I am now most comfortably located with Mr Hodgson*1, a very perfect gentleman in all his actions & feelings & an exceedingly clever one to boot --We are working together every evening at Himalayas plants[,] Geography & Natrl[Natural] History. & though I say it myself it is time that I ought in a month or two to have a better knowledge of [these?] plants of India than any man having every advantage that an excellent Library & tutor can afford. We are now arranging a [sketch?] by which to divide the range into natural sections, each of which will bear some illustration from personal experience & books, & this ground plan will do for others to work upon. It is a wonderful country & if only comparable throughout its length as interesting as the

Andes & in reality far less known. The rains have set-in now in right good earnest, and it pours all day long & night too, with seldom a half hours intermission. However I do hope to get up a great deal of mss for my father but copying out is a greivous[sic] task & I devote the whole of the day-light to just Botany, drawing & arranging what my collectors bring in & plant driers [illeg]. The collections are proceeding very much to my own satisfaction on the whole though minus[?] a day perhaps but I could have done more -- Taking observations with my Barometer & is my only relaxation; but I have been so much out of late that until today I have hardly begun to observe regularly. There is hardly a Thermometer in the place, & as to what o'clock it is no one knows within 1/2 an hour.

Though we have had this place for 15 years no one has yet discovered that its height is about 500ft lower than they calculate it. Many thanks for your good letter received this forenoon, Lest I forget it Hodgson begs to send his kindest[?] regards to Wallich*2 & to say that we are reading Madden's*3 long paper on (its for you) on the Botany of [K? illeg] whereon he has taken up the cudgels for W. [Wallich] most valiantly[illeg] that Falconer*4 wrote me of the [Atheneum?] & location[?] & took it most kind of Wallich to have communicated [this to us?]. I since read through a list of references[?] [without?] any idea of finding any of [citations?] of mine amongst them till the other day, when I felt all but sure of seeing my fathers name [occuring?] The C.B.G.[Calcutta Botanic Garden] -- There things are [given?] with so little discretion that it is no matter after all, I was a little disappointed I must confess. All India is laughing [at us?] For everyone being made one & Colvile*5[?] has just sent me a letter from the

Auckland*6 family describing T[revelyans?] bustle at the invasion of Chartists in the most ludicrous manner Gurney*7 you see has done very well, though against my opinion is refusing what was first offered, in that however he acted with Dr Bell's advice, who seemed to trust more to my influence with Ld. D[Dalhousie]*8 than I did by a great deal. G[Gurney] is most attentive to me and all he says & thinks about Darwin*9 most sound; he rather however stuck to the idea of a chaplaincy for him & I could not make him believe how unsuited for it D[? ] really was. I think he has quite given up the notion now however. I am very sorry though not surprised that D.[Darwin?] should have treated my father so; I hope the latter does not take it to heart. He all but turned on me once or twice during his illness & in my life I never had so difficult a card to play as with him. Poor fellow-- I deeply pity him-- but what is to be done I cannot at all say. Who can?

I need hardly say that I feel very much your& Elizabeths*10 kindness to Frances*11, for which she is most grateful. The advantage of [harp?] lessons etc. is a very great one &for which I ought to pay. I do not know what I have in the bank after the order for instruments I sent home, but I think of selling some of my things before I leave especially the Barometer for which I have separately been offered double price! I heard from Giffy*12 the other day he is much better and waiting[working?] for his examination- it is a great pity that Lord Falkland*13 is so ill, for the recommendation [?] through the [Dalie?] would be conclusive if the Governor has only him to attend to business. I should like to have seen Bigelow*14, having heard so much of him as a Botanical & as Maria's[?] kind friend - What took Frances to Paris? - I am pleased to hear

that Dr [? letter torn] thinks there is nothing serious the matter with Aunt Hannah; he is certainly by far the best [advice?] in London; & likely to be far more careful than Locock*15. Mr Hodgson is going to send a little paper to [Müller?]*16 on the aborigines of India, which will I think please him very much. If you should see Sir G Clerk*17 or my father, you may remember that he is a very great friend of Hodgson. Now that the rains have set in I am in doors almost daily & having scarcely getting out a few yards to pick up some Fungi, which swarm now & of which I have a considerable collection of drawings for Mr Berkeley*18, to whom I want to write soon as I do to a great many other people. The [Notion?] is

amongst the knowing ones that there will be no war in the NW. with Moultan: the affair though far from trifling seems to have been very much Exaggerated. What you heard of the Cholera was quite true, it was raging in the plains beneath all last month, 32 dying in one day at the jail of Purneah[Purnia]. It appears so confined to natives that there is little doubt their weather did engender it – Now I suppose it is all over; the rains having set in below I hear. I did not ever hear of Mrs Purriers butler[?] at Burdwan where l only staid[sic] part of one day. I have been writing such a long letter to my Father in that I can scarcely get on with any more & so shall leave this till tomorrow morning 24th If you want to read a most diverting book get the English

translation of Jacquemonts*19 letters & pray let Planchon*20 have a look at it. I certainly was surprised at your going to Devonshire House, there are great sights, but I always liked the Lyells*21, Babbages*22 Houses & parties very much better, Poor Lady V Halkett is dead I see. Tell my father I will see about the Adansonia[?] when I return to the plains, it does not grow here & I never saw the flower or indeed good specimens except at Herb.[arium] Calcutta[Kolkata]. Kind love to Bessy to whom I have not written for long time. also to Aunt Elizabeth & Uncle Palgrave. Many thanks for communicating from me to Darwin Ever Y[ou]r most affectionate son | Jos D Hooker [signature] | Love to Cit{illeg]en & Kind regards to Fitch*23 - | Tell me how [Harry?] gets on when you write.