YEUMTONG, UPPER LACHOONG VALLEY. September 2nd, 1849. Dear Mother, This day I have had the pleasure of receiving the long-looked for box of books from England. It arrived some months ago at Darjeeling, but Dr. Campbell did not suppose I should care to have its contents. The coolies who brought them and food have been 26 days on the road, and eaten an immense share of my provisions of course. The Kew Annals I have been devouring with especial delight; it is a capital work, the like not seen since the old Annals of Botany. I hope my Father will carry it on with equal spirit, and cater for economic botany for every number. If I had but time I would draw up a paper on the edibles of Sikkim, but I am really excessively busy, my plants keep me hard at work; besides, the Annals have no lack of me and mine as it is. You have forgotten, after all, any allusion to Mr. Hodgson, who gave me the curious information of Jains, of which I knew as little as you did. The

two copies of Turner's Thibet are come, most fortunately for me, as I retain Mr. Hodgson's copy and send Mr. Campbell his. I have been extremely interested in this most excellent work; my route comes into his map; he is, however, full 15 miles out in Long. and Lat., so tell my Father to be careful when consulting it. The paper has not accompanied the wax for rubbing brasses, which is a great pity as I wanted to take inscriptions at Lachoong. I am not getting on well with the authorities and have had another piece of insolence to report to headquarters. A poor Lepcha came to my camp and offered his services as hunter. I wanted one to help the shooters and stuffers, but would not take him without some warrant; he hovered about the camp, and next day, the shooters and coolies came and begged me to take him, offering themselves to pay and feed him. I refused on the same grounds, adding that if the Singtam Soubah (my guide and Soubah of all this district) or Meepo, or the Choongtam Lama would answer for the man I would take him, pay and feed him myself.

The Singtam Soubah volunteered, and I at once engaged the Lepcha. He was active and useful, bringing in wild sheep and deer while we were at Choongtam, and when I left him with the shooters to follow me, the poor fellow with an abscess on the ankle, from which I took nearly 1/2 a pint of matter. I was no sooner gone than the Choongtam Lama seized and twice flogged him; threatening him with loss of house and property if he dared to follow me - this affair was known to the Singtam Soubah and all my people, who were bound by the Singtam Soubah not to reveal it to me. This wanton outrage on a paid servant of mine, and tampering with my camp, have vexed me much. Dr. Campbell is very kind and liberal to me, unremitting in his solicitude for my success, and leaving no stone unturned to make me personally comfortable and happy. Yesterday I forwarded a second packet of seeds to Falconer and a third travels with this letter; I do hope some will grow. What a splendid subscription list Reeve has for the Rhododendrons; quite a little Debrett. I call one "Hodgsoni," a most noble fellow; he refused having one of the last set on grounds I never dreamt of; he did not like appearing to cater for the shadow of a return for his hospitality. As Rhododendron Hodgsoni will come first, I have prepared a dog-Latin paean for 9/ Hodgson, which I should be much obliged if my Grandfather would correct.

I have just received a long letter from Edgeworth; he, poor fellow, has lost, in the space of one year, his only brother, two sisters, and his only child. He holds one of the three Commissionerships in the Punjaub, but his wife is not allowed to join him; he writes most warmly, kindly and heartily. Mr. Taylor sends my portrait home for you to see, but begs it may be returned at once. Do not omit to tell me what money I have in the Bank, what I have drawn is (1st) £500, which my Father sent out to Calcutta in Jany. /48 (2nd) £300 drawn since upon him, in March or April 1849. I believe I have still this £300 in Calcutta untouched. I will send a power of attorney as soon as i-can obtain it, or whatever is required, i.e. when I return to Darjeeling. My collections are making good progress in spite of the Bhoteas. I am only waiting for fine weather to go northward. Thomson writes in good health and spirits. I too am well and hearty, and sending immense numbers of Pines, Rhododendrons etc. to Darjeeling, to fill the Ward's case for Kew. Are any of my plants growing yet? The Polka jacket will be most acceptable, and the slippers too. I have repeatedly remarked the circumstance to which

I have repeatedly remarked the circumstance to which my Father alludes in Madden's paper, of plants flowering and seeding much earlier at the higher passes than at lower elevations; I can explain it very easily - it is a general phenomenon, and not partial or confined to English plants. I want actinometers to measure the force of solar radiation, and thus state numerically the value of the power that so anomalously influences the same plant. I doubt Barometric pressure having anything to do with the limiting species to elevations. Our seasons here are wholly different from those in the N.W., but these are very complicated questions depending on the distribution of both light and heat. JOS. D. HOOKER. 3 Oct. [18]49. Choogtam. I collected specimens of about 20 or 25 species (Rhododendron) on the road down, all with green pods. The tardy advance of the whole flora is most remarkable, a many plants, actually sipering their seeds & uniformly parts flower at 15-16000 ft, are still in full bloom at 7-10,000. The reason plainly is, the further north you go, the more sunshine there is.