Utrecht Sunday June 20 (rcvd. Wedy. June 23)*1
Dearest Mother*2
When I wrote last to you (from Copenhagen)) I expected that we should return by Hamburgh[sic]; on Tuesday, but on our arrival there the wind was so high & the barometer so low that I abandoned the intention & having a little unspent money, I determined to make the detour by Holland to Rotterdam, all the more as I wanted much to see the collection of Palms at Heueshauren*3 (Hanover) & the Japan plants at Leiden & Bot Mognet at Utrecht. At Hamburgh we were met by Prof Reichenbach*4 & Mr Booth, for of[?] Pabar[?] old[?] friends[?] the nurseryman

of Hamburgh, who supplied many of the trees for the arboretum -- We spent one day at the Zoological & Botanical Garden of He. with D. R. & the next at Mr Booth’s which is some way out of town, beyond Attona[?] in a very beautiful country bordering the river & covered with lovely country villas of the rich Hamburgh[sic] merchants. Hanover is but a few hours railway journey from H. We reached it on Thursday night on Friday drove L. Heueshauren*3 through the most lovely Garden & grounds of the Rakee. The

Garden is very large & well kept. The Palms the finest in Europe far surpassing Kew in number & good collection[?], and a few in height too: it rained here all day. In the evening we went on to a place on the Dutch fronteer[?] & slept. & on the Friday morning proceeded throug[h]*5 on Arnheim[Arnhem] to Utrecht. Dr Megriel[?] was delighted to see us & offered us a bed in end[?] house which [is]*5 large & good. Mrs Megriel[?] is a very nice person speaks French[?] & knows English, & we like the 4 daughters who are handsome & very lady like girls [1 word illeg.] Altogether I like the Dutch & their ways better than any other people

on the continent -- there is an air of gentility & comfort about the well to do families that we see nowhere else out of England. Their ways are very much ours & [i]n*5 many matters far superior to ours Yesterday we went to Amsterdam & spent the day very pleasantly on sight seeing, chiefly pictures which I had not seen since /[18]43[?] The Town is, as you know, most picturesque & full of stately prevale[?] Houses, broad canals & capital trees -- it is however very unsavory, even in this cool rainy weather -- Hence[?] we go to Rotterdam the Hague & Heyden all close by, for a few hours each & take the Steamer for London on Tuesday morning early arriving at Kew on Wednesday forenoon [3 words illeg.] : so[?] this will be really my

*5 an ovation prepared for [1 word illeg.] by the aged Fores[?], who with him 2 sons 2 dausi[?] & several [2 words illeg.] us[?] at the Train --& gave us an entertainment before we left -making me a long Latin speech, Which I had to answer in English. A mass of the Upsala[sic] students were on the Platform to see us off -- Old Fores[?] is a magnificent old man, tall[?] & upright like my father,*6 with long white hair, large piercing eyes & a most benevolent face. He was, as you know, one of my fathers oldest correspondents -- Most of Tuesday we spent in the Swedish National Gallery where are all sorts of objects of Art, including a most magnificent collection of Danish Swedish antiquities of all ages, stone, bronze iron & later. The Keeper, a Dr Hillebrand[?] spent 2 hours with us over this collection, which was extraordinarily

[interesting] & rich[?]: it was difficult to believe that the Danish Swedish of A.D. 6, - 14,00, had arrived at such a knowledge of working metals. Wednesday morning we saw the Palace where are many nice, Swedish Pictures, inclu[ding] some of the Kings, who is a fair landscape painter. That evening we left by steamer for Copenha[gen] a delightful 2 days sail through Canals & Lakes the whole way The country all the way much like the borders of the Highlands but without mountains in the distance. Sweden is altogether a most delightful country to travel in -- the people so nice clean & civil. The living cheap plain & excellent. & the country very[?] beautiful. Ever Dearest Mother | ever most aff[ectionate] son | JD Hooker I am very glad to hear that Aunt Harriet*7 is better.*8 We leave tomorrow night for Hamburgh & the London Steamer*9 each letter to you from abroad/should[?] this town: the town harbour a much pleasant one & the lash[?] past at Utrecht, not the train so[?]*10 -- Ever your most aff[ecti]on[ate] son | JD Hooker[signature]*11