Affichage de 148 résultats

Zoological Society of London
11 Hanover Square
London W

Dear Sir

The package containing your collection of drawings is safely arrived and shall be placed in our Librarian's hands for examination and arrangement. I shall have the pleasure of specially reporting your liberal donation at the next Council. I shall also ask the Council to admit you Fellow in accordance with our Bye-Laws (ch.vii) as requested in your letter.

Yours faithfully

P.L. Sclater

B.H. Hodgson Esq.

Jan 2[n]d 1844

Received of B.H. Hodgson Esq

397 Mammalia Skins
406 Osteological Specimens of Mammalia and
663 Osteological Specimens of Birds, and
4425 Bird Skins

Total number of specimens 5891

Edwd. Gerrard

Mammals Skins as
Above 397
Add given to
Mr Gerrard 5

                   402
                      -

Birds Skins as above 4425
Add given to Mr. G 19

                                4444

Canterbury January 3[r]d 1845

The Trustees of the British Museum

My Lords and Gentlemen
I have this day delivered to the Agent of the Museum at this place the following articles in continuation of the series of drawings and specimens illustrative of the Zoology of Nepal and Tibet already presented to the Museum
Drawings of Animals 15 +
Drawings of Birds 70 = 85

Skins of Mammals 402 +
Skins of Birds 4444 = 4846

Osteological specimens of Mammals 406+
Osteological specimens of Birds 663 = 1069
Grand Total as per details Lists delivered to Mr Gerrard 5996

The osteological Specimens have been added to the others in compliance with a suggestion of the Keeper of the Zoological department after inspection of them, and I believe they will be found of high value not only in helping to determine the important question of the true nature and limits of species, but also in forwarding the great end of natural classification not to speak of the aids they will afford towards [fixing?] the particular species of my large Collection upon a firm basis. I shall be glad to learn that the Trustees ratify the suggestion of their Officer.
This branch of the Collection, like the others, is rich in duplicates of which assuming that the originals are permanently deposited in the Museum, it is my request that one series may be hereafter delivered to the College of Surgeons if desired by that institution.
The drawings now presented, amounting to eighty one constitute the regularly numbered sequel of the series to which they belong (20 inches by 12) and which series they nearly complete. What remains to conclude the set shall be prepared and sent as soon as may be. Meanwhile I recommend that prompt measures be taken by the Museum to secure possession of those which went before them and which having fallen into various hands do not seem to be, all of them, forth-coming as they ought to be. The numbered Catalogues according to wh[ich] these drawings were prepared and despatched from India, will afford a ready clue to the amount of drawings that ought to be forthcoming according to the Catalogues adverted to, the number of Species is as follows -
Mammals of Nepal 126
Birds of Nepal 656
Mammals of Tibet 47
Most of these species were separately delineated and of many of them there were several delineations in this series of drawings, not, to mention the larger series preceding it and which likewise, so far as carried, ought to be forthcoming and has been presented to the Museum

Signed
B.H. Hodgson

British Museum
4th March 1845

Sir

Having laid your letter of the 4th February before the Trustees I am directed to express the hope that the tabular statement of your Collections which has been transmitted to you by Mr. Gray, is as far as it extends satisfactory I fear that we shall have very great difficulty in obtaining possession of the Drawings delivered to Mr. Howard. The Museum Solicitors have had an interview with the Solicitor of the party who levied the distress and from the facts which they elicited they incline to the opinion that you have lost all legal claim to the Drawings.
I have the honor to be
Sir
Your most obedient
humble Servant

J. Forshall
Secretary

B.H. Hodgson

[Pencilled notes in the margin]
of Distribution:-
full of omissions and inaccuracies want copy of the thing when correct I will pay for its being copied

[Foot of letter]
I must compromise then what to pay? and I or the Museum?

British Museum
March 15 1845

My dear Sir
The Trustees have determined upon retaining in the museum a complete series of your Osteological Specimens, in the belief that these specimens will be of great use in the [?] necessary in the Departments both of recent and [?] Zoology.
They think it however right to appraise you that it is not their intention to articulate any of these specimens or to exhibit them to the public but to arrange and preserve them for the purpose of Scientific enquiries

I have the honor to be,
My dear Sir
Your very obedient Servant
J. Forshall

B. H. Hodgson Esq

1 Feb 1847

My Dear Sir

We have sent you 12 copies of the [enclosed?] a letter from the Trustees and one from me by Richardson and as I find his parcel will not be despatched until the 15th and Dr Horsfield having kindly undertaken to send one by the mail tomorrow I have [therefore?] taken advantage of his offer.

Ever yours Truly
J.E. Gray

To B. H. Hodgson

Memos of Mr. Hodgson's Zoology

The species are:- Mammals of Nepal 126 - Mammals of Tibet 47 - Birds of Nepal 656

The Collections consist of Drawings of skins and of skeletons
The Drawings amount to 108 plates of anatomical delineations and 814 of ordinary fig. of Beast and Bird, the skins now brought to England and delivered to Brit. Mus. consist 402 Mammals and 4444 Birds
The osseous specimens delivered with them amount to 1069
Besides the above wh[ich] have been just now handed over by me to
the Museum, a large collection of specimens and drawings was made
over in Jany 1843 by my father, whereof I find Memo as follows:-
Drawings delivered to Mr Hawkins 709
Bird Skins - 408, Quadr. Skins - 49
The specimens and drawings having been presented to Brit. Mus. the desideration now is to ascertain that the whole are procured and properly preserved

[Namthiki?] right opposite
Darj. on shoulder of Tendong

May 5th 1849

My dear H
I have just finished a long story to Campbell about my reception in Sikkim which comprises all of importance I have to detail and which I need not repeat you will be glad to learn that the new [Vakhil?] the Tchebu Lama has as far as appearances go my full approbation, whether armed with proper powers of no I cannot say. I hope he is, having very promptly stopped the feeble demonstration just shewn by an ill conditioned burly Bhotea here and sent forward an order which he says will prevent further mistakes. The man is the one I told you of at Bhomsong is the Dewan of the late Rajah's son, he has been to Llasa and Dejauli resided at both, swears that my [grapes?] there are brought fresh to Ladakh that it is a cold place in Winter too hot for his present robes for many months of the Summer and has but a scanty growth of [?] trees he never saw the [Bison] but describes it well and as from the North where the horns are brought to Llasa much prized. You would get much out of him and will find him altogether a fool and a [?] (and I speak advisedly) superior a man. I am pleased with my first impressions regarding him and can only say I most sincerely hope that Campbell's troubles have ended or approach it. After leaving you we bade good bye to Mrs Campbell and the children from whom I thought I should never get away and then down to Grants and when I called on [McDonnell?] and chiapri both were at breakfast and I was rather superciliously presented to my Lady, with a sort of shrug of the shoulder as much as to say that's she whatever you may think of her status, old C called her Mrs McGregor or McKenzie I think. She was very nicely dressed, modest and well looking, discretely behaved, pretty withall and gracious - tall straight and handsome in every degree "a well favored wench, very broad in between the eyes and broad mouthed but undeniable in forehead, hair and a good nose. I talked advisedly about flowers and the comparative advantages of Darj and [?] whilst old [Chiapi?] ate bread and jelly like a [Mursey?] boy. I pricked his sound ear. Without nonsense she is very nearly a Lady in looks and manners. Archy would not come in and I left him to go on and wait for me [below viridi sub umbra?]. Mr McDonnell you know and I like him none the less, he remains here for the season and I am to call on my return that way! We dined and slept at the Gt. Rungeet chatting [?] and all the more so as it seemed too [?] to contrast more harshly with my present solitude. Campbell is really all you say of him putting all his affectionate regard for me on one side, his bonhomie in the jungles through appreciation of the most trifling desire to please and opportunity of being pleasant between the most amiable man breathing I would give a great deal for his temper which I [feel?] all the more from having fallen into a towering passion myself on the moment of my arrival with [Hopman] and [?] [?] These genei had preceded us, pitched my little cotton tent and put the [?] with covers off inside, it was raining cats and dogs and the 2 fools stood by seeing the whole of our goods getting soaked without lifting a hand to throw a tarpaulin over them. I looked very hard for the Pinus Excelia but could not see a specimen, nor does one of my Lepchas or Bhoteas know any other species but [tonpifolia?]. If the specimen in Campbell's garden really came from this it must have been extremely rare and is now extant but I doubt the authenticity of it's origin. The slope of Tendong a S. expanse to leeward of [Simbul?] I found and expected much drier than either slope of [?] [?] ascending to 3000ft but not very much of it. Still enough for the leaves to make the path slippery it grows no where in Sikkim, inside or outside. To-day I have been passing a very narrow [?] [?] expanding into flats and some of the spurs from it are singularly terrace like and of equal altitude. The scenery is extremely beautiful from the river beds upwards chiefly owing to the great delicacy of the young foliage, the tints are lovely and delicate, the [?] and acacia below and the smaller [?] and above this (6000ft) you enter the gloomy and harsher coloured region of Darjeeling woods but still [?] here than there. The hills too here are more rugged in outline and the landscape hence varied and pretty views of this character are rare in Sikkim. I looked again at the flats along the Gt. Rungeet and am, most positive that the rivers had nothing to do with the transport of the enormous boulders 12 and 15 yards long which are deposited on the top of the deep beds or rubbish earth and water even boulders. The accompanying may give you some idea of their position relatively to sides of valley and river being most attendant on the centre of the flat they could not be rolled down from above and indeed shew no signs of that, and any stream of sufficient force to wash them on to their present position would have been infinitely more than sufficient to have swept away the whole deposits on which they lie. I presume the Deposits to have been the bottom when the valley was an arm of the sea that boulders were deposited from glaciers in the new Fiords that on the retirement of the waters the bay became a river when beds are stretched from [?] gradually retiring to its present level always eating away the preexisting detrital flow of the valley which by diversions of its channel may be still modified but not materially altered. I must now break off and will write you up my journal by next [?] to Darjeeling. My best regards to Tayler who I wish was with me
Ever your sincerely grateful and affectionate
Jos. D. Hooker4
I am travelling in great comfort as to stores and [traps?]

Choongtam May 19th 18[?]

My dear friend

I have this moment received yours of the 11th and as usual perused it with real satisfaction to myself and in this case with much pleasure as it contains no ill news of yourself or friends. What you say of your [Lady?] party reminds of of my neglect in not telling you in my first letter about Mrs Lydiard which in part accounts for Mr. Campbell's gaucheness in doing the honors and that to have made you smile must have been marked, for in such affairs you are the soul of good feeling putting breeding, another shield out of the question. [?] Mrs C does not quite like Mrs. L there is no more to be said about the matter - we both consider Mrs C as one of the most amiable and laudable of her sex but were she a born angel still he comes under the [bar] - wise heads have said "women are the Devil" the commoner sort of 'Kittle Cattle' and My dear H. as Napier sagaciously adds "The least said the soonest mended for though we may understand them by their actions we ne3ver can follow them without being women ourselves. So much for my purple philosophy. Many thanks for your kind attentions to my wants and [people?] [Runghim?] knows everything about my plants and that he can supply himself with whatever assistance he requires he has two [merlins?] and will have another Lepcha if he wants he is a drunken dog and has played me a slippery trick but as I like Lepchas and the complexion of their faults too, I will say no more about them. I am glad that you like my picture of which I am not the least [?] and quite believe it is as good and like as you say. The Lepchas I much liked and the scenary was not finished. Tayler craved and craved to be allowed to make a sketch for me. I did wish very much to say, give me the simplest outline of Hodgson, to send him and be kept at home for me; but I know quite well that subject not after his own fancy I mean is sure to be spoiled, and I did not know how, after the mess he made of [Miss Percy?] and the dislike he had to do the prettiest and nicest children in the station (after doing the [?]) he would take and effect my request. I know he is really anxious to do me a drawing, but what with the above - is telling Mrs. C that he would not allow her to give away her copies and his pointing out to me several that he will neither copy himself or allow others to copy, - I was placed in so awkward a dilemma that I [?] out altogether. The price of such a print as you say should depend wholly on the number of subscribers. If I remember right if a New Zealand view of about that size was 12/6- Frazers Himal published I suppose 30 years ago has I think 10 plates and letter press for £20 but things are far cheaper now. Salt's Abyssinia 10 superb views like [?] £10 I should say 10/6 at the very outside is enough. J. M. Richardson's 10 views of the Swiss Lakes and Lombardy are the most exquisite specimens of the "coloured lithograph" I ever saw (and he is a magnificent artist) sell for £5 and Tayler's cannot come near these were he at home to superintend. There will be three classes of purchaser for Kangcham-

1. Ourselves and others interested in the place 2. Picture collectors and 3. Sundries who want to cover [?]. The first alone will give a good price. The second have far too good a choice in Engravings from the best Masters at 1/- to £10 and the last would only hang a coloured lithograph in the hall. The price should therefore depend on the number of subscribers and Tayler's opinion of his own merits added thereto. What their [Want?] may be in a pecuniary light I know not, but poor Harrison now dead did me an incomparably better view than any of Tayler's for £5 and my Father had the pick of Richardson's Portfolio for £10 and chose a universally admired full water color drawing of Como with the morning mist rising. I have seen first rate Stanfields and [?] Fieldings fetch £40 and £50. I talk of pictures of the size of Tayler's 6 views, larger ones fetch either untold sums more or much less, generally the latter. Worst of all Tayler must I suppose raise the wind first and to do this he has not the [advantitious?] aid of portraits and the hundred other claims on the purse and pride of members which Sikh-guns had. Nor can he sell the stone for 6d as he hopes to do the copperplate of the guns. And now I must again turn to the subject of Thibet. I need hardly say with these timorous and distrustful people my attempts in that quarter were taken for granted, not that as you suspected the [?] Sect is the religion of this Country. Except by a direct falsehood I never would have [?] my intentions and between implicit obedience to and through contempt of the Rajah's order there was no choice. That the latter was my view of my view of his interference was known to be the case, as both Meepo and the Lamas have shown and continue is the determination of pursuing my objective in the face of this and of the religious fears of the people would so [open] me to the loss of any further advantages to be gained by continuing my explorations of Sikkim. I am neither John Knox nor a [?] [?] to break my head against their people's stone idols, and to do so would be to give the lie to the avowed harmlessness of my pursuits. I have therefore told my guide that I shall not go one step across the frontier, but fully investigate all on this side. Meepo has been thoroughly honest and candid throughout and the Monks behaved extremely well, even in the expectation of my outraging their prejudices and their interests. It is a bitter disappointment, the more so as it falls heavily upon you my kind, zealous and liberal friend and upon my equally good Campbell - you have both done all that in you lay, and if fault there be, it must rest with me. The Rajah and Monks have taken the initiative, and though I may not have asked them for the best I am quite sure the result would entail the great loss under any different line of conduct. The miserably futile attempt to laugh down fears was as far as I saw, or see the only course open to an Englishman, had I done so effectively the result would have been prejudicial to my views on Sikkim, not to talk of consequences I have before alluded to. I have written fully to Campbell on the subject and my journal will give the [?]. What you say of my being [bitten?] by Lyell and Darwin is gospel truth, they are my Masters, men of 20 and 30 years experience, over all Europe and N. America some of them around the world. Darwin is one of the most amiable and pleasing men I ever met, a gentleman by birth, education and happy [one] of fortune and in all other respects and having travelled over the same countries (he as a man, I as a boy) I naturally accept his interpretations of my many difficulties. Lyell again is the son of one of my Father's oldest friends, a man of great classical attainments, taste and good fortune and one of the most high spirited and liberal men I ever knew. Charles is not half so pleasing a man as his Father, though of more general attainments. I can just remember the stir his Principles made, its translation and [extranilation?] into all languages even Hungarian! and its [placing?] the author some 15 years ago at once over the heads of all geologists, a position he has since retained, whilst his theories, even those that found least favor at first, are daily gaining ground at home and abroad. I must affirm that I find them truer and better than any others, and now that I think more for myself than ever, I believe proportionally impressed with the fundamental truths he lays down Geologists may still quarrell and always will about the the relative age of some of the strata, of the composition and origin of them and in such trifles Lyell may be wrong, his [?] views however are undisputed and I am inclined to [carry?] them out much further than he has from an examination of the Himalayas I do wish very much you could see this country: it would change I am sure some of your opinions and of these regions one can form no proper original conception except by inspection. There is I still think less uniformity in the Himal. than you grant, this valley differs widely from that of the Gt. Rungeet or Wallanchoon resembling Griffiths account of Bhutan much further South and the mere fact of Sikkim having no Pines between 2 and 10,000ft which is every day more clear is a physical feature too strong to be overlooked. All this I will keep for a palaver, my journal will tell you of these terraces and of the [?] of pebbles [agglutirated?] to the rocks high above the river. Thanks for your kind [care?] about my men and plants, let them go on drying and packing the roots I send with moss in baskets. Also kindly send another (2[n]d) load of Nepal Paper and ask Bhaggun to get some Potatoes, Onion and Rice - two bottles of brown Sherry I will beg from your store. Have you thought of advertising your home? Then repairs will be very expensive and if the house stands empty a season all will be throw away.

Best Regards to Tayler and Compliments to Mrs Lydiard
Ever your affectionate and [?]
Jos. D. Hooker

May 20th
P.S. Campbell is again anxious about Nepal - calm him if you can I will [?] the G.G. and would ask roundly had the question involved any Scientific Interest - but you know my opinion of the G.G. and that he would not like my interference on any non scientific subject. I have made a point in all my correspondence of making direct allusion to Campbell.