Knowsley
June 29 1844
To B.H. Hodgson
Bengal Civil Service
Longport
Canterbury
[?] Hotel
Vere Street
Oxford Street
London
Sir
I have this morning [?] with yours of the 23rd Inst. and beg to return my best acknowledgements for your kind assistance not on this account alone but on many others previous as I have been fully informed by [Wm. J. Smith?] of the ready aid you have always afforded in enabling him to carry out my wishes of obtaining the various interesting productions of the Hemmaleh Countries, altho' I regret to think in how many instances your kind exertions in my favour have been frustrated by the conjoint efforts of the changed climate and the length of the voyage which has been particularly distressing in the case of the Pheasants of which I fear I must say that the only individual which ahs survived the transit and still does in a very fair specimen of the male [Thos. lineates of Latham/Khatam?] which however we cannot induce to cross with the Hens of any other kind. I earnestly hope that those announced in tour present letter may prove more successful by [?] Smith's advice. I am about to send out in the next Month a person from hence to aid William L. on the spot in the care of the young animals and to take charge of them on their transit to this country partly by the overland and partly by the sea voyage. This person is my principal superintendent here and he will take an assistant or two with him to promote this division of the forces on the return. If you sh[oul]d happen to see Mr. Ogilby or Drs. [Royle] or Falconer, they can tell you the whole of the Plan and [?] [?] remaining in London. When he goes up, I shall return to give him a letter of introduction to you in order that he may profit by any hints you may be disposed to afford him. Should you be aware by what ship the animals your letter has announced to me will be conveyed you will much oblige me by this intelligence, that I may put in train the requisite enquiries after them
I remain Sir
Your very much obliged
Derby