Affichage de 27 résultats

Govt. House
Calcutta
March 22/50

My dear Brian
I have as you will see by my letter to [?] 2 interviews with Jung Bahadur one with Elliott and Grey as advocates and interpreters, the other with Capt. Kavanagh was wholly private. I look on both as very unfavourable but do not yet give up. The hitch is supposed to be the dislike on the part of the [?] to his own rule:- if so it shews a dangerous state of J.B.'s own affairs if not I do not see what it can be, for he [professes?] the utmost wish and friendship of you, he [?] most warmly says you were half a [?] and that you were allowed to go and do exactly what you pleased all over the country a statement I took the liberty of contradicting. In [person] he is certainly good looking and very lively, intelligent and agreeable in manners very dissipated however and with such bad teeth that the woman kind in town will not count his favours so much as they otherwise most certainly would have. I send you the list of his suite you desired, the two younger brothers are not the least like himself but round faced fat fellows. They are all living at a very fine house on the outskirts of Calcutta, but such a scene of club and conference as I encountered this morning struck me as rather disrespectable. I have J.B. a copy of my Rhods. book which pleased him vastly and he asked me for a special letter of Introduction to my Father at Kew. Have had a talk with Lady D, who advises me to [seek?] Thoresby first and that if Bahadur does plead the [enmity?] of other chiefs it would be as well to drop the matter if not he was press a straight forward answer and consider its being withheld as an unfriendly act to our Goot. Meanwhile J.B. goes to Juggernath for 10 days starting at once but Lord D. will write to him there rather detain me unnecessarily in Calcutta. I breakfasted at Colvile's this morning and found both himself and Mrs C looking remarkably well. They made many enquiries about you. I am [?] with buggies already and have taken to a [Palber Gharry?] rather low you will say but not leaving a single turn in the town and eternally misled as one is, a Bhuggi drive is no sinecure in this heated, dusty and crowded city such a wretched and hateful place as this I never was in no names to the streets, homes, shops or people - no pronouncing the directions you gave [?] to tis natives not they intelligently to you - no Directory - People and Homes called after some fanciful resemblance or [-unction]. It is quite impossible to get along without an interpreter or very clever [?] such as are not to be [?] up in a hurry. Then there are half holidays that affect the Merchants only, the Law Courts only, of the Govt. offices only or any two or all three. No water by day, no lights by night. Streets blocked up with lumber at one end and open at another always miles behind. That trade should flourish under every disadvantage and yield an enormous return only shows the inexhaustable revenues of India and the bad use made of them but I am not going to growl any more. Though I do say this is one of the most unsatisfactory holes I ever was in and giving the name "City of Palaces" to the lath and plaster suburbs of as [?] a city of hovels as any country in the world presents is mere mockery. It is post time I have no more news at present [Taylor/Tayler?] is almost never to be found at the Post Office and his house is so far off that I have not been there yet. I called yesterday and will again to-day. I fear his character is ruined in Calcutta as an officer - Mrs. Colville told me that Lord D remarked very severely on his absence so long in Nepal and Darjeeling and I hear his pay was cut. I fear that he has been very foolish

Ever dear Brian
Yrs affectionately (scribbled)
Jos. D. Hooker

M------
11th May 1850

My dear Hodgson

In the hurry and bustle and excitement of leaving Dorjiling [?] I had not, or rather did not avail myself of an opportunity of saying what I felt at the time very strongly how much I was indebted to you for your kindness during the many pleasant days which I spent in your house I trust therefore you will excuse my putting on paper what I neglected to say at the time. I shall long look back with pleasure to the happy months I spent at Dorjiling and to the extreme kindness of every one there. Joe and I only arrived at this place last evening, and have been most kindly received by Dr. Lamb we have had a good deal of heat and our progress has been very tedious. Our morning walks have however been very productive botanically but we are not anxious to linger with the thermometer at 97 for a longer period than is absolutely necessary and are already longing for the time when we shall commence the ascent towards Churra. We have given up our contemplated visit to [G] Dr Lamb assures us that several days would be required to see the place at all - and we have not time to spare, and a hurried look is not worth while, we go on at once after breakfast towards [B] which we hope to reach on the fourth day at the furthest. I do not think that the ten days of our journey have produced any event very worthy of record beyond the usual porpoises and alligators of a Bengal Nullah. Many parts of the Mahanuddy are very narrow quite equal like, very deep, sluggish and peculiar. Here it is a fine wide river with an [?] population on both banks.

Believe me ever
Yrs very truly

Thomas Thomson

....he did not give it to me [Martin?] [Gomez?] you will know ere this has gone back to Dorjiling and I hope to Calcutta, he wrote to me resigning my service formally so that he is out of it date 6th October. The blackguard went to Bowling for a med. [?] on account of pains in the fingers! which was referred the [?] the whole way out -Pray [?] tell [Bhaggun/Bhuggan?] to shew him no favor nor mercy - I cannot lay my hands on the amount of pay I owe him, till I get to Choongtam - I will remit it to Dorjiling. I paid all his expenses up and will not down, so whatever [Bhaggun/Bhuggan?] advances must come out of his wages. I deeply regret the trouble you have had about him. I have no idea what Thurman will be about, he not knowing of my Nepal movements as yet. When he does come he will want to go into the jungles and I must examine the foot of the hills in December Campbell wrote Elliott about him before he came out here - we have no answer yet from [?] or Lord D about my leave from the Nepal Durbar. I am greatly obliged to your warmly zealous exertions and look to them as a strong-hold in the favor of that court. Thanks too, many for writing to Sleeman. Campbell is very poorly with alternate head and stomach aches but is at great dread of its coming to his wife's ears otherwise he is strong, hearty and [rosy?] and looks in no way a Dyspeptic. I send a cheque of 300 each as also one for 600 so you can draw the whole or half part as most convenient to yourself to keep in the home. I have given different dates so that there be no difficulty. Lovely weather yesterday and to-day and this a most lovely spot.
Your ever affectionate
Jos. D. Hooker

Campbell says I should cut Gomez a month's wages he formally resigns 6th October so I owe him till 6th Sept. He had a month's advance from the gardens. I won't pay one penny of his expenses down. I am irritated to a degree at his conduct to you who are the soul of consideration to my servts. even and who poor Clamanze and this dear fool [Hoffman/Hopman?] adore the very name of and so down goes Mr. Gomez. [Bhaggun/Bhuggun] may advance what he likes for his expenses, to be cut out of his wages, which end Sept. 6th - final and be damned to him

[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?]

Camp Allem
Samdong

July 5 1849

My dear H

I came down here yesterday, there being nothing to be done up above, no amount of the impracticable nature of the valley at this season I waited 9 days for a decent hour or time to explore, that arrived on the 1st July, when I ascended to 14,5000 ft and had a very good view of the Thibet boundary hills, with the valley I was turning to the N.W. and the route to the Pass indicated (I presume) by a lot of sheds some 2000ft up on the opposite side of the valley. The river I had most carefully explored 15 days before at about that place and found in wholly impracticable except at a snow bridge, now and [?] and the valley above is so choked with Rhododendrons that I have no notion of trying that any further, and at any rate coolies could not go up. The said hills appeared low and undulating averaging 13,000 ft in elevation, grassy and with sloping not [rocky] sides varied with broad flats - I saw little snow, and all appeared of the 2 nights previous fall. The map was so confused and undulating that we could not guess where the Pass or route beyond the huts lay. The range is of a totally different character from any I have elsewhere seen in the Himal. and as they were seen from 14,500ft against a blue sky, it is clear that there is no elevation beyond equal to that. Still there may be great gulfs of snow and a broad mountain belt yet before reaching the table-land which cannot be under two days journey from my position. We have been very badly off for food and I dare say you heard long before I did (yesterday evening) that the bridges are swept away and any communication with Choongtam rendered both long and very arduous for coolies. My men have been terribly frightened by the Bhotheas all except Nimbo, the Bhothean coolie Sirdar who is really quite invaluable. I am now very glad for my own sake, I have up all thoughts of Thibet. I assure you I have no more idea of finding my way without a guide, than you could of sailing a ship: of course I could do it with unlimited time and food, but not with that I could command under any circumstances, and the organized opposition of the Rajah and a whole village, close to the frontier, was what we never calculated upon. I have now kept the Bhotheas a month up at Latang whither they have taken their homes and chattels and got the [?] there too. I cannot describe to you the [richness?] and beauty of the Flora here and had one only tolerable weather and food this would be charming, but with the mind always anxious it takes all one's love of nature to keep the Devil away, still I am very busy and happy and long for the day when I am to spin my yarns to you for I have heaps to say and cannot write distinctly and [orderly?] my rules and reasons for actions. My men behave most extremely well, they have been for 12 days very hard up, besides wet and cold and terrified out of their senses, poor souls they are quite thin and haggard. They all believe I was 20 days in Chin [Cheen?] and liable to have my throat cut any of the 19 nights. I never could have got on with Meepo except by establishing confidence. I firmly believe he is ignorant of the Rajah’s being at the bottom of all this. I have no news to communicate my last dates from Dorjiling being [14th June?] The things you kindly sent had not arrived at Choongtam on the 30th June which I did not expect as the weather has been atrocious. My Father is very anxious about my going to Borneo, as no doubt is my mother, but he assures me that neither she nor my sister ever allude to the subject and he writes on his own part only. I am quite puzzled what to say or do. I have written that I cannot give it up except on a Govt. recall and I am insured £400 a year at home, independent of what he allows me. What on earth my dear Hodgson is the use of my going home to eke out a miserable existence on the £200 I had of which [£80?] was all I could ever call my own. Then I was living in my F’s home, which could not be the case on my return. As to my publications my ambition is to publish at the very lowest possible cost and in doing which to forego all author’s profits. Even if I had a chance of getting any! My prospects in England except the Govt. will take me up more liberally than heretofore, are absolutely [nihil? nil?] beyond a wife and family! I send you a little chart of my whereabouts as you kindly praised my former ones pray ask me about any point. Many thanks for the Athenaeum wh. I have devoured, advertisements and all. Please send me the books whose names I append, the two first if you can spare them, the third is amongst my books. I am anxious about my plants that [Runghim?] has charge of now that Clamanze has not returned, as he ought nor written to me. Will you kindly ask your painter or any careful man to see that the bundles of dried plants are kept off the ground and off the walls and are not mouldy inside x I did not expect to have to give you this trouble as Clamanze should have been back a month ago but I gave him half pay so he has taken it coolly I suppose. Drying my fair collections in this jungle and weather is indeed a labor, but I get on after a fashion

Ever yours affectionately
Jos. D. Hooker

x Cathcart would kindly look at them I am sure Note between two pages

WRITTEN AT BOTTOM OF LETTER

Humboldt - Pers. Narr.
Darwin’s Geology of S. Amer.
Jackson’s ‘ What to Observe’ from my books
Nepal Paper
Brown Windsor Soup - two or three packets

July 5th 1849

My dear Brian

My letter of this morning had but just left when two of your coolies arrived bringing a part of the stock Sugar and pepper, the Umbrella, Tea and biscuits, all (but the pepper) indispensable and [most?] seasonable, of Sugar I eat a great deal. Your letter is however the real and great gratification, as it sets my mind at rest as to my past and present proceedings. Your counsel is most wise and I have acted up to it. [?] reduced my months to the minimum and worked hard. My late starvation has been the worst of any, but never gave me uneasiness as the former ones did, for the bridges going was to be calculated upon, and I was successfully outwitting the Bhotheas. My men though so frightened never complained. I knew they dared not to stop my supplies and I never was unhappy true I at one time quite expected to reach Cheen by that route and this buoyed me up through the dismal 11 days of wet and cold [bullying?] and fasting. Could I have [gone?] on 10 days before I should have done it, for Nimbo and I had agreed to bridge the river by a bed of snow which is now swept away and though I do not see my way beyond the shed I told you of that might have turned up, for Nimbo is very clever and poor Meepo active. To-day a Soubah (who I know) arrived from the Rajah with orders to smooth all difficulties, he brought me rather a handsome present from the Durbar for which I beg C. to make a suitable return - I took care to make no complaints whatever to him of the Lachen people as I know they did all on authority and told the Soubah that really they were nothing to me - one [hill?] being as good as another for my purposes, if high enough and accessable. The Lachoong route is good and well bridged throughout the rains - all this is very true and as far as I can gather the route to the Thibet plateau from Latang is tortuous amongst low hills for a long way so that I expect to see nothing in that quarter. As soon as I can get a fair collection of the superb plants of this place I shall go up to Latang and then return to Choongtam. Your Shikari are at Choongtam there is no difficulty in sending food there from Dorjiling and they shall accompany me to Lachoong and try the snow. I think this is best. I am earnestly desirous that since Zoological fruits should accrue from all this expedition fraught with so many troubles to my friends but by George a more dead country that this is inconceivable daily Meepo took out the gun for Shikari but two [Kestunah?] is all we have seen this 2 months and one covey of Pheasant, one [Kestunah?] we shot, a very young one, with small short and not another beast or bird even tempted a shot! How I do wish you could see this [podur ta 'Radaquddor?] it is the loveliest thing I ever set eyes on. I expect it is the Rosa Lyellei just look in Paxton if that be introduced into England named after old Mr Lyell. I sent roots this morning to Campbell, who I asked to send some to you and to Mrs. Bowling. The rest [if any?] will plant that I may send to Kew in the cold weather. Walliches Lilium Giganteum is in flower at my tents door, 6ft high and deliciously sweet. I send a copy of a letter from Humboldt to my Father, who had answered the Baron long ago though his letter never seems to have reached the Baron. They had not a shadow of authority for beginning the work and it serves them right to be a little [sensorious?] Berghaus is I suppose like other German Professors as poor as a church mouse and the proffered extension of the original requirement in size, text and number of plates he no doubt thought an irresistible bait. £150 is to a german an enormous sum and the Baron's recommendations (who is omnipotent at the Palace as well as in the studio) no doubt clinched the thing in Berghaus's opinion. The Baron too is evidently excessively proud of the [commission?] it is true we gave the B the full choice of a person, without any reservation and said the money was only to be asked for, on application with reference to you. However all is well that ends well, but I had no idea that the charts would be prepared in such a hurry I told my F you know 3 months ago to give the half instalment when called for (£75) so that ere this all that difficulty is settles and after all, the thing once begun the sooner it is out of hand the better. What an extraordinary deal of g's at his age and after such a life! My Father was sent the Rhododendron books and is in a great way at my having sent no live plants, (and a few baskets of rubbish only to Kew) this is really too bad of Falconer my last letter to whom must produce some explanation. My old Servt. V. Clamanze writes that he is very ill and cannot come back Falconer has procured me another man of the name of [J.D. de Cruz?] who was to have left Calcutta on 20th June, he was lately Steward of the Bengal Military Club

Ever your affectionate etc.
J.D. Hooker
Neither you nor Campbell say anything about your health

[WRITTEN ALONG L.H. EDGE OF PAGE]
Poor (Muller) writes word that he has had news of his family in England and affairs at Calcutta

[WRITTEN ALONG R.H. SIDE OF PAGE]
The Nepal Chatty has come all broken [?] and it is not enough to cover my hat!

Moldah

May 11/50

My dear Brian
Here we are at last and comfortably housed for [?] [?] by Mrs. Campbell's father Dr. Lamb such a fine hale old gentleman who reminds me greatly of John Crawford now in England. We have given up [?] which is said to be a [?] defaced as it will soon be an effaced monument of the former greatness of India. The [?] are now and have been for many years removed by cartloads to ]?] where every one who can muster 5 rupees must have a [?] home I have detailed our [?] and facilities to Campbell and so shall not trouble you with the [?] of that most treacherous of all proceedings progress in India. My letters from England and 4 from Falconer were awaiting me here. They announce the death of my venerable Grandmother who has for [?] [?] [?] been no less conspicuous for her unappeasing charities and piety than she was for 30 before for her rare beauty, fascinating manner and acquirements. It was impossible to know and not to venerate her and little as I saw of her it was quite enough to make me love her more I always longed to be with her, but as I have often told you my poor now bereaved Grandfather [?] managed to make me so exquisitely miserable when a boy that I shunned [Gt. Gamworth?] and ever since and nought but dire necessity [?] took me there - of other news I have not a syllable but that my mother is remarkably well and [Bessy] too. We have managed to get some [?] along the banks of the river and have picked up about 300 species of weeds. The white wild Rose amongst them whose appearance is [?] to say the least of it. I believe it grows no where but in the plains of India. I am as you may suppose sick, weary and disgusted of this life already and miss all my Dorjiling friends most terribly. I certainly never expected to have at my time of life and so far from home such yearnings as I have felt and that too in the almost unexpected society of a most excellent and amiable compagnon de voyage. Thomson is all alive jumping like a cat out of the [book] and scuttling along the banks like a [?] after plants. We get a long walk every morning and he greatly eshews another during the evening together with [?] of the above [?] his on the banks. We are now [?] in the [clay?] of the Gangeta/ic?] valley which is to me the great enigma of Indian geology. I found amongst Thomas's maps one of yours out of 'Murray's Geography' which I will return from [?] i.e. book of Campbell's. We have had breezes always [?] of course but they keep the temperature always below 100 often as low as 94 in the day. No hot winds and no rain or storm for the last [8] days. The Perry's are all well. I have no other letters from England but [dreary?] details from my Mother of poor Mr. Turner's demise and news from Calcutta. I am [reasonably] busy considering the heat and sleep gloriously, have been reading Humboldt [?] [?] with renewed profit and [?] up some old notes and new facts. Still on my good Dorjiling [?] and half wish to fall ill and have to go back per force I shall be all right when I get to Churra and on a new field. I miss Campbell's children more than I can tell and sigh for their light hearts, though why I can hardly say, for I reflect with little pleasure on the days of my own childhood and consider every year of my life as on the whole much happier than the past. Be that as it may I had no idea the youngsters would have wrapped themselves so round my getting elderly heart.

God Bless you my dear Brian
Yr ever affectionate
Jos. D. Hooker