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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

...paper. Here there is no such excuse, and the rarity of grapes in the Alpine region is wholly a mystery to me. as also of [Legun?] and Campbell this a fact. and that is all I can say and it diminishes the Himal flora by good [1000] species I cannot doubt. I doubt not I shall like your [?] as I wholly adopt your notices of the general features of Thibet [?] the plains N. of this which we have not discussed for God's sake don't harrass me with the [?] of my letters such as that about abolishing the Himal. I do wish you had waited till I had been to Doubiah. I speak truth that I have 10 times more pleasure in, giving you and indeed in [?] for you these results than I ever shall have in [?] them. myself, so you must please me and make a supplement [?] Turner's sheds and [?] rightly with mine. This tremendous [?] is enough to [?] anyone and I do not wonder at T's silence about [snowy] mts. which he must have had all the way to Dijauli and in sight of the [Road] Cathcart is a [Judas?] he knows quite well that I asked expressly for the Annals a two-penny-half penny periodical costing a shilling a month in which my journal is promoted. Thomson's and others and I believe I expressly mentioned not, the magazine, an expensive [?] cold work. He [?] answered that he was afraid of the Annals and Magazine being [soiled?] he takes the same [handle] to you n'importe it is too late and the old [?] may help this/these book/books it was only the shilling book I asked for - I forgot to tell you I have a copy of it from my Father to you. It is down at Yeumtang and I will send it as soon as it arrives here so we neither want Cathcart's [Stellee and Plantie?] what [?]. I never ate such Tabasco. I have had a nice present from manufacturers of equal flavoured but never got such! [?] [?]. If the top ones are not only samples there never was such material on sale. I expect they were sent to Wilson because too big for ordinary me one [?] what am I to say about the magnificent donation of the picture? for which I am equally indebted to yourself and Tayler. I am quite overcome about it for I know T himself valued it very highly indeed I certainly should have chosen by Father as the recipient but for your gallant hint and offer of [?] the [?] [Lenelle?] propria mana which [?] the thing and I joyfully accept ten thousand thanks, they will be delighted at home with it, all hands
Sept 28
Dear B
I thought I would just run and look at the Pass view again, before sending this, so though finishing the answer to your of the 12th I [interculate] the date 28th I spent all day there
yesterday and have little alteration to make to my previous report. Cholamoo [?] looks like [?] is certainly not 3/4 mile long perhaps not 1/2 mile. It is not a geographical feature of any importance (like Turner) It [neither?] [?] the way back of the hollow between Doubiah and K. Jhow and sends a tiny rill to meet the Lachen which flows from the N.W. face of Doubiah. This about 800ft below the top of the Pass, a [?] good guess is Campbell's route. As to Thibet beyond Cholomoo, and East and W of Cholamoo, I had a superb view for 1000ft above the Pass it is a tremendous country. I levelled 5 or 7 places between W. and N. where not peaks but groups all were. I doubt not 20,000ft, more probably some 22,000ft. The snow which before the [?] and during them lay 4 feet for [?] [?] N. of Doubiah is now all gone and there is much less snow than I ever saw. The Thibetan rains are over - some of the mountains I saw are certainly north of Dejauli - The first great range beyond Cholomoo is that of [Kambajang?] no where rising to P.S. [Perpetual Snow] but they tell me nearly as high as Doubiah and it appears on the level it is probably 28" 15' or thereabouts: immediately beyond a [?] broken ridge rises to P.S. in two great groups N. N. W. and [N. W. and N?] or there away, Beyond [?] others to the most distant horizon. Little specks of white beyond the Tsampa viewed with the telescope revealing [?] and great plains of snow miles long N.W. the mountains are tremendous and very distant. I do assure you the whole view has staggered me to the last degree, nay stupefied me for I need to say that supposing the mean level to be 15,000ft the [?] rising snows [?] looking down from 19,000
[TRANSCRIPTION CONTINUES FROM HERE]

Not enumerated in the list in Gray's Zool. Misc.

Dec 23rd 1844
R[oya]l College of Surgeons

Dear Sir,

I am requested by the President of the College to express to you the pleasure with which the College will receive the osteological specimens of the animals of Nepal and Tibet which you have liberally offered to present to the College and to state that the earliest leisure which I can [command?] will be devoted to the examination of such specimens and the deduction of the inferences as to the natural affinities and habits of the species, in order to furnish you with the information you are desirous to possess. The visit to the Museum with which you favoured me on Friday may have afforded you some means of judging of the probably advantage to Science and to the furtherance of your own investigations of the Fauna of Nepal and Tibet which may accrue by the deposition of your osteological collections in the Hunterian Museum. I need scarcely add that the expense of package and [transmission?] will be defrayed by the College, and I remain
Dear Sir
Yours truly

B.H. Hodgson Esq
Richd Owen

Bhomsong Teesta
XMAS [1848?]

Dear H

Many happy returns of the day from Campbell and myself. I arrived here two days ago and yesterday the letters I first sent you from Pemiongchi were returned to C. both himself and Mrs. C being away. I want none of the things therein begged for except some [Hoolyrah?] Tobacco which perhaps [Eli R.?] will get for him and a light load of brown paper - [Langrip Lepcha?] is a good faithful coolie and will soon find a companion to follow him - them the books and the cigars are all I want and a little parcel of note-books which Muller will send you. I wrote you last by the Havildar and the letter went 3 days ago. I was then on my way here where I found Campbell waiting for me to my surprise for my [?] were all fake ones and denied to be so. I suppose to facilitate my sending away the Havildar. It rained hard and always so that I have little to say of the route. The Rajah is here such a droll little object, the presentation etc is a perfect mummery conducted with propriety enough but a perfectly tedious show of poverty and pride. The Dewan is a thorough faced liar still a well conducted man in all his intercourse with us except on politics. A yellow striped Buceros here do you know it? He has been all over Thibet and gives the information most willingly - is a [Shukan?] and jolly rogue - we get on capitally for he is always civil and respectful though I would not trust him 2 days running for the latter qualities. Politics have progressed C insists on a proper [?] and the only one [?] and fit is the [Heir app's]. Dewan, a dead enemy of the R's D and a man of more liberal and enlightened ideas. He also insists on my visiting Lachen and Lachong next year. March-April. The R. is thoroughly frightened, or rather I should say bewildered we are off at once for Mainanchoo the high Mt. with the rock you see from [fillapabar?]. I shall then go S. along the spur which divides Teesta from Gt. Rungeet. Then across to Pemiongchi and so on to Jongri. I do hope to get some geology this way. I like the Lepchas betteer the more I travel amongst them.
Please send to Pemionchi

Ever your affectionate
Jos. D. Hooker

P.S. I send you a fine Yak

Jan 24 1849
Darjeeling

My dear H
Many thanks for the noble bird and the accompanying letter. We are going to eat the former today. Muller is thinking of applying for the Apt. Majestray or whatever it is to [be] here and asked me whether you would feel inclined to help him? I answered that I was sure you would not object to be asked and would trouble yourself to look at his papers: more I could not add. Campbell spoke to me about the affair but not dreaming of any friend of mine being an applicant I paid no further heed him till he asked whether Thurman would do. I was sure Thurman would not take it told him so and dismissed the affair from my mind. Campbell was anxious for a linguist and in my opinion the [?] want a Man of business first for it is in a [terrible?] state I expect, and the little I have had to do there (with [Capt.B?]) has shown me more of its defects than I cared to see or have found convenient. Except something is done towards Land claims, the whole station will be in a mess - we have now robberies every night and I have taken the liberty, of which I think you will approve of making 4 of my Lepchas sleep in different rooms, besides Clamanze and Hoffman. I have no faith in [Chaprapes?] and [Birkiadans?]. Clamanze sleeps like the dead himself and would offer no protection till roused and then a good one I doubt not. To return, Muller offers to study Thibetan or [?] even if that be a Sini que non. The difficulty will be with Campbell to make him see how much attention the station wants and what a bad name is unbusiness like habits have got it. [Mr Donald/McDonald?] is the rival I suppose and what service he could do, a [claims?] being forward I cannot divine Muller's qualifications you know as well as I do, he is I find very poor 415 is all his salary, he lives from hand to mouth sending all to his children at home he has not a jot in the bank, the few thousand he had, he lost. If he returns to the plains he believes he dies and his children are thrown friendless on the world. This is his only worldly anxiety and he feels it deeply, several times he has laid by a little - to lose it all. The govt. broke their pledge to advance his salary when a reduction shd. take place in the mind, though he himself [effected] that to the amount of more than his whole pay. When the new scale of Mint officers pay was drawn out, Forbes employed hi, to do the job. Muller left his own (the only) name out, taking for granted that Forbes would attend to that and so he alone did not benefit on the advances of salary made to the officers in general. Tayler has put in the Snow and is making a splendid picture to give the effect (and he has done so admirably) he has had to [throw?] up the range to I should say 3 times their apparent height from Darjeeling. His colouring of [groups?] is exquisite and nothing can be cleverer or more tasteful than his groups of figures but I do believe that your crude ethnological sketches are the more useful for science. Never having studies as an artist Tayler falls into gross errors of proportion in fact he draws for effect and most beautifully the effect indeed is so good that few can or can take time to look deeper. He is now drawing Mr. [Luffnin's?] children very prettily and tastefully, but as portraits as a picture it is a very weak and poor performance wanting wholly in expression or power. His ability, taste and skill are of first rate order, what he wants, is time deep and long study and a careful examinations of the best masters. What a capital fellow and agreeable he is! - all this entre nouse, to broach such criticisms before the people here (who admire those drawings most which are [rainbow?] [?] and contain most homes/houses best known to themselves. Eaves, gables and [?] wd be to subject myself to ridicule- These robberies will do the station great injury and I doubt if Mrs Turner's [Panyzins?] and Tayler's sketches will counteract all. Bishop refuses to offer reward for discovery. Believe me I wd not bore you with Darj. gossip did I not think of Campbell's character and your house - I think I could give a dozen cases of C's shortcomings in my little affairs with the [catchery] since my return these bother me a little and might make a stranger angry. I have but 2 days of work through them and that I cannot well afford. My men [?] and Hoffman have done extremely well in my absence. Tayler will come up to yours to sketch and I will get chops and a fowl for him, so he shall not say our house was dry and hungry he promises to take a view from it. I have seen the snow but once since my return. Barnes will get us the Elephant, and I have told him so often that he cannot forget. Tayler talks of going down about the time I do and he will I hope stay a day with us at Siliguri I cannot stir for [8?] days at that I am sure.

Ever yr affectionate Jos. D. Hooker

Darjeeling Feby 10 1849

My dear H
I am still toiling away at these plans and getting every day more and more dreadfully tired of the standing on my legs from morning to night. Writing to you is a good excuse for leaving off a little and with that mention of the [?] I go so far as to address you when I have nothing worth your reading to communicate. 5 great Banghy boxes of seed are just sent away and I shall have I suppose 20 coolie loads of plants to go by boat to Calcutta with my serot Yangma village is 13,700ft - permanently inhabited growing wheats and radishes in Summer. Do you know of any [?] Himalayan villages higher, or any Thibetan ones carefully measured. What an expose is poor Strachey's boiling point altitudes I have no wish to drive height measuring further than to within the nearest hundred feet, that I think is necessary and enough but Strachey may be out 1000 or even more thus 1o of boiling temp is equal to 500ft at his elevations - his instrument had the scale very small only reading to 2o further it was a common therm and not intended for boiling temps at all. Such instruments are often 3o or even 4o out. Again I find that any [?] will not do for this method. Nor any thermometer and with every advantage I cannot get the boiling point to within 1/2 a degree. Again the water used will affect the result to as much as 500ft, the best Darjeeling water making the height of this [?] more than that lower than it should be by more than 600ft. Lastly I find the connection for Sp, grav, if air makes a diff. of 700 feet om the Wallanchoon Pass and of this element he takes I think no account at all. How far these may connect one another it is impossible to say. Muller says he can't trust Strachey to 2000ft. I say 1 or 1500 I am extremely sorry for it for I had expected to look on [?] as a fixed point and to know the [?] of the Thibet Highland from that I suppose the [culminant?] point W. to where Thomas has been. I am all in confusion about the Stracheys - another brother seems to have been to the Lakes since the long [?] [?] and writes a most confused letter to Thomson which you have no doubt seen. As from N.23 to 578 and which is printed without date and without locality. There is a great deal of mystery about the gentleman or I am very stupid (or both). What on earth the latter letter writer means I can't divine. A volcanic eruption raining a bed of gravel [6-800ft?] between two lakes! The depth of ground on the plains (800-1000ft) is a grand fact and I hope good [Muller] has just been over to [Mrs O's] and returns with the bad news that he will be recalled to Calcutta ere long as since Mr [McDonald?] is going home on leave. The mail is in with letter from home for me. My sister very considerably better. You kindly asked about her in your last; she is my unmarried sister, younger a good deal than myself and has long been subject to chest or throat attacks which alarm us all exceedingly and are most tedious. My only other sister (who married the Scottish Parson) is also my junior and the same mail brings me an account of my being doubly an Uncle through her. Her husband who rejoices in the name McGilvray is a genuine Celt and not a favourite of mine - said to be a monstrous clever fellow and "powerful preacher". How he managed to captivate my sister, a most charming girl I can't conceive. I was abroad at the time. I believe the free kirk persecution had a good deal to do with it. I occurred in Glasgow when my F and M were nursing a 3rd sister in Jersey where the latter died of consumption and where also was my now ailing sister. I was at sea and Maria left to keep house in Glasgow where she fell in the with Revd McH. The match was opposed for 5 years but as in all like cases, opposition was only temporary - they are very happy together and that is the great decider in most unequal [?] (However I weary you with family details). They were no sooner spliced that the Revd. Dr MacG received a pressing call from the [Braitheren?] in both Americas to unite the bond of the Free Kirk from New York to the Polar Ocean, which he obeyed, taking Maria with him, when they were wrecked in the Great Western (of "Britain" which was it?) on the coast of Iceland after travelling in Canada for 2 winters they returned to Glasgow where Mr McG resumed his duties of renouncing the Devil himself and denouncing all who don't do the like - at least such as the work with the followers of rank Presbytarians when I was at college with Scotch Divinity Students in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Mr Mcrae of [Rob?] Gardens answers my letter promptly and writes very civilly and kindly. Falconer has just arrived at Maulmain and was starting for the jungles, with the T at 88o he will not be in Calcutta before May. My Father says he has sent me an Aneroid Barometer a new invention strongly recommended. There have been more rows at the R.S. about a secretary. Brown supported our friend Bell against [Grove?] who carried it. Grove is a good man but not very agreeable in manner. I think his wife is a nice person and that is a great deal in giving a tone to Scientific Society. Even to half the battle with unscientific lookers on.
This is a [regular?] [?]
So goodbye for the present
Ever your affectionate
J. D. Hooker