Item 23 - Letter from Joseph Dalton Hooker to Brian Houghton Hodgson

1 letter

2 Marches above Lachen June 9 [1849]

My dear Hodgson

I wrote to you so lately that I have nothing further to add, but what my journal and letters to Campbell will contain. My position here is curious, you will observe, by my observations to C and the Flora and climate I should think much modified by the proximity to Thibet. I am certainly beyond the main chain of this longitude but except at the Passes the ranges North are quite inpassable it is a humid country. The snow on the N exposed faces of the hills is good 1000ft. lower than on the opposite and woods ascend 1000 higher on the S. exposure which is diametrically opposite to what I told you of the country South of the main range and can only be accounted for by, its effect of the Thibet plain I should think to the winds of which the hills South of me are freely exposed. Two coolies arrived today with some of the good things I owe to your and Campbell's kindness they have been desperately long on the road and I cannot tell you how acceptable they are for I was reduced today to nothing but one tin of carrots, no rice, bread or vegetables of any sort, meat of any kind and half a can of sardines. I left Choongtam with far too little for Lachen, not expecting such delays as well as obstacles to my progress and I find such great difficulty in getting laden coolies along that I reduced my baggage to 3 men and my whole party including self to 14 - Your Shikari are at Choongtam I am glad to say there is absolutely nothing [living?] here but Insects and these can range from, the tropics to the snow. In spite of all their experience they do not understand camping a bit and are eternally in dirt and confusion their things wet and themselves adrift. They do well enough when left alone and in halts, but travelling they cannot get on. They do not trouble me at al but I do not like to see the poor souls uncomfortable and though there are lots of coolies and they need not want, we never go a short hard trip but [?] picks himself up half found, his things and clothes sodden for want of what he might have for the asking and what is often offered and refused. The [Danjah?] is very industrious and active always out and hard at work. I think he is a very good man wet or dry he is at it whether you get all the birds he shoots or whether they are worth any thing I do not know, but I am sure he always does his very best. [?] behaves very well but has no tact, or nouse or zeal, just dawdles over the ground and never takes the gun. My Serot continues the most incomprehensibly stupid lout I had ever anything to do with still honest and willing [Pakshah?] behaves well being out of the way of [?] Nimbo is a remarkably active and intelligent fellow, very sharp and always awake. Meepo behaves as well as ever as do all the coolies. I have no troble indeed with any of my party. My only trouble is having given up Thibet and that not having given satisfaction but I cannot alter my opinion as to the necessity of having done so and the propriety of acquainting Meepo of what my intentions were. It was no hastily done thing I assure you. I was first asked on the 12th and then told that I was to go only on condition I did not cross the frontier. On the 16th the order came forbidding me to pass the border and still evading the question, on the 21[st] the order ordering Meepo to bring me back came. The latter they told me, on my refusing to go back, that Chin was the ground of offence. Still I evaded that point and afterwards on finding how thoroughly uncomfortable Meepo was and putting all other things together, I weighed the case maturely, and made up my mind that with the understanding in the Rajah's Meepo and the peoples mind that I should cross, it was evident I would not reach the frontier even. If I cannot bridge this river here, Meepo found a place higher up, but that is a mile of terrible Scrub on this side the river, and worse on the other. I am most anxious for this pass because it may lead directly on to Thibet. the others lead to the plain of Latang said to be continuous with that of Thibet though high Mts rise out of it. The Pass by the other route is certainly a bridge on Latang flat or plain or whatever it be and the village people offered to take me there, which I refused as they already humbugged me and at any rate I do not want them. Meepo's instructions expressly mention the bridge, but not it name and he will of course stop at whatever bridge the villagers say is the pass as he did at the Lachen the other day. This route up the river again is quite deserted and we had great difficulty in getting this length what's across no one knows. We find no vestige of a bridge, whether there once was one or has lately been removed we cannot say. This Pass may lead on to Latang plain. You may depend on my despatching a special [messenger?] as soon as I know. We have lovely weather and the continued blue vault over Thibet is very enticing - it reaches half over our sky the clouds always coming up from South and resting on the S. hills. My elevation is about 11,000ft Willow, Pine and Rhododendrons the vegetation I am making a great many drawings of plants and want paper. Please send me 3 or 4 quires of folio white papers. There are two kinds and about 2 reams of each in my room, on a chair near the fire. Please send 4 quires of each kind, one I use for drawings the other for tickets to my specimens etc. If placed between some quires and tied tight of Nepal or brown paper (for drying plants) it will come quite safe. Also please ask [Bhaggun] to get me some wax candles and a box of good hardish biscuits: after all these are the best things for travelling with. This is a wretched route to what that by the Great Rungeet is, the people are miserably poor, and I hardly get fowls and eggs, no butter and but little milk. I talk of its villages below, of course there is nothing here, it is a dead country this, no birds or beasts, no voice of any kind in the wood. I must break of now this is a snowy morning (June 25th)

Ever your affectionate

Jos. D. Hooker

My envelopes are all out - I have plenty [at?] Choongtam