Item 49 - Letter from Joseph Dalton Hooker to Brian Houghton Hodgson

1 letter

Govt. House

Mar [22nd?] (Supp)

My dear Brian

I hasten to inform you by way of supplement to my this days despatched that I have seen [Jessie?] a very nice looking lady-like and agreeable girl all [bloom?] and draws remarkably well [?] especially far better than Papa, with expression and better flesh tints! She has just finished one of [Francis?] Buchanan for his intended a remarkably [?] water colour portrait. Mrs/Miss Taylor is certainly a most agreeable [swell?] looking person but probably much altered since you saw her. She has magnificent eyes but rather larger hollow [?] and her tints are sallow In manners she is remarkably pleasing, quite engaging [?] [?]. I saw [B?] on the course but only at a distance. Miss [Colvile] rides a great deal and always in a very tasteful costume, she dressed really simply and elegantly and is certainly as lady-like a person as any in Calcutta in manners, dress and appearance. Someone remarked yesterday that she had grown quite pretty. The tide of [?] and gaity has ebbed only for the season at Calcutta and from all you can hear and see we would not suppose money was scarce. All are unanimous that this season has been unparalleled for gaity. Taylor had the prettiest turnout on the course but poor fellow I fear it often causes an aching heart - He certainly does [?] and [?] [?] ship but only because his time for promotion is all but up and he cannot and he cannot hold the P. Office much longer. He would still prefer a Calcutta appt. for his families sake but supposes that he will be obliged to take on [?]. He things of the [?] if, as is probable that is to be brought down to 2500 but unfortunately however good his character was, as a magistrate it is now so low as a man of business that I should doubt his standing a ghost of a chance and further a barrister is [?] of for it amongst whom there is plenty of choice. [?] Taylor expects a [?] judgeship and hopes the station may be a healthy one. I am to see Thornley/Thoresby tomorrow morning. He is at Spence's. Taylor has just received the picture back from [?] together with his copy of the Rhod. book. Dr [Falconer?] looks fit and well but pale and is reported sickly and unable to retain the garden. I only saw him at the college for a minute. He reports the Rhod. seeds to be springing up as a "[?] of green" Calcutta Garden and the Lawn is also sprouting - all are in [?] [?] Bethune's Hindu Girls School bears a [?] [?] character. He [?] [?] one of the most uncouth looking [?] I ever set eyes upon. Falconer says that Strachey's Himalayan work was the most suspect he ever set eyes upon, and that all his operations Geometrical, Meteorological and Botanical are [?]. His cross sections from the Snow to the Plains are both panoramic and exact with details of Elevation, Temperature, Geology, Plants, Animals and all else. He went a long way into Thibet over [Niti] and spent the whole season upon other work. He and Madden publish together and at once on their reaching England. So tell Thuman/Thurman we must look to our points.
[?] 23rd I have just had a long talk with Thornley/Thoresby he says the Nepaul Durbar is firm and sure that the Rajah [?] and Jung Bahadur brother (now supreme) very inferior. Erskine not likely to get on. His own doubts are whether J.B. would like introducing an Englishman to [?] travelling during his absence when the said traveller would be under the care of others - when the general feeling of the people might be against the measure, and when he himself could not be present to give confidence. The best plan by far he says is to wait till November when Jung Bahadur will be back again and when everything is certain to go on well and when he is certain to promote [ad libitum?] intercourse with us. I however guess the present opportunity and he will undertake it on J.B.'s return from Jaggernath for which I [?] [?]

Ever yr. affectionate
J.D. Hooker