Item 14 - Letter from Lord Derby to Brian Houghton Hodgson

1 letter

Knowsley

Jan[uar]y 14 1845

Sir
I know not how far I can put forward any right to intrude upon your attention still more to ask any favour of you but your well known attention and zeal in the adornment of all that may any way [tend?] to the furtherance of Natural History and in particular Zoology has been too conspicuous not to draw upon you the wishes if not hopes of others to obtain your aid and [?]. I have just learnt from my friend Mr. J.E. Gray that you are about to return to Nepal. I hope for an extended period and I am bold enough also to return to solicit your aid in the plans I have for some [few?] years of late been sedulously attempting but with hitherto but indifferentness to put in execution of bringing over to this country some of the interesting and [?] living [productions?] of those mountain [?] you are I believe aware of this fact both from the circumstances of your [late assistant?] [Lieut Smith?] having been a main support[er[ of my views and thro' D. McClelland and who by the way I learn from Mr Gray had stated himself to your to be an agent for me at Calcutt[a] and in that character obtained from you for me certain specimens which you have intended to bring in your own care to England which you suspect were never embarked at all, certainly they have never reached me, any of them. But you w[oul]d much oblige me by the statement of when this occured and what was the time of year. It is certainly perfectly true that tho' I could never have I could never have ventured to have so designated him, Mr. McC has been kind enough to act as an Agent for me on more than one occasion and especially in re[cent] things sent down from Catmandoo by Lt. Smith and shipping such as survived the [wight?] of Calcutta from that port to England. But I am sorry to learn that my first Mainstay in this business is now broken as I am told that Lt. S. has been ordered from Nepal to join his R[e]g[i]m[ent]. I have lately obtained also the assistance of Mr [Vansittart?] and I hope Major Jenkins at Assam to which I flatter myself I may add the aid of Mr. McClelland and Blyth at Calcutta together with a nephew of my own Mr Edw. [Champays?] who is now employed as Auditor of Military Accounts and is resident near the last placed. My new plan is that these gentleman sh[ould?] give me their kind [?] in collating Zoological Specimens in Life and transmit them to the care of any other [?] named who will take charge of them until a sufficient stock is collected for transfer to this country and give me notice of that occurence when I will take care that a person shall arrive at Calcutta on my part to receive the Collection into his charge and to return with them or the most delicate of them by the Overland Route, thus avoiding the risk which I have found as I [?] of twice crossing the Equator [?] the cold for a hot climate. Should you approve of this project which has obtained the sanction of Drs. Falconer and Forbes as well as their scientific friends, may I hope that you will allow me to consider you among the List of my other encouragers and supporters, and [?] will afford me the important advantage of your personal knowledge and influence among those Hills. I have omitted to mention that I have been advised to apply, which I have done, to the present Governor General for the encouragement of this [?] sanction and the permission that the stock when collected together may be received into the Government [?] at Barrackpore which I am informed [?] is Sir Henry's purpose to raise again from the [depression?] into which it was cast by L Ellenboro' and I have been [?] to expect that my request will be granted. I am well aware that you have already been kind enough on different occasions to favour me with your aid thro' the [medium] of Lt. Smith by making over to him for me several of the [?] among the Hill Pheasants, but unfortunately they have never reached me alive except in one instance a Male of the Phes. Lineatus which has resided with us here most admirably but will cross with a female I will put to him. The course of the [?] of those things when sent I attribute to the [?] period at which they were despatched to Calcutta and thence to England some little time since I was flattered with some hope of a visit from you to inspect the Collection here but that seems now to have faded entirely. I had the pleasure of a few days since a similar visit from Dr. Falconer and if you meet with him while in London, I have hopes that he will speak rather encouragingly of my attempts to introduce foreign Animals and Birds into this country Among them I have the pleasure of seeing a very fine specimen of the [Elaphoides?] as I believe it to be but unfortunately tho' in perfect health [?] arrived [?] [blind?] and has continued so ever since I fear [incorrectly?]. It annoys me [?] as I have never [?] to procure another specimen, and I have no doubt we sh[oul]d have established the Breed here. And now, having sufficiently trespassed on your indulgence I will sincerely repeat my apologies for the intrusion and [?] myself with [much regards?]
Sir your obedient and obliged [?] Serv.

Derby

Lord Derby to B.H. Hodgson