No summary available.
Showing 21–40 of 1725 items
No summary available.
JDH has Nathaniel Wallich's [NW's] letter of 2 Feb recd via Dr Cantor. Came to Calcutta [Kolkata] to persuade Jung Bahadur [JB] to grant permission for Nepaul [Nepal] expedition. Thanks NW for friendly anxiety during his imprisonment. Highly gratified by Mr Grove's letter as Secretary to the Philosophical Club. All Calcutta is talking about the Sikkim fracas, JDH has been questioned by Lord Dalhousie, Sir H. Elliott, Halliday & Grey. Has endeavoured to place conduct of Mr L. [Lushington] & General in as favourable light as possible. [Charles] Thoresby, Political Resident to the Court of the Rajah of Nepal, arrives today. The huge bubble of Chinese jealousy & interference has blown away. JDH describes his visit to JB this morning. JB proposed JDH join an expedition to 'lick the Chinese' & make the 'Tsamper Yarroo', or Brahmuputra, the boundary of British & Ghurka power. JDH could see the 'barbarian' would like nothing better than another plunder of Shigatzi [Shigatse] & Teshoo Loombo. Thanks NW for account of the honours recently paid to Brown. Von Martius' letter is beautiful. NW's Amherstia now flowering at Sir Lawrence Peel's & at the botanic gardens. JDH has not yet seen [Hugh] Falconer. Lady Dalhousie left yesterday for Simlah [Shimla] via the Trunk Road. Lord Dalhousie brought JDH two polished tables made of various woods, from Malacca, & insisted they must not go to the museum. Only the Governor General & Aides de Camp, Metcalfe & Bowie, are at Government House. JDH has given up buggy driving & taken up a palkee gharry [palanquin]. Asks NW to give regards to Madden & Grant. Does not know Strachey. Left Thomas [Thomson] at Darjeeling to await news of Nepal negotiations. Sends regards to Mrs NW & family & Dr Boott.
No summary available.
No summary available.
No summary available.
No summary available.
No summary available.
No summary available.
No summary available.
JDH writes to present General Jung Bahadur Rahan [Rana] Prime Minister of Nepaul [Nepal], his brothers, & other members of the Nepaul mission. JDH is indebted to JB for his 1848 Nepal trip. JB is also a friend to [Brian Houghton] Hodgson, [Archibald] Campbell & [Charles] Thoresby. JDH asks that they are shown the Himalayan plants [at RBG Kew] & that WJH takes a drive with them from Kew Gardens to Richmond Hill. Captain Kavanagh accompanies the gentlemen & can make arrangements. JDH suggests Dr [Nathaniel] Wallich & Royle meet the party at the Gardens.
No summary available.
No summary available.
No summary available.
No summary available.
No summary available.
No summary available.
No summary available.
No summary available.
No summary available.
Charles Darwin [CD] has not been absent from JDH's thoughts during the long break in their correspondence. He probably spoke too strongly about CD's species work & barnacles. speculates that CD was once prone to theoretical considerations about species & unaware of certain difficulties which JDH thought a more intimate acquaintance with species might clear up. Hence was pleased CD took up a difficult group like barnacles. CD's theories have progressed but JDH is not converted. He thought the transitions from one form to another in Sikkim would be more apparent. CD reasons rightly about JDH's Yangma valley; it is undoubtedly a vast moraine. He rejects the Himalayas as an independent chain of mountains & seeks the axis of the great mountain system between the Yarou river & the plains of India. He considers the glaciers of the Himalayan range unrivalled & is convinced they are receding. Explains that it is a double chain likes CD's Andes. [Thomas] Thomson [TT] & [Hugh] Falconer [HF] both regard the greatest Asiatic axis as a sub meridional one. The whole mountain system is incredibly complicated & he exceedingly doubt's Humboldt's system of six Mountain chains. Letter continues under date of 7 Apr. JDH now with HF at Honorable East India Company Botanic Gardens. HF had kept all his letters & overland parcels for five months due to insane procrastination but is now forgiven. HF's society is as ever delightful. HF no longer associates with the Asiatic Society. JDH received CD's Feb letter today & learned that the cold water system has done him much good but is not a cure, JDH sends congratulations on the Darwins' seventh child. JDH came to Calcutta [Kolkata] to persuade Jung Bahadur [JB] to let him travel in Nepal but JB cannot guarantee his safety while absent in England. JDH will therefore go instead to Sylhet then the Khassya [Khasia] Hills & Munnipore [Manipur] with [TT].