No summary available.

Health of family.

Family will arrive at Norwich on 16 May. Discusses Norfolk strata and Cray fossils.

Thanks for his offer of help in the trusteeship. Also for his pamphlet on income tax. Is about to become involved in Chancery proceedings. Comments on tax.

Glad to lerarn of the Academy's interest in his Cape Observations. Regarding his father. Comments on the 'Equalizations of stars.' [Written on an experimental leaf photographic plate.]

JH learned from daughters that JH and MBH must appear in drawing room for birthday celebration after girls return from Ball.

Is glad to see that P[eter] S[tewart]'s prospects have improved [see JH's 1847-10-10]; JH promises MH a Daguerreotype, and comments on family activities.

Asks RS to summarize T. G. Taylor's contributions to astronomy. Hopes to assist Taylor's widow and family.

JDH describes arrival at Point de Galle 31 Dec. Compares Cape Comorin, Cape of Good Hope & Cape Horn. Met by [George] Gardner [GG] with invitation from Lord Torrington to visit Candy [Kandy] but no time. Describes native peoples. Notes Thespesia populnea, Jack & Mango trees, & valuable timbers. Walked wooded lanes with GG, reminded of Amsterdam & Lyden. Showed GG home similar to Hartecamp, Linnaeus’ residence. Lists plant species in damp, very wet & dryer areas. Names fern species & common weeds, tropical roadside genera & palms. Discusses useful plants; Sonneratia acida wood for boxes, Terminalia catappa embryo eaten for dessert, Ficus demonum [F. daemonum] leaves to polish wood, & Artocarpus pubescens. Lists shrubs & small trees. Few parasites & epiphytes. Widespread Passiflora foetida introduced 1824, Bryophyllum & Allamanda cathartica. Discusses relationship between phosphorescent insects & humidity observed in Madras [Chennai], Calcutta [Kolkata], Behar, Birbhoom, Shahabad, Mizrapore & Darjeeling. Mosses fairly represented, algae very rare, lichens abundant. Bid farewell to Matilda. JDH uncertain he will visit Ceylon [Sri Lanka] again. Collected Trimeriza. Visited house with beautiful carved curiosities & jewels. Reminded of Professor Miller of Cambridge. Arrived Madras with GG, 5 Jan. Describes Lord Dalhousie’s military reception & vast number of natives in welcoming party. Met various knowledgeable people while staying with Lord Tweeddale. Walter Elliot directed him to Buddhist antiquities. Discusses winged lion familiar from Syrian marbles & sketches by Walter Forbes. [Brian Houghton] Hodgson says they are evidence of Asian origin of the Buddhist religion. In another letter JDH will show how the physical geography has indicated the positions of the tribes of people as well as plants, & has regulated their migration. Spent a long time with WE at botanic garden under care of Captain Worcester'. Describes garden.

Rough sketch map drawn in pencil and ink. Page is titled 'Ideal charts of position of Mts' [Mountains]. It shows the relative positions of Thibet [Tibet], Nepaul [Nepal], Sikkim, Bootan [Bhutan] & Darjeeling with the position of Kinchinjunga [Kanchenjunga] marked & labelled as 28178 feet in elevation, Chomalari [Chomolahari] is labelled as 24000 feet & nearby the town Phari [Pagri] is also marked. Chola Mt, Singalelah [Singalilia], Great Rungeet River, Sinchal [Senchal], Darjeeling, Teesta River, Junnoo [Jannu] & Kursiong[?] are also plotted on the map.

Coloured illustrations of Hodgsonia niterodita with brief description of the species' characteristics. The Lepcha name is given as Kat'hion pot & the Bhotea name as Tasy. The Kernels are eaten raw but JDH does not like the taste. H. niterodita grows in the inner & outer ranges of the Sikkim Himalayas from 300 feet at the foot of the hills to 5000 feet. It is a climber which grows over tree branches creating screens of green foliage. It flowers in May & June. The stems are no thicker than a finger a bleed when cut, the juice is tasteless.

Has he made a decision regarding writing a review for the second volume of Kosmos? Longmans is contemplating a second edition. George Peacock is much better.

Is ill and cannot write instructions. Directs JH to instructions written earlier by the Council of the Geological Society.

Sends JH a copy of his paper on the satellites of Uranus, including comments on the work of JH's father, William. OS is amazed at what JH has accomplished in the last several years.

Advising JH that the Admiralty will be sending him information which they have received from G. B. Airy, Edward Sabine, and Richard Owen.

Returns letter from French ambassador, Count Jarnac. Deeply honored by French king's desire to bestow 'Cross of the Legion of Honour' on JH, but rules of British government do not permit him to accept it.

Thanks for New Year's wishes. Honored by French king's award, but asks AP not to press this matter. British government will not permit JH to accept it, and JH does not want to draw attention to himself while trying to arrange memorial to Thomas Maclear.

Mr. Morris, the Cranbrook carpenter, has the plan and specification ready. Would JH like to see it before sending it to the Admiralty, presumably through Francis Beaufort?

Because AS cannot visit JH, JH has sent a circular. Assumes circular of [George Eden,] Lord Auckland will also be received. Will wait for response to query.

JDH describes arrival at Aden, its landscape, history, population & compares it to Gibraltar. They stayed at the west end of the Peninsular where Captain Haines, Indian Navy resides. Saw Somalis employed by Hindus & Arabs as servants, who would dive for 6d pieces much to Lady Dalhousie’s amusement. In the afternoon the 'Precursor' arrived & JDH met Mr & Mrs Smith. Describes striking coastal scenery with little vegetation excepting Capparis, Acacia & Euphorbias. Describes Sunday visit to the cantonment with Haines & Courtenay, travelling by French Barouche & Arab horses. Surveyed fortifications & saw forts, guns, black Sepoy soldiers, vultures & ruined Turkish castles. JDH ascended to a signal station & notes aqueduct leading to the peninsular. At Captain Haines’ residence met by Assistant Political Agent, Lieutenant Cruttenden, contributor to the GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY JOURNAL, & Civil Surgeon, Dr Vaughan. Visited the church with wholly military congregation. Also went to the highest part of the island: Shamsun, JDH describes landscape & sprinkled vegetation of about 40 species. Road to ridge very well built & though to have been constructed by captive Jews under Solyman [Suleiman] the magnificent. Towards top of ridge found two plants lately figured by Lindley in the BOTANICAL REGISTER. Discusses vegetation & view. Saw that the 'Precursor' had grounded. Signal station at top of ridge, barren of everything except lichens. Monday collected early morning in a cooler valley & visited the beach. Lists plants, saw fox but no apes. Returned to Captain Haines' & prepared to start for Ceylon where they arrived 31 Dec. On arrival met Gardner who had been awaiting their arrival at Colombo. Matilda Rigby had arrived in Ceylon [Sri Lanka] the previous day. Letter concludes on 6 Jan from Government House where JDH is with G.G. [Governor General?] & from where they sail to Calcutta [Kolkata] on Saturday.