JDH thanks his Grandmother, Mary Turner, for the letters she has sent him during his time with the Ross Antarctic Expedition. He reports that he saw Mr Clowes at Port Jackson, he was first introduced to Clowes by the McLeays. Miss McLeay was the first to tell JDH that his father, William Jackson Hooker, had been appointed Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. From what his GRandmother says JDH thinks the job & residence at Kew will suit his father. Mentions the situations of his aunts, Mary's daughters: Harriet Gunn, Mary Anne Turner & Hannah Brightwen, the latter now married to Thomas Brightwen & living in Southtown near Gorleston. Mary's sons, Gurney Turner & Dawson Turner, JDH's uncles, are doing well in their professions. Aunt Elizabeth has informed JDH that his cousin Inglis will go into the family bank [Gurney's Bank] & her older children Francis & William Gifford are going to college. Mentions a report of Mr Jacobson being given a lectureship. JDH recalls how Mary used to sing at the bank , he wonders if her daughters carry this on. He writes of how he has missed music whilst at sea & relished opportunities to hear any band play whilst on his travels, he especially recalls a band playing Rule Britannia at a ball in Hobart, New Zealand. JDH & the expedition are now returning home. JDH would like to travel more but will likely take up a job at Kew Gardens, an opportunity to pursue the study of his favourite science: botany. Discusses their family friends Mr & Mrs Brightwen, JDH recalls riding to Caistor with Mr Brightwen during harvest.

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JDH informs his Father, William Jackson Hooker, that he has just returned to HMS 'Erebus' after dining on the HMS 'Lilly'. The 'Erebus' is reportedly leaving for St Helena the following day but JDH is uncertain whether this will really be the case. JDH has received his father's letters from Jan 1843, they were brought by HMS 'Samarang' along with copies of the ATHENAEUM, ILLUSTRATED LONDON NEWS, BRITISH FLORA, NATURALISTS ALMANAC, & LONDON BOTANICAL JOURNAL. JDH is sending letters to Frank, Giffy, Sinclair, J. Adamson, Gardner, Aunt May & Grandmother Turner, Westwood, R. Brown, Grandfather Turner & Mitchell, all under cover to WJH & transmitted through Captain Beaufort.

JDH thanks his cousin William Gifford Palgrave, 'Giffy', for writing to him. He has written to Giffy's brother Francis Turner Palgrave, 'Frank', congratulating him on his scholarship to Balliol College, Oxford, & hopes Giffy will have the same success. JDH speculates that they might visit Scotland together one day. JDH has been unable to get Giffy the walrus or elephant tusks he wanted. The only things of interest in the Antarctic Ocean are the penguins & some marine animals. The Ross Antarctic expedition will not be going south again. Though they did not reach the South Pole itself they have navigated further south than any other expedition. The Americans are particularly upset to have been outdone by a British expedition. JDH dismisses Commodore [Charles] Wilkes' account, published in the ATHENAEUM, which attempts to 'rewrite' the route of the Ross expedition as only reaching Balleny's Island not past Wilkes' land [United States Exploring Expedition 1838-1842]. JDH laments the fate of [Jules Dumont] d'Urville & his family [who died in a train crash in Versailles]. JDH thinks d'Urville was unprepared for the trials of travelling through ice. It is sealers who have elucidated the most Antarctic geography. The Americans have never found undiscovered land there, the French-found lands of Terre Adelie & Côte Clairi may only be ice attached to the land & the coast of Terre Louis Philippe was only named by the French having previously been chartered on maps by [James] Weddell & [Edward] Bransfield. The Russian Expedition [Captain Fabian Gottlieb Thaddeus von Bellingshausen, 1820] sailed round most of the Antarctic circle & detected the farthest known southern land in the form of the Islands Alexander & St Paul's. Sends regards to Giffy's brothers Reginald & Inglis, the latter of whom is intending to work for 'the Bank'.

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This letter will be despatched to JDH's sister Elizabeth on arrival at St Helena. JDH is glad to hear that Elizabeth's health has improved. JDH tells how the last Christmas was spent in a dense fog near Elephant Island. The HMS 'Erebus' spent January in the pack ice working against strong currents & tides. Crossing to the HMS 'Terror' over ice bergs on foot proved treacherous. JDH spent his time drawing & describing plants, the results are now sent to their father, William Jackson Hooker, through Captain Beaufort. Discusses Elizabeth's visit to the Richardson's house & his correspondence with Mrs Richardson. Is glad that Elizabeth is continuing with her music & has learnt to sing. JDH misses music though he is not knowledgeable about it. Dr Sinclair is under the impression that JDH likes the song 'The days when we went gypsying' but he generally prefers old airs to modern ballads. He specifically mentions Ariel's song from Shakespeare's TEMPEST & the sea songs: 'Rule Britannia', 'Yer Mariners of England' & the songs their sister Mary used to play. He declares sacred music to be the best, especially Handel's 'Messiah', he mentions some other pieces & gives many examples of operas he admires. JDH prefers older waltzes e.g. those of Mozart & Strauss & favours marches over quadrilles. JDH thanks Elizabeth & their Aunt Palgrave for sending him their sketches. He commiserates at the death of Lady Callcott who painted a scene of Rio de Janeiro harbour, where JDH will soon be, & illustrated a handbook of Westminster Abbey. JDH mentions acquaintances: the Christys, Carswell & Thomson (recently released from captivity in Afghanistan). JDH is now on his way home via Ascension, where he will eat turtle, & the Azores. JDH anticipates Sir John Franklin will return home if Wilmot is to be Governor of Van Diemen's Land [Tasmania]. Mentions a review of Mrs Rigby's work. Reports of the expedition in the HAMPSHIRE TELEGRAPH contained errors attributed to Lieutenant McMurdo.

JDH writes to his sister Maria Hooker, thanking her for a backlog of letters he received when at Simon's Bay [Simon's Town, South Africa]. Mentions Maria's visit to Dr Richardson at Haslar & his letters to Mrs Richardson going astray. At Cape Town JDH saw Baron Ludwig, who gave JDH a box with disappearing lid for Maria. Ludwig will send Elizabeth, JDH's other sister, some 'embroidery work of the Hottentots' [Khoikhoi]. JDH got no shells [for Maria] at Simon's Bay, he was promised a harp shell but sailed before receiving it, the species is the same as sent to their father, William Jackson Hooker, by Mr Telfair from Mauritius. Mrs Helps or the Wyldes may give JDH some shells at St Helena. Mr Helps is a chaplain whose daughter drowned on the 'Reliance'. JDH encourages Maria in her pursuit of singing & drawing & wishes his own drawing skills were better. Mentions the ATHENAEUM'S good review of their Uncle Francis Palgrave's HANDBOOK FOR TRAVELLERS IN NORTHERN ITALY. JDH prefers the ATHENAEUM to the LITERARY GAZETTE though the latter takes more notice of the Ross Antarctic Expedition. Has read about Joan of Arc, Tribune Rienzi, the Duke of Sutherland & agricultural chemistry in the QUARTERLY REVIEW & about British, French, American relations & the slave trade in the EDINBURGH REVIEW. He was also interested in an account of glaciers, having lived so long amongst the ice, but was less impressed by the views on education & a review of Moore's works. JDH now has only one 'messmate', there are advantages & disadvantages to the reduced number. There are few animals left on board, only sheep & goats. JDH had a kitten & two rabbits from the Falkland islands as pets, the kitten & one rabbit have died but he is bringing the remaining rabbit home for Elizabeth. JDH will soon be home to tell his family & friends about his travels, but fears he has got very little from the 'howling wilderness' of 'the South' except cold fingers & does not think another expedition will ever go there.

JDH informs his father, William Jackson Hooker, that he is sending him some bird skins, through Lieutenant Matson of HMS 'Waterwitch'. They were collected by Lieutenant Oakley of the HMS 'Erebus' & are to be shared between them. JDH has more private collections to send home by first opportunity. By the ship 'Queen' JDH sent letters to his mother & sisters via Captain Beaufort. He left letters for his father at Simons' Bay [Simon's Town, South Africa] to be delivered by the yacht 'Waterwitch'. WJH's St Helena Correspondent, Bennett, & his widowed mother have the best garden on the island. Captain [James Clark] Ross intends to suggest JDH for promotion, along with Lyall, he proposes that JDH continue in Naval service to serve only on scientific expeditions as a naturalist. JDH explained that he would prefer to get a job on land & expected to be employed by WJH [at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew] but would not turn down a certain promotion given that he has not yet got a definite alternative. He would not want to enter 'ordinary service' or to go on any Government Expedition lasting longer than a year. Ross also intends to apply for a grant to publish the natural history of the voyage & wants the Navy to give JDH half pay whilst he prepares the botany section. Explains some changes that mean JDH will not have to pass the navy boards to qualify for promotion because of his diploma from Edinburgh. If given the opportunity to go on a short Navy expedition as naturalist JDH would take it. JDH is sending WJH moss drawings through the Hydrographer. The 'Erebus' is preparing to do some very deep sea soundings. JDH asks WJH to send his apologies to William Burnett for not sending him any collections, JDH is only allowed to send specimens to official government depots but will give Burnett or Henslow a set after publication. The Ross Antarctic expedition goes next to Ascension then Rio de Janeiro to set up observatories & JDH expects to be home sometime in Sep.

JDH reports to his sisters, Maria & Elizabeth 'Bessy', his arrival in Rio de Janeiro after a stop at Ascension Island. He writes of the correspondence he has recently sent & received. He explains that Captain [James Clark] Ross has not received despatches from the Admiral so their movements are uncertain. They will probably make some observations in Rio before returning home. They also need to make repairs to the ship, HMS 'Erebus'. JDH wrote to their father, Sir William Jackson Hooker, per the HMS 'Waterwitch' from St Helena & send him a parquet[sic] [parakeet?] on the ship 'Queen'. JDH was particularly glad to hear from his sisters that all their family are well. JDH writes about his sisters' trip to Hampshire, mentioning Bury Hill & Gilbert White's NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBOURNE. JDH sends his regards to Mrs Gray of the British Museum & communicates that her nephew, his messmate, Lieutenant Smith is well. JDH describes Rio de Janeiro harbour, town & scenery mentioning the Organ Mountains. He particularly mentions the abundance of churches & convents, & cheap fruit: oranges, bananas & pineapples. He notes how different Rio is to all the cooler colonies previously visited during the expedition. He also mentions the young Emperor of Brazil, newly married to the daughter of the King of Naples. JDH complains about the drums & pipes on a nearby American ship, which plays Yankee Doodle every night, drowning out the more skilled band on the Brazilian flagship. JDH was glad to hear that his sisters have seen Baxter & he got home safely.

JDH informs his father, William Jackson Hooker, that he expects to be home soon after this letter arrives. Captain Ross is keen to leave Rio de Janeiro as soon as the Bowsprit is replaced & before despatched from Monte Video can order them to stay. JDH reflects on the expedition now it is nearly over. He is glad to have done it, though it was not what he expected, & he would have found it tedious if not for the study of botany to fill his hours with. Captain Ross has been kind to JDH & he is grateful but he does not love the man & thinks he should have shown kindness to other deserving parties. JDH briefly speculates on his future with the Naval Service, before receiving a Surgeon's Commission he would have to take further exams at Edinburgh [University]. He would rather remain in the service than be a burden on his family but thinks he will be able to pay his way by acting as an assistant to his father in his work at Kew. JDH collected 22 different species of fern at St Helena & 8 at Ascension with only 1 species common to both. Some of JDH's duplicate Auckland Island plant specimens have begun to moulder but the New Zealand ferns are resisting the damp. He discusses the morphology of a Diplazium fern species from St Helena. JDH wrote to Brown from the Cape of Good Hope. Under the heading 8pm JDH continues that e has received a letter from [George] Gardner with letters of introduction to people in Rio, but JDH will have little time to make use of the introductions. JDH regrets that he has been prevented from making his planned excursion to Tejuca in the Sierra dos Organõs to collect Cladonia perfilata. JDH is pleased WJH has got Gardner a position with Fielding. He wishes the prospects for Arnott were as good.

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This is an unsigned letter from Hooker to Bentham.

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