Since he last wrote to his father, William Jackson Hooker, JDH has botanised at St Helena, most notable for cryptogams. JDH learnt about the island flora from Chief Justice Wilde & the Military Chaplain Mr Helps, who assisted Tournaut[?] of Dr Thomson's lab. JDH could not find Beatsonia or Mikania. He collected Commidendrum, Melanodendron & Lachanodes. Other noteworthy collections include Trimiris, Roellas & ferns. JDH dries his plant on HMS 'Erebus' by hanging them outside, some have suffered in extreme weather & the conditions of the tropics. His main collecting tools are a leather portfolio & vasculum. Using a microscope JDH draws marine animals, some of which are luminous; mostly Entomostraceous Crustacea, Pyrosoma & Sertulariae. Blainville's ACTINOLOGIE & Edwards' CRUSTACEA are his references for this work. Approaching the Cape of Good Hope JDH first saw floating seaweeds, a submarine forest with an ecosystem of fish, parasites, corals, shells, crustaceans, molluscs, worms, actinia [anemones] etc. He describes the main seaweed, a Laminaria. JDH & Captain Ross work on the marine specimens whilst McCormick is only interested in ornithology & geology so JDH is effectively the voyage naturalist. JDH describes the excitement of every new landfall. He discusses what he will include in his Antarctic Flora. Next the expedition goes to Crozet, Prince Edward Island, Kerguelen's Land, Islands of St. Paul & Amsterdam, New Zealand, then the ice of Antarctica. The artillery officer, Wilmot, will be staying at the Cape. His brother Augustine Wilmot is a medical student at Edinburgh, his father MP for Warwickshire. The HMS 'Terror's' artillery officer, Mr LeFroy, stayed at St Helena. JDH asks for some natural history books & about joining the Linnean Society. He discusses sending specimens home, all should go to the Admiralty. Suggests WJH could exchange plants with Wilde. JDH has received no letters at Simons Bay, the Cape. He will write to his sisters at Camden House.

JDH apologises for not writing to his grandfather, Joseph Hooker senior, from St Helena. He describes the hierarchy & his daily routine on the ship [HMS 'Erebus']. After breakfast he tends to the sick then takes meteorological observation for the Captain [James Clark Ross] & studies German. After the midday meal he checks the towing nets & after dinner draws & describes specimens & writes his journal & notes. JDH takes the dew point every day. At sea they communicate with sister ship HMS 'Terror' once a month in person & the ships exchange information on their position regularly by signal. A recent dredging near the shore gathered 30 different species of marine animals: corals, shrimp, crab, worms & sponges but no sea weed or submarine vegetation. The Captain sounds every day with a whale line & takes readings from the water at different depths using various instruments incl. a Massey's log. The deepest they have reached is 2477 fathoms & often the sea is too deep to reach the bottom. Sounding at 500 fathoms requires all the men to haul the line back in, a fiddler plays for encouragement - often Rob Roy. JDH tells his grandfather of the hospitality of the Muir family & an invitation from Andrew Johnson to his house, the 'Palle', near Funchal, Madeira. Discusses the diminishing provisions on the long cruise between St Helena & the Cape de Verde & the rations allowed to each man incl. a 'gill of grog' & lemon juice to prevent scurvy. The captain arranged a Christmas dinner & New Year's party. On Sundays there is a church service on the lower deck. The artillery officer, Wilmot, left to take charge of the Cape Observatory & some passengers have also disembarked leaving more room for the naturalists to work. JDH describes how he maintains & stores his plant specimen collection. JDH heard about the deaths of Allan Cunningham & Duke of Bedford from Mr Bowie of the Ludwigsburgh Garden. JDH asks for books in German to be sent to him at Van Diemen's Land [Tasmania].

No summary available.