JDH is en route to Lachoong [Lachung] Pass but must first dry & send his plants to Darjeeling. He has many from the Lachen valley & wanted to stay longer despite the Rajah. [Archibald] Campbell [AC] writes of a lot of fever between there & Darjeeling but the Lachung road is safer. He wants Astragali, Cruciferae etc. from the Tibetan slopes or the table-land of Lachen. JDH took a Tartar pony up to 17000ft. He is now at 6000ft & describes the varied vegetation. He thinks the dangers are exaggerated, despite the discomfort of leeches. WJH’s letter arrived with PS from Lord Carlisle. He is glad the government has given up the Borneo grant. The Indian troops say Borneo is worse than Hindustan. [James] Brookes defends it only as a Naval depot. JDH is annoyed with AC’s politeness towards the Rajah; he had to rely on the Soubah’s help. JDH & AC also disagree about the location of the Tibet frontier at Neenla[?]. JDH will send seeds & roots of Jatamansi for the museum. Thomson is still at Simla [Shimla]. JDH will not take magnetic observations for the R.H.[Royal Horticultural?] Society unless Sabine sends the insgtruments. He dismisses the aneroid & would rather Newman send another small barometer. Muller has bought the instruments last sent; Hodgson also wants some as does Mr Middlesmiss[?] who cultivates tea at Khersiong. He congratulates WJH on Thwaites appointment & will write to him at Ceylon [Sri Lanka] about the importance of systematic botany & the 'Flora Zeylanica'. He is glad WJH has written to Jenkins & that Stevens does well. The seeds in Wallich’s letter were for WJH. He discusses the oaks & chestnuts there, his opinions on Spruce, Rhododendron formosum & the Palaeontographical Society. He will write to Bentham. JDH complains of Reeves, who has neglected sending copies of JDH's works. All India loves RHODODENDRONS OF THE SIKKIM-HIMLAYA. WJH should beware of Pentland who takes credit for Humboldt’s discovery.

JDH writes to his mother [Lady Maria Hooker] from Choongtam. He has been successful in his trip to the pass at Lachen & the plateau of Tibet. JDH discusses [Archibald] Campbell’s & [Brian Houghton] Hodgson’s attempts to get Lord Dalhousie & the Indian Government to defray JDH’s expenses. JDH declined the offer as he did not want to cause animosity with the E.I.C. [East Indian Company]. JDH talks of the successes of his Rhododendron book & jungle journal extracts which were printed in the Asiatic Society’s Journal. He would like WJH’s telescope sent out, & suggests sending it to Carey or Dolland for repair. He would like to be able to observe the eclipses of Jupiter’s satellites. JDH discusses the sale of Newman’s & Adie’s instruments in Calcutta [Kolkata]. He wants a Kater Azimuth Compass as his is borrowed from CaptainThuillier, Deputy Surgeon General.

JDH has received WJH's letter & discusses the sale of [George] Gardner's herbarium & library. He thinks Thomas Thomson would be a large purchaser. If it were valued & put on sale, JDH, WJH, Bentham & Thomson might subscribe with Lindley & Brown to buy the Cingalore portion. JDH is anxious of Thwaites's success as a botanist. He is glad WJH passed Lord Carlisle's note to [Brian Houghton] Hodgson. JDH discusses the Rhododendron books Falconer wrote his opinion of Reeves. He thanks WJH for the copies of his Journal & the Admiralty Manual. Falconer reports that all 150 Rhododendron roots were dead on arrival at Calcutta [Kolkata]. JDH discusses sending more. He cannot get Cupressus funebris; Larch & Abies brunoniana are fruiting . He describes A. webbiana, A. spinulosa does not grow at the Lachoong [Lachung] valley. He has asked [Archibald] Campbell to let him visit Lachen again & talks of the results of his Tibetan cruise & of reaching the Tibetan plateau. He has recently returned from visiting a pass within 10 miles of Pari & Holy Mount Chumalari, which leads to Choombi [Chumbi], though only at the height of Kongra Lama [The end of this letter is missing but a copy of the complete letter can be found at JDH_1_10_201-203 (JHC No.91)].

[This is a more complete manuscript copy of the incomplete original letter found at JDH/1/10 f.200 (JHC90)]. JDH has received WJH's letter & discusses the sale of [George] Gardner's herbarium & library. He thinks Thomas Thomson [TT] would be a large purchaser. If it were valued & put on sale, JDH, WJH, Bentham & TT might subscribe with Lindley & Brown to buy the Cingalore portion. JDH is anxious of Thwaites's success as a botanist. He is glad WJH passed Lord Carlisle's note to [Brian Houghton] Hodgson. JDH discusses the Rhododendron books Falconer wrote & his opinion of Reeves. He thanks WJH for the copies of his Journal & the Admiralty Manual. Falconer reports that all 150 Rhododendron roots were dead on arrival at Calcutta [Kolkata]. JDH discusses sending more. He cannot get Cupressus funebris; Larch & Abies brunoniana are fruiting. He describes A. webbiana, A. spinulosa does not grow at the Lachoong [Lachung] valley. He has asked [Archibald] Campbell [AC] to let him visit Lachen again & talks of the results of his Tibetan cruise & of reaching the Tibetan plateau. He has recently returned from visiting a pass within 10 miles of Pari & Holy Mount Chumalari, which leads to Choombi [Chumbi], though only at the height of Kongra Lama. JDH describes his journey to Kankola, including the vegetation, landscape & weather. He has received letters from Bentham, TT – who intends to join him in November for the Khasya cruise – & Major Madden. Sir James & Miss Colville have gone to Ceylon [Sri Lanka]; Sir Lawrence Peel talks of coming to Darjeeling & AC of joining JDH in October. TT declined Lord Dalhousie’s offer of a medical appointment. JDH discusses his finances. He discusses WJH approaching the Woods & Forests Committee on his behalf & asks to be remembered to Mr Melville of India House. JDH has accepted help from the H.E.I.C.. AC wrote to WJH with 2 copies of JDH's Tonglo Journal from the Asiatic Society's journal. JDH is enclosing a map, seeds & a packet for Falconer.

[Marked as 'extract of a letter'] JDH writes of the loss of his dog Kinchin, who was drowned in the Lachung River. JDH describes the rattan & bamboo cane bridges that span the river & how his dog fell from one. He is now on his way to another pass in North East Sikkim. He describes the landscape & vegetation which reminds him of an English copse. It includes Great Thistles, nettles, dock, & shepherd's purse -- Groudsels, Strawberries, Potentilla, & bramble, willow, poplar, maples, Alder, birch & oak There is less of the deep forest than at Darjeeling, & he enjoys the climate & botany much more but misses [Brian Houghton] Hodgson and his library.