Archbishop of Canterbury is to take his seat at the R.S.L. on Thursday next and is to dine with RI beforehand; will JH join them?
Sending an extract from a letter dealing with magnetic and electrical instruments recently sent to Egypt for purposes of exploration.
No summary available.
No summary available.
Thanks for the letter and his interest in the matter. Has written to W. H. Sykes relative to his astronomical qualifications.
JDH discusses Nepal wheat, wheat grown in Darjeeling, & in the mountains & valleys of Nepal. On tree roots JDH has found a parasitical Orobanche growth identical to one Georgie dug from ivy nut roots. Griffith's Phococordylis was growing on the same roots, for which refer to 'Linn. Trans.' [TRANSACTIONS OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY LONDON Aug 1846] or 'Balanoph'. [ON THE INDIAN SPECIES OF BALANOPHORA]. JDH found many Bhotean inscriptions in Sikkim & brought away some of the best, he will teach a servant to take rubbings for his next trip there.
Has altered and added to HES’s list [compiled for Bibliographia zoologiæ et geologiæ, edited by Louis Agassiz and enlarged by HES, (1848–54)].
On zoological nomenclature CD cites a case in which he believes more harm than good would be done by following the rule of priority. Thinks the rule of the first describer’s name being attached in perpetuity to a species has been the greatest curse to natural history. Every genus of cirripedes has a half-dozen names and not one careful description.
Sends a paper he once wrote [missing] on the subject [of zoological nomenclature].
Has never seen the great nebula of Andromeda satisfactorily resolved; comments on this and gives some of his observations. Will be going to Brighton and then take his family to London for Easter.
Thanks to JH for the copy of JH's Cape Results.
Encloses note to be directed to JH, pointing out discrepancies in JH's article on sound in first edition of Encyclopaedia Metropolitana.
JDH has returned to Darjeeling after a trip to the mountains. The Kazi of Lingcham accompanies JDH & likes the Murwa pot. JDH's route passed the Great Rungeet & a spur of Kinchin [Kanchenjunga]. Met Archibald Campbell [AC] in Teesta valley, the former had a hard journey obstructed by Sikkim officials. JDH was welcomed at villages en route & they gave him more than enough food for his party. AC & the Sikkim Rajah camped on opposite sides of the river. The Rajah's Dewan is a rogue. Describes audience with the Rajah, his manners, appearance & gifts exchanged. The camp was in Bhomsong, a valley with tropical forests incl. palms & Sikkim Pandanus. JDH began the march to the Lachen & Lachoon [Lachung]passes, AC came as far as Pemiongchi monastery then left for the Titalya fair. Ascended forest covered Mainomchoo Mt, crowned with Abies webbiana & a wooden temple. Made sketches & meteorological observations. Collected mosses, Rhododendrons incl. R. falconeri & an alpine bamboo. Describes Lama convent at Tassiding, incl. buildings & decoration by Lhassa artists. There was no sign of Hindu religion. On the road were slabs engraved with Tibetan characters. Also visited, Yuksun [Yuksom] on the Ratong River & Doobdee [Dubdi] convents where Cypress trees used to make wreaths. Describes ascent to & view from Jongri yak port above the snow line at 13000 ft. Notes the geology & glacial features of the range & view of Pundim & Kubroo peaks. Vegetation Herbaceous but incl. Tingurisella Pine. Describes marching through snow & danger of snow blindness. Collected strong-scented dwarf Rhodo. which causes headaches, rock lichen, Andrea, a Splachnum, 46 species of fern chiefly Spheropteris. Visited holy lake & Changachelling convents where his likeness was painted onto the wall. The journey was without mishap, the Bhotheas [Bhotias] & Lepcha people were hospitable. At Darjeeling JDH is staying with Muller, whose brother Charles is at Patna, & arranging his collections & museum specimens.
Responds to CD’s two objections to the principles involved in the "Rules of zoological nomenclature": (1) that strict enforcement of the rule of priority would cause much inconvenience, and (2) attaching name of the first describer in perpetuity puts a premium on careless description by "species mongers".
Thanks WJH for information on J. D. Hooker’s progress.
J. D. Hooker promised a copy of his Galapagos paper. Can WJH forward one to the Athenaeum?
No summary available.
Arrangements about how the R.A.S. meeting will proceed.
JDH writes to his mother regarding letters exchanged with & news about friends, family & acquaintances: sister Elizabeth, whose health is improving; cousin Gifford, who may have been in a battle in the North West; the Palgraves; Aunt Jacobson; Humboldt; Maria's husband; Frances Henslow; Wheatstone; Stephan Ward; Phillipps; Mrs & Sir C. Lyell; & Darwin. JDH has also written to Reeks regarding the destitute family of Geological Survey Officer Williams. JDH hopes the box of instruments from Adye [Alexander Adie?] has been sent overland not round the Cape of Good Hope. JDH mentions numerous friends in Darjeeling & elsewhere in India: Müller, who he is staying with & for whom he has ordered some instruments from Newman; Hodgson; Barnes, who has supplied him with elephants; Campbell, who has supplied tents; O'Shaugnessy; Sabine, who wants him to make meteorological observations; & Lobb, a plant collector for nurserymen. JDH has also befriended [William] Tayler, Post Master General of India, brother to artist F. Taylor. WT is an artist himself & has painted landscapes & portraits in Darjeeling & Cattmandu [Kathmandu] & intends to paint JDH's expedition party including Lepchas, Bhoteas & animals. JDH describes his new Bhotea dog, a Tibet Mastiff. JDH is sending home his Nepal & Sikkim collections inc. seeds, dried plants, museum items for WJH, & Cryptogamia for Wilson to name & publish as he desires. JDH discusses the publication of his letters in the LITERARY GAZETTE, editor Jordan, he does not think the criticism of them in the ATHENAEUM comes from the same 'L' who denigrated the BOTANICAL MAGAZINE. JDH Also mentions: Stocks' papers in LONDON JOURNAL OF BOTANY; Griffith's PALMS [OF BRITISH EAST INDIA]; a sketch in the LONDON JOURNAL OF BOTANY of his report on McLelland's activities, anticipated comments on the Calcutta Gardens, JDH's coal-fossil essay & the exchange of his Antarctic Flora for Wight's ICONES.
Discusses the death of his Uncle Gurney who was well respected in Calcutta [Kolkata], & the death of Williams in unhealthy jungle. Urges his father not to worry, JDH avoiding unhealthy places with the advice of [Brian Houghton] Hodgson [BHH]. Assam is unhealthy at this time of year & tensions with Nepal on the NW frontier will hamper travel to Cattmandu [Kathmandu] so Hooker will stay at Darjeeling & the Himalayas. Wants to make more geological, geographical & meteorological observations of Kinchin [Kanchenjunga] as well as collect its botany. Whilst in Darjeeling he will continue to collect specimens, draw plants, prepare his flora 'Cibaria & Economira' & send roots to Kew. He hopes to visit 'the snows' again at least as far as Jongri. JDH has received letters from home with news of Bessy's [Elizabeth Hooker] illness & recovery & Planchon's contemptible conduct. Also received instruments from Newman & Jacket & books forwarded through Colvile. Discusses publication of new Rhododendrons & the identification, characteristics & proposed names for different Rhodo. species: macrophyllum, campbelliae, wallichii or setosum, argentuem or arboretum & falconeri. Mentions Reeves & the LONDON JOURNAL OF BOTANY. Discusses the likelihood of Thomson joining him from Ferozepore [Firozpur]. Mentions Madden, Wallich & the [Calcutta Botanic] Garden, Falconer being sent to Moulmain [Mawlamyine] to report on Teak & Macrae taking over. Soane river collections not yet sent home, will be shared with the East India Company, Linnean Society & Calcutta Gardens. Bentham has taken up Vogel. Discusses running of the [RBG Kew] herbarium, including outgrowing Aiton House & needing an assistant, he suggests Mitten, not Spruce. JDH ordering instruments for Muller. Brown has been staying at Kew & JDH is willing to make amends. There is no Zallacca at Darjeeling, only Wallichia. Speculates on the future of ANNALS OF KEW & the Linnean Society incl. possibility of WJH being chair.
ARW reports to friends his observations of Brazil after nine months exploring. At first disappointed, expected profusion of monkeys, hummingbirds, and parrots everywhere. “Not for several days...saw a single monkey or bird,” but soon learned “how and where to look.” Country is “surpassingly beautiful,” caught 500 different kinds of butterflies. Virgin forest “sublime and magnificent” with astonishing vegetation where “lurk the Onca [jaguar] & the Boa constrictor...and the Bell bird tolls his peal.” Describes streams and rivers; Climate “wonderfully uniform;” 30 different kinds of palm trees; large variety of fruits. Unalterably opposed to slavery. Even where he observed them treated well, notes they can be sold “like horses or dogs.” Country is booming and prosperous in both agriculture and commerce.
No summary available.
Would he trouble himself about the address only; all the rest will be arranged for him.