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JDH on his way to Calcutta [Kolkata] to ask Lord Dalhousie & Jung Bahadur together for permission to travel in Nepaul [Nepal]. Resting with cousin of Brian [Houghton] Hodgson's. Discusses Lobb & his collecting: Lobb has a Ward's case full of young Argenteum. Discusses Sikkim incident, Lushington & the General in detail. JDH has arranged & parcelled vast collections, some hundred men's loads. [Hugh] Falconer [HF] has informed JDH of the dispatch of some of his collections by the ship 'Queen' under Captain McLeod. The shipment incl. all of the 1848 collection & part of the 1847 collection incl. the leaf bellows, guns, wood cups & vast chest of museum articles. JDH has sent all his drawings of c.300 species & sketches, incl.fungi. Has drawn around 500 species & plants in total. Also sends a few dried plants chiefly Compositae from 17 to 19 ,000 feet. Tchuka rhubarb is amongst the drawings. Hopes WJH will publish Rhododendron series consecutively in 3 folios fascicules. Has descriptions ready for Apr Southampton mail. The Hodgsonia plate WJH sent is magnificent. If he goes to Nepal JDH hopes to send the desired anther drawing. Discusses telescope, actinometer & compass. Knows nothing of Boott & has not received his Ward's cases. Thomson is collecting Rhododendron dalhousiae, R. argenteum, R. punctatum[?], Orchideae & sundries. At JDH's request HF planted a few seeds of nearly all the Rhododendrons in Ward's cases for RBG Kew. Lord Hardinge writes craving Rhododendron & alpine seeds but JDH has none. Courtenay has left Lord Dalhousie. Also mentions Grey, G.G. [George Gardner], [Archibald] Campbell & Welby Jackson[?]. Discusses the reasons for & against going to Nepal incl. credit of being the greatest Himalayan traveller if he goes in by Sikkim & out by Kumaon. Would not go to Bhotan [Bhutan] without 500 men in front & behind him. Is overloaded with Sikkim politics.