About their son Alexander, and the striking of 60,000 medals.

Mostly about JH's health and instructions about the madeira and claret JH is sending home.

As the Mint is closing for a week, JH is trying to arrange a long weekend at Collingwood.

Will be home a few days later than expected as JH is involved in a court case to be heard immediately after the one he is sitting through, and which he describes.

Advises substantial changes in organization and operation of Royal Mint.

RJ's letter to William Whewell helped JH understand why public panic creates pressure for more money. Asks for RJ's opinion about concurrent circulation of gold and silver. Gives example of this 'compound tender' or 'binary standard' that haunts JH.

Requests copy of RM's lecture on distribution of gold, and further information on value of it and silver. Asks specific questions about Russian gold.

Apologizes for delay in answering TH's letter. JH makes arrangements to visit TH at his home.

Asks advice on how to purify gold of residual silver.

Discusses W. H. Fox Talbot's patent application, commenting that JH wishes all patents were abolished. Regrets that duties at the Mint and for the Cambridge University Commission have hindered JH's ability to carry out JH's responsibilities to WP.

Received letter of 10th. Understands that there is no need to forward any more copper.

Encloses copy of note from [W. D.] Haggard regarding production of quicksilver in California. Use of gold bullion coins will be influenced by issue of equilibrium of gold and silver as 'concurrent measures of value.' [JH note on verso on copper alloy ratios.]

Will forward [?]'s petition to W. H. Barton when Barton returns next week.

[Unidentified Mint employee] was not properly informed that his duties included instructing persons not employed at Mint.

[Last page only; continues article VIII and begin article IX.] Mint rules for accounting for precious metals. W. T. Brande is responsible for enforcing these in Coining department.

[Last page only] Estimates time to create dies for [?] medal. Reports progress in production of medal.

Testimonial to professional service rendered to Mint by G. F. G. Mathison, contractor for melting and refining gold and silver bullion.

Can [?] write memorial to Treasury that embodies main objects of proposed national institution? Indicate number and kind of instrumental trials needed to prepare for future expeditions. JH will be in London next Thursday; call committee meeting then. Send reply to JH care of E. Mackintosh at 17 Montague Square by Wednesday.

JDH has been in Chittagong about a week & been welcomed by Mr Sconce, a judge & relation of [Thomas] Thomson [TT], & by the Latours who are civil servants. Sconce grows coffee, tea & pepper & makes bandages from Callicarpa bark. For the museum JDH is sending: articles made of common Mura at the convent, Gurjan oil made from Dipterocarpus, & curious items from Sylhet. En route to Chittagong JDH stopped at Noakolly at the mouth of the Megna & stayed with Dr Baker, a wealthy man on the Government Salt Commission. Baker's wife knows about Suffolk & Halesworth & remembers JDH as a baby. JDH has not received WJH’s letter about Ceylon [Sri Lanka]. TT goes home by the Feb Steamer, JDH may go with him or to Arracan [Arakan, Burma]. Maria told TT's sister WJH had been ill. JDH has declined Colvile's offer to go to Nepal as physician to Lord Grosvenor. JDH is disappointed there is no maritime vegetation in Chittagong, no Mangrove, Avicennias, Rhyzphora [Rhizophora] or even herbaceous salt water plants other than Ipomoea pes Caprae. Inland there is hill & forest vegetation & JDH & TT have collected 300 species in the scrub near the station incl. Linastoma, Memecylon, Rubiaceae, Jasmine & Calamus. Further inland they hope to find palms. The only person in the area interested in plants is Mrs Captain Mathison, formerly Miss Chapman, daughter of a naval officer at Lowestoft. It has been a long time since JDH got any botanical news. Reeve has asked, secretly, for names of people who will subscribe to a lithograph of [William] Tayler's portrait of JDH. There was bad weather on the voyage from Sylhet, some dried Orchideae were damaged but JDH is used to this after Sikkim & is trying to recover them. JDH will write to WJH by the Marseille mail.

Titled 'Dr Hooker's rough Sketch - Map of Route from Darjeeling to the Thibetan Passes'. Printed map with the following marked on it: Thibet [Tibet] Cholamo Plains, Lakes, Lachen Pass over Kong Lama, Lachoong Pass over Donkiah, Powhunny, Wallanchoong Pass, Kanglachema Pass, High Table Land of Thibet, Chomiomo, Kanchan--jhow, Tungu, Chumalari, Wallanchoong, Jangma, Jumnoo, Kubroo, Kinchin--junga [Kanchenjunga], Samdeng, Lachoong, Tunkra Mts, Tambur, Jangma, Pass, Kanglachem, Lachen Village, Lachoong, Thibet, Kamblachen, Choonjerma Pass, Jalloong, Yongri, Pundeem, Choongtan, Lalyp, Jalloong, Chorang, Nursingh Tumlono Residence of Rajah, Black Rock, Chola, Kankola Pass, Choomay River, Mywa Goola, Sinoolatak, Kullait, Rungbo, Ratong, Pemiongchi, Manom, Khabili, Kullait, Tambur, Hinwa, Sankuazung, Jwa, Phullogtt, Rumman, gt.Rungeet, Tendong, Teesta, Nongki, Tonglo, Little Rungeet, Route 1849, Darjeeling, Poua, Mai, Goong, Route 1848, Myong. An additional note explains that Darjeeling is a Sanitarium of the E.I.C. [East India Company] till lately rented from the Rajah of Sikkim. Now forcibly taken from him. Dr. Hooker's routes are marked in dotted lines: & the heights of the principal mountains are given in English feet.