JDH discusses Bhotea [Bhotia] tribes of the Himalaya who inhabit the Cachan, above the villages of the Limbos & Ghorkas [Gorkhas] in Nepal, & Haioos[?], Murims[?] & Lepchas in Sikkim. He translates some Bhotia words. The Bhotias carry on the salt trade with Tibet. The Bhotias or Bhootan people of Bhotea as opposed to the cis-nivean regions are a different tribe, their own name for Bhootan [Bhutan] is 'Lhop' or 'Country of the Dhurmah Rajah'. Hooker likes the Bhotias but the Bhutan people have a very bad reputation. All the above as well as Tibetans & Chinese in the region & people of Little Bucharia & Soongaria are Buddhists who practice Lamaism. Contains a hand drawn map of the Sikkim-Darjeeling area.

Hand-drawn map showing the areas of Nepal & Sikkim between Darjeeling & the Tibetan border. Map includes features such as the Wallanchoon Pass & Kanglachem Pass, & rivers including the Tambur, Yangma, Teesta, Rungeet & Kulhait. Places shown include Pemiongchi & Lelyp.

No summary available.

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.

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.

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.

JDH writes to Darwin about his travels in Sikkim, specifically Kinchin [Kanchenjunga]. Account of other parts of travels, incl. Nepal, were set to Lyell. Discusses the geography of the region, comprised of many mountain spurs & two great rives, one the Teesta. Native villages built on terraces, not usually found above 5000 ft. Valleys are steep & clad in forest to 12000 ft. Discusses effect in varying mean elevation on vegetation e.g. tropical flora advances further North in Nepal. There is geological evidence of a larger body of water than the current rivers once covering the land, notably deposit of red clay to 12000 ft. Makes further detailed geological observations including notable lack of feldspar. Notes that holy lakes have no outlet but drain away underneath, describes visiting the largest of the lakes & rite performed there. Letter includes diagrams showing cross sections of the mountain ridges. Mentions a Bhothea temple: Catsuperri Goompa. Describes meeting [Archibald] Campbell & Sikkim Rajah at Teesta River & climbing a Mt with the former as high as an abandoned Buddhist Temple with an impressive view towards Bhutan & Nepal. Descended to the Great Rungeet River. Visited Pemiongchi convents with impressive paintings. Describes Yoksun [Yoksom] village, notable for being on rare flat ground, & ascent of Ratong Valley. Observes that abandoned salt trading post, Jongri, 13000 ft, is on a spur unusually covered with gravel mounds, granite boulders & little lake beds with shingle deposits, the formation of which is a mystery. Observes typical glacial & snow bed features appear in great number in Ratong Valley. Compares the forming spurs here to those in Nepal. Describes the peak of Pundim: made from Gneiss & veins of plutonic rock capped with white rock. Ends with some observations on quartz, mica schist & stratified rocks & absence of Hornblends augite or volcanic minerals. Sends regards to Wedgewoods & Bell.

JDH received letter of Oct 6, concerning poor health of Darwin. Requests that his own letters containing speculations are kept or recorded for future discussion at Down. Congratulates Lyell on his Knighthood, & Mrs Lyell. Pamphlets by Hodgson sent Oct 2. He exclaims what have Barnacles to do with ornamental poultry. He refers to his unacknowledged account of the cattle hunt in Ross’ VOYAGE [OF DISCOVERY AND RESEARCH IN THE SOUTHERN AND ANTARCTIC REGIONS]. He regrets the unfavourable review of his letters by the ATHENAEUM, for his father’s sake. He refers to his father’s & Bessy’s [Elizabeth Hooker]poor health. Requests that extracts from his letters to Darwin or Lyell concerning the highest mountain in the world [Kanchenjunga] be sent to the ATHENAEUM to re-establish his credit. He compares his own industry with Humboldt’s natural talents. Lightheartedly compares Barnacle behaviour with polygamy of Bothea [Bhotia] women & refers to work on Cirripedes. He urges Darwin not to fight for the perpetuity of names, referring to the pride & conflicting interests amongst naturalists, & to the fields of mineralogy & chemistry, & to Humboldt & Henslow. He discusses the presidential post [of the Asiatic Society] & dispute between Colevile & Falconer & the correspondence with them. Falconer has gone to Moulmain [Mawlamyine] to report on the Teak Timber & JDH has not heard from him in 6 months whilst a 'nobody' has been put in charge of the [Calcutta Botanic] garden. He describes the altitude sickness he suffered at 1500 feet in the 'snowy passes' & doubts he could climb beyond 1800 feet.

JDH met Mrs [Archibald] Campbell and her children on their way from Monghyr on the Ganges to Darjeeling. He describes the way the family was travelling in Palkee's carried by bearers with their female attendants conveyed in suspended cages or chairs and the men running on foot. Along the road they rest at Bungalows erected for travellers by the government and at settlements it is customary for strangers to stay in the residents' homes and receive hospitality. Food in India is cheap, as are servants, but they are prone to breaking things. JDH enumerates all the servants [Brian Houghton] Hodgson has: over 20 for various purposes in his household and garden as well as a village full of people who cultivate the land badly but still get a wage. JDH discusses the health, appearance and affectionate nature of Mrs C's children. They gave JDH a palm wood walking stick which he will send to the [RBG Kew] museum. JDH has many letters & an account of his travels for the Asiatic Society to write.

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JDH describes the history & religion of the Lepcha people to his uncle Palgrave: Sikkim aborigines with Mongolian origins. Compared to plains tribes of India, driven into the Himalaya, Vindhya and Ghat mountain ranges, they remain undisturbed. Lamaism is the Sikkim court religion. Buddhism was introduced from Tibet in 1400AD. Before that Lepchas worshiped spirits Kunchain & Junga after whom the mountain [Kanchenjunga] is named. Early Lepcha recorded history was destroyed in the Ghurkha [Ghurkha] war but monks say that Buddhist priests converted the Lepchas & extended the Sikkim territory from Teesta & Rungeet rivers to the Cosi [Kosi] & into Nepal to Tambar, driving out the Maghars. The vagrant Lepchas are under the control of the industrious immigrant Bhoteas from Tibet but still allowed to practice their own religion. The Buddhist clergy are influential, there are 20 temples in Sikkim with 800 priests & a few nuns. JDH describes the temples & other religious edifices & the figures of Buddha, Sakya, Rajahs, Lamas & other idols they contain. The oldest temples are Tapiding, Changachelling & Pemiongchi; uninfluenced by modern Hindu worship. JDH describes Chaityas, personal memorials, & Mendengs, inscribed walls, & illustrates the former. He describes the ways in which people worship & similarities & differences to the Roman Catholic Church. [Brian Houghton] Hodgson doubts anything is borrowed from Nestroian's Christians in Little Bucharia or later Jesuit missionaries. BHHH's Buddhist Researches appears in a pamphlet which Richardson of Cornhill has & there are also works by Lassen, Burnouf & Cousin. JDH has some inscribed slabs from the monks but they are just invocations, Lepcha histories are written on Nepal paper & JDH has one black sheet with gold writing, there may be more in the grand library at Lhasa or Dijaretie[?]. JDH mentions that the Lepchas have a deluge myth & the Himal has been under water since the tertiary epoch.

JDH has collected Rhododendron seeds at 13000 ft & will enclose seeds of a 13th species, the great white macrophyllum, in a letter to be sent by the 8th [April]. Other seeds sent include; acorns looked over by Hodgson, & chestnuts. When boxes arrive JDH will send; seedlings of Rhododendrons, a Primula, Palms drawings, seeds of a Calamus & 2 genera; Caryota & Calami. JDH says Wallichi Chamerops is not found in Darjeeling. JDH procured trunks of a species of tree fern at the foot of the hills, 1 dichotomous & plenty of specimens, also Beaumontia fully in flower, & cones of A. Brunoniana. JDH discusses Wallich, Griffiths & McLelland. JDH mentions he will speak to Falconer about fruit collected in Calcutta [Kolkata] & Palm Stems on his return. JDH & Hodgson have been reading Broomfield's letters in the L[ondon] J[ournal] B[otany] with great pleasure. JDH discusses how Ld. Auckland's death will affect his future prospects as Supernumerary Acting Surgeon in Borneo. JDH mentions: Ab[ies] Brunoniana, the Teta he believes is Bentham's Picrorhiza, & the Jatamansi he believes is Valeriana. JDH complains his servant Hoffman is inferior to Clamanze. Wight has sent JDH books in return for Flora Antarct[ica], & is sending WJH seeds as well as working up 22 species of Utricularia & putting them near Cyrtand[ra].JDH mentions: Jenkins, Balfour, Forbes, Wallich, Bentham, Brown & the coal fossil of E. Grey. JDH has a parcel of 20 species of dried Rhododendrons arriving in Calcutta before the next mail. Jenkins has heard of Lobb's arrival down the river. JDH is sketching the coniferous vegetation of E[ast] Nepal & Sikkim for the As[iatic] Soc[iety] Journal & LJB.JDH understands that Thomson has been offered the Opium Deputy Agency at Patna & discusses Dr Corbett's previous position there. He mentions Sir H Maddock & O'Shaughnessy in relation to the application process.

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JDH thanks George Bentham for taking over from [Jules Émile] 'Citoyen' Planchon on Niger Flora. At Darjeeling JDH enjoys assistance from Brian Houghton Hodgson[BHH] & Müller; the latter is a Calcutta [Kolkata] Mint accountant. Pending approval from the Rajah JDH will travel more. JDH describes his daily routine whilst travelling & collecting with his Lepcha assistants, also describes his camp, challenges of difficult terrain, the scenery & his curiosity about the old roads. You cannot stray from the road as in the Alps & Andes. Bhutan & Upper Assam are closed to travellers & the low areas are unhealthy. JDH describes an unknown Sonneratia tree & mentions new Michelia & Cucurbitacea. JDH has published papers for the Asiatic Society. He wants to study the geography & natural history of eastern Himalaya as it has been ignored except by BHH. Botanically it can be divided into tropical, temperate & arctic areas. He describes the vegetation in Sikkim province: the area bounded by Kinchin [Kanchenjunga] & Teesta River, & compares it to that of Bhutan & Nepal. The description discusses: tropical jungle, conifers, Taxus, Pinus longifoli, P.deodara, P.pindrow, P.excelsa, P.smithiana, wild Cupressus, Brunonia, larch, palms, Cycas, Pandanus, Cruciferae, Ranunculus, Saxifraga, Primula, Oak, Magnolia, Lauri, Abies brunoniana, A. webbiana, Rhododendron, dwarf Juniper, tropical genera at unusual heights, pepper, Ficus, Calamus, Licualia, Wallichia, India-rubber fig, lack of open sward & European genera, pine forests, lack of legumes except Parochetus, Erythrina & different elevations at which characteristic vegetation appears. JDH discusses the climate of Sikkim & its influencing factors: the South East Monsoons & the Khasya & Behar Hills. Enmann’s Travels make JDH want to see Siberia & Chinese Tartary [Soongaria]. JDH also mentions: Edgeworth; Falconer going to Moulmein; Thompson, the deputy opium examiner at Patna; Crawford; Winterbotham in Tibet, Wallich & an Irish lady.

JDH writes about his Bhotea mastiffs. He describes their physical appearance & savagery before being tamed, which he calls as bad as Bruno. JDH also has a puppy: a cross between Thibet [Tibet] mastiff & Lepcha hunting dog. He carried the puppy up Kinchin [Kanchenjunga] & named him after the mountain. JDH had to clean Kinchin daily with mustard oil & wood ashes, he likes bones like Skye but not the cook or rice, he is clever & steals cheese & JDH’s dinner. JDH jokes that Kinchin learnt English & that he was teaching the dog to write. Kinchin is now six months old & collects plants for JDH. Illustrated.

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JDH is at Calcutta [Kolkata] with [Hugh] Falconer. He has failed regarding Nepal so will travel towards Sylhet & Khassya [Khasi]. Uncomfortable terms with Commander in Chief Sir Charles Napier, mean Lord Dalhousie has refused permission for [Thomas] Thomson to spend a year with JDH on duty so he will take it as furlough. JDH discusses Calcutta Society & his friends & acquaintances there, who include: the Colviles; Colonel Thornsby, the British Resident at the Court of Nepal; the Taylers, including Miss T who will do JDH’s portrait better than her father; Jung Bahadur; Gurney’s friend Reverend Street; & the old Bishop of Calcutta. He describes the Nepalese Princes currently in Calcutta, they will visit RBG Kew having paid penance for crossing the water at the temple of Juggernauth. Mr Tayler gave JDH a picture of Kinchin-Junga [Kanchenjunga] as seen from [Brian Houghton] Hodgson’s window JDH will have [Walter Hood] Fitch copy & return the painting & ask Reeves to publish the copy in lithograph with sales profits going to the Linnean Society. JDH is sending sandalwood boxes for his mother & the RBG Kew museum. It is not worth sending unauthentic, overpriced gold jewellery & trinkets. JDH describes his time at Government House with Lord Dalhousie, Metcalfe & Bowie, the latter was prisoner to Shere Singh with the Lawrences during the battles of Chillianwallah, Ramnagar & Goojaret [Gujerat]. He mentions that Courtenay sings at the grand parties & that horses in Calcutta are expensive. JDH will leave for Darjeeling on 9 Apr. He mentions Isabella’s gossip concerning Dr [Archibald] Campbell, Willy, Glasgow College, a Dr C. of Largs & Dr McGilvray.

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JDH describes the portrait Mr Tayler is painting of him. The scene is JDH’s camp in a forest after a supposed day of collecting in the snowy Himalaya mountains & features: JDH’s Lepcha Sirdar presenting him with a bunch of Dendrobium nobile; the Ghorkha [Gurkha], Havildar & Lepchas in their uniforms; JDH’s Bhotea dog; bamboos, ferns &rhododendrons. JDH also describes the combination of Thibetan [Tibetan]& English clothes he is wearing for the portrait, including a hat mounted with a silver pebble & peacock feather as marks of rank. Illustrated with a sketch of the hat.