48 PllOCEEDINGS OF THE 



heard of from Rio. Doubtless Joseph will liave reached home 

 before this letter arrives, and 1 may congratulate him — and 

 yourself — upon his most gratifying success, which has laid a 

 broad and sure foundation for his scientific eminence. His 

 'Flora Antarctica' must be of the very highest interest and 

 im])ortance." 



To young Hooker after his return Gray also wrote*: " Tou now 

 stand in a perfectly unrivalled position as a botanist, as to 



advantages, &c and if you do not accomplish something 



worth the while, you ought not to bear tlie name of Hooker." 

 The sequel showed how well placed was Gray's high encourage- 

 ment. Xo father can ever have had more just reason for pride 

 than Sir AVilliam in the achievements of his son. 



Hooker, though born in Suffolk, was taken to Glasgow at the 

 age of four ^hen his father was appointed to the Professorship 

 of Botany in the University. Here he received his education so 

 far as school and college are concerned. He graduated in 

 Medicine in 1839, being then 22 years of age. With the world to 

 conquer he seized the first big thing that chance afforded. 



As Hooker has told us, his father's house " was the resort of 



voyagers and travellers from all parts of the world On 



the occasion of a visit from Koss, he told my father of his hopes 

 of obtaining the equipment of an expedition to discover the South 

 Magnetic Pole ; whereupon my father brought me to him as a 

 youth who would be delighted to accompany him as Xaturalist. 

 E.OSS received me very kindly, and told me that if I could prepare 

 myself for such a duty, he would take me. The Antarctic 

 E.xpedition saw my debut in a scientific career "t. To travel had 

 always been Hooker's dream as a child, and he relates how he used 

 to look at the pictures in Cook's voyages sitting on his grand- 

 father's knee (Dawson Turner). The one that took his fancy 

 most was the plate of Christmas Harboui', Kergueleu's Land, with 

 the arched rock standing out to sea, and the sailors killing 

 penguins. He was consumed with the desire to see that rock and 

 knock penguins on the head. By an odd coincidence this was one 

 of the first places he visited with the Antarctic Expedition. 



The fascination and interest of this desolate island, the flora of 

 which he fully described, appears to have remained throughout his 

 life. In a letter to my father, written during a visit to the 

 Scottish Highlands t, Hooker says : — 



" Skye Geology, too, impressed me much. The island re- 

 sembled some of the Antarctic ones in many particulars ; and 

 though volcanic on the whole, it contains beds representative of 

 most or all the British Formations from the Laurentian upwards ! 

 and I could not help wondering if future discoveries, say in 



* ' Letters of Asa Gray,' p. 317. 



t Anniversary Dinner of the Royal Soeiety, Nov. 30, 1887. Sir Joseph 

 Hooker's replv to the toast of "The Medallists," p. 13. 

 + Dated Aviemore, Sept. 25, 1876. 



