5© PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



Be this as it may, towards the close of 1847 Hooker was on his 

 way 10 India, and thus on tlie threshold of perhaps the largest 

 of the interests that entered into his very full life. This journey 

 came as a natural sequel to the Antarctic ; he was anxious to be- 

 come acquainted with the Tropics, and chose India in preference 

 to South America because so much of its geography as well as the 

 botany was "involved in a mystery equally attractive to the 

 traveller and the naturalist." 



The immediate outcome of this journey, which extended over 

 three years, was the ' Himalayan Journals,' a book which fittingly 

 takes its place beside ' The Voyage of the lieagle ' — from the un- 

 published proof-sheets of which Hooker had drawn inspiration 

 before his departure with lioss to the Antarctic. The perusal of 

 these ' Journals' shows how incomparably well fitted was Hooker 

 for the role of traveller in a strange country full of difhculties. 

 Though circumstances ultimately determined that the botanical 

 results should prove the richest, because pursued and analysed 

 farthest, Hooker was no mere botanist. These notes appeal equally 

 to the ethnologist, the zoologist, the geologist, the meteorologist, 

 and the geographer. In several of these fields, especially ludian 

 topography, Hooker left an enduring mark ; had he chosen he 

 could have attained to the highest eminence in any. 



Here are a few extracts, taken at random from the ' Journals, 

 which illustrate some of his many sides : — ■ 



"During my ten days' stay at Zemu Sanidong, I formed a 

 large collection of insects, which was in great part destroyed 

 by damp ; many were new, beautiful, and particularly interesting, 

 from belonging to types whose geographical distribution is 

 analogous to that of the vegetation. The caterpillar of the 

 swallow-tail butterfly was common, feeding on umbelliferous 

 plants, as in England ; that of a Sphynx was devouring the 

 euphorbias ; the English ' painted-lady ' was common, as were 

 ' sulphurs,' ' marbles,' ' whites,' ' blues,' and Thecla, of British 

 aspect but foreign species." 



" As the rains advanced, insects seemed to be called into 

 existence in countless swarms ; moths, cockchafers, glow-worms,, 

 and cockroaches made my tent a Noah's Ark by niglit, when the 

 candle was burning ; together with winged ants, may-flies, flying 

 earwigs, and many beetles, while a very large species of daddy- 

 long-legs swept across my face as I wrote my journal, or plotted 

 off" my map." 



" Bhomtso [in Tibet] is 18,590 feet above the sea ; it presented' 

 an infinitely more extensive prospect than I had ventured to 



anticipate No village or house is seen throughout the 



extensive area over which the eye roams from Bhomtso, and the 

 general character of the desolate landscape was similar to that 

 which I have described as seen from Donkia pass. The wild ass 

 grazing with its foal on the sloping downs, the hare bounding 



