250 TO DARJILING : FIKST HIMALAYAN JOUENEY 



The other friendship here cemented was with Dr. Campbell, 

 the Political Agent to Sikkim. 



He is well versed in all Tibetan and Frontier affairs ; 

 he has given me much information on these subjects, and 

 on the vegetations of the countries beyond the snow, which 

 he has learned from the Thibetans who came hither through 

 the snowy passes (April 28). 



Warm, hearty, and helpful as he was, he was not the grand 

 seigneur or professed scholar like Hodgson, nor did he equally 

 possess that fine imagination which would outrun an ordinary 

 welcome, or ensure perfect diplomatic goodwill in the Sikkimese 

 representatives with whom he had to deal. Moreover in his 

 official dealings he had had many small rubs from the Calcutta 

 Government, so that he was at first shy of pushing Hooker's 

 wishes as he for his own part would willingly have done. Thus 

 friendship with him took longer to establish, but was drawn 

 close long before their joint experience of travel and captivity 

 in Sikkim. 



The charm of his home at Darjiling was completed by Mrs. 

 Campbell and ' her beautiful children ; for the little creatures 

 have taken a vast fancy for " Hooker doctor," who gives them 

 sweetmeats, and who rides " the naughty pony." To them 

 Hooker was devoted, and to Josephine, born while he and Dr. 

 Campbell were still prisoners in Sikkim, he stood godfather. 

 This friendship also was lifelong, and is prettily illustrated 

 in a letter to Sir William Hooker dated July 19, 1848 : 



I wrote and told him this morning that I would ask you 

 to confirm the name of a Khododendron on his wife, a little 

 compliment that has touched him to the quick ; he is very 

 much attached to his wife, and I really never saw a man so 

 heartily appreciate a trifling favor. Now pray don't forget 

 to attach the name to one of the species sent if the one I 

 have given it to be not new. With regard to all the names, 

 pray alter them as you please or name the plants yourself 

 altogether. I have no ambition that way now, and would 

 indeed rather see your initial at their tails than my own, 

 but, I beseech you, don't forget this MacCallum Morae [for 

 Mrs. Campbell]. 



