(INDIAN PLANS AND CUEEENT WOEK 217 

 ing my plans. The Woods and Forests seem very desirous 

 of sending me out, and as I do not see any other prospect 

 of my doing better, and being extremely anxious to under- 

 take any exploratory expedition, I need hardly say that 

 I do hope they will employ me. 



The last J sheet of the Flora Ant. is in the press, and 

 it contains a vast amount more matter than I had ever con- 

 templated bringing in ; it has cost me out of 'pocket upwards 

 of £100, and Lord Auckland has not yet had his copy, which 

 will cost me £8 10s. I feel it to be now quite time that I 

 were looking out for a livelihood, and as my future hopes 

 and prospects all will be with the Woods and Forests I feel 

 that in justice to myself I ought not to throw away the 

 present opportunity of improving myself, and the science 

 to which I am attached, and of establishing a claim upon 

 them in the proper quarter. 



Neither the Flora of New Zealand nor of Van Diemen's 

 Land will suffer by the delay, as Mr. Gunn and Colenso are 

 still employed in making collections in all parts of these 

 islands and are paid by my Father and self for doing so, 

 from our private pockets. Under any circumstances I 

 did not think of beginning the publication of either Flora 

 before some months, when their latest collections shall have 

 arrived. 



Failing anything else, he was even ready to go out and 

 report on the nature of the Island of Ascension, a barren rock, 

 in connexion with the Admiralty plan of improving the vege- 

 tation there. Unexpected encouragement of the Indian plan 

 came from De la Beche, who desired to retain him on the 

 Survey staff, while taking the fossils he might collect for the 

 Geological Museum, and letting the plants go to Kew. 



The first point then was to secure a Government grant for 

 the Indian expedition, and the support of the East India Com- 

 pany. The latter was easier to win than the former, finance 

 at the moment being unpropitious. The Admiralty, moreover, 

 to whom Hooker owed allegiance, thought India out of their 

 proper sphere, and suggested that if he wanted botanical travel 

 he should join the official expedition to the Malay Islands, 

 planned for 1848, though this would not be a very well paid 



