1 843.] SIR j. D. HOOKER'S REMINISCENCES. 21 



of the flora of the so-called Antarctic Islands. I do not 

 suppose that any of these ideas were new to him, but they 

 led to an animated and lengthy correspondence full of 

 instruction." 



Here follows the letter (1843) to Sir J. D. Hooker above 

 referred to.] 



MY DEAR SIR, I had hoped before this time to have had 

 the pleasure of seeing you and congratulating you on your 

 safe return from your long and glorious voyage. But as I 

 seldom go to London, we may not yet meet for some time 

 without you are led to attend the Geological meetings. 



I am anxious to know what you intend doing with all your 

 materials I had so much pleasure in reading parts of some 

 of your letters, that I shall be very sorry if I, as one of the 

 public, have no opportunity of reading a good deal more. 

 I suppose you are very busy now and full of enjoyment : 

 how well I remember the happiness of my first few months 

 of England it was worth all the discomforts of many a gale ! 

 But I have run from the subject, which made me write, of 

 expressing my pleasure that Henslow (as he informed me 

 a few days since by letter) has sent to you my small collec- 

 tion of plants. You cannot think how much pleased I am, 

 as I feared they would have been all lost, and few as they are, 

 they cost me a good deal of trouble. There are a very few 

 notes, which I believe Henslow has got, describing the 

 habitats, &c., of some few of the more remarkable plants. 

 I paid particular attention to the Alpine flowers of Tierra del 

 Fuego, and I am sure I got every plant which was in flower 

 in Patagonia at the seasons when we were there. I have long 

 thought that some general sketch of the Flora of the point of 

 land, stretching so far into the southern seas, would be very 

 curious. Do make comparative remarks on the species allied 

 to the European species, for the advantage of botanical 

 ignoramuses like myself. It has often struck^me as a curious 



