CHAPTEK II 
THE ANTARCTIC VOYAGE I PRELIMINARIES 
Joseph Hooker had received a unique bringing up in his 
father's house. He did not so much learn botany as grow- 
up in it. At one-and-twenty he was probably the best-equipped 
botanist of his years, and he was just finishing his medical 
course. From his father's position he also received unique 
opportunity. Sir William enjoyed the friendship of many 
influential men, scientific and official, who kept him in touch 
with any scientific projects that were taken up by Government. 
Two such were afoot in 1838-9 : one, Eoss's expedition to the 
Antarctic ; the other, Captain H. D. Trotter's ^ to the Niger. 
Each would require a naturalist. Had Joseph Hooker failed 
to secure a place with Boss, he would almost certainly have 
joined the other ill-fated expedition, most of the Europeans 
on which died of fever. 
James Clark Eoss, the distinguished Arctic explorer, was 
already known to Sir William through their common friend, 
Dr. Eichardson of Haslar. He had told Sir WilHam his prospect 
of leading the Antarctic expedition which only awaited the 
Government's definite authorisation. Now in the early autumn 
of 1838 he was paying a visit to the Hookers' close friends 
and neighbours, the Smiths of Jordan Hill, whose names in 
^ Captain, afterwards Rear-Admiral Henry Dundas Trotter (1802-59), 
who had already distinguished himself in the suppression of piracy, headed an 
expedition in 1841 to the west coast of Africa and especially to the Niger 
to conclude treaties of commerce with the negro kings. Tropical fevers broke 
up the expedition ; two of the three ships were forced to return after three 
weeks ; Trotter himself continued another four weeks before returning, so 
shattered in health that he was unable to undertake active service for the space 
of fourteen years. 
VOL. I 37 i> 
