232 THE VOYAGE TO INDIA 
Lord Dalhousie's friendship, which was built up on the 
voyage, and in India showed itself in unstinted support to 
Hooker and to any friend he recommended, was a personal 
appreciation of the man rather than of the scientific investi- 
gator. Hooker, who was no less attached to him, as a man, 
during the too few years that he still had to live, wrote very 
frankly of his lack of scientific interests. 
I find Lord Dalhousie an extremely agreeable and 
intelligent man in everything but Natural History and 
Science, of which he has a lamentably low opinion, I fear. 
He is a perfect specimen of the miserable system of education 
pursued at Oxford, and as ignorant of the origin and working 
of our most common manufacturing products and arts as he 
is well informed on all matters of finance, policy, &c. I very 
carefully drop a little knowledge into him now and then ; 
but I cannot aw^aken an interest or any sympathy in my 
pursuits : he is much pleased at my being busy, and especially 
w^ith my carrying on my Meteorological register three times 
a day. Lady Dalhousie shares her husband's apathy, but 
is otherwise a kind-hearted creature. In the Desert I brought 
them the Gum Arabic Acacia, which I thought must interest 
the late president of the Board of Trade ; but he chucked 
it out of the carriage window : and the Eose of Jericho, 
with an interest about it of a totally different character, met 
no better fate. 
The thought arises that ' he has so much Scotch caution 
that he does not like to broach a subject he cannot talk upon ' ; 
however this might be, the efforts to interest him in the veget- 
able products of the East seemed to bear fruit, and later : 
The Governor-General hints to me that he would like 
reports on the Tea districts of India ; so that I shall hope 
to be made useful by him and to have an opportunity of 
returning all his kindness. I need not say that I shall lay 
myself out to attend to his wishes in India. Assam, how- 
ever, did not enter into my calculations. 
And at Point de Galle he took care to present to the 
Governor- General his friend Gardner, Sir William's protege, 
