CHAPTER XIII 
TO DARJILING : THE FIRST HIMALAYAN JOURNEY 
It was a weary journey by palki from the Ganges to Darjiling. 
Whole days were wasted in trying to secure bearers. Fre- 
quently none were ready though arranged for with the Post, 
and those who had already come a stage were obdurate to 
' praying, promising, and protesting, bribing and bullying.' 
Once Hooker had to w^alk while the men carried the empty 
palki till they met certain return bearers of a previous party. 
* People may say what they like,' he exclaims feelingly to Miss 
Henslow (April 9, 1848), ' about the *' mild Hindoo " and all 
that sort of thing ; they have their good points, but being led 
by kindness or generous treatment is not amongst them ; they 
never thank you and, overpay as much as you like, they growl. 
Highlanders cannot be worse.' 
At Darjiling began a new phase of life in India, and with it 
a deep and lifelong friendship with a very remarkable character. 
Brian Hodgson, administrator and scholar, had won equal fame 
as Eesident at the court of Nepal and as a student of Oriental 
lore. Known to English science as the best Indian zoologist 
and the donor of the Hodgson natural history collection at the 
British Museum, he was yet ' far better known as an Oriental 
linguist. Ethnologist, and Geographer.' Dismissed from his 
responsible post against the wish ahke of the Nepalese and the 
Government officials by the petulance of Lord Ellenborough,^ 
^The Earl of fEllenborough (1790-1871) was Governor- General of India 
1842-44, in succession to Lord Auckland, after twice being President of the 
Board of Control. By the irony of fate, his purpose being ' to restore peace 
to Asia,' he spent his time waging wars of punishment against China and 
Afghanistan and of annexation against Scinde. His unpopularity with all 
classes except the army was due to his vast self-sufficiency and disregard for 
others' feelings and interests. 
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