250 TO DARJILIXG : FIRST HDIALAYAN JOURNEY 
The other friendship here cemented was with Dr. Campbell, 
the Political Agent to Sikkim. 
He is well versed in all Tibetan and Frontier affairs ; 
he has given me much information on these subjects, and 
on the vegetations of the countries bej^ond the snow, which 
he has learned from the Thibetans who came hither through 
the snowy passes (April 28). 
Warm, hearty, and helpful as he was, he was not the grand 
seigneur or professed scholar like Hodgson, nor did he equally 
possess that fine imagination which would outrun an ordinary 
welcome, or ensure perfect diplomatic goodwill in the Sikkimese 
representatives with whom he had to deal. Moreover in his 
official dealings he had had many small rubs from the Calcutta 
Government, so that he was at first shy of pushing Hooker's 
wishes as he for his own part would willingly have done. Thus 
friendship with him took longer to establish, but was drawn 
close long before their joint experience of travel and captivity 
in Sikkim. 
The charm of his home at Darjiling was completed by Mrs. 
Campbell and ' her beautiful children ; for the little creatures 
have taken a vast fancy for " Hooker doctor," who gives them 
sweetmeats, and who rides "' the naughty pony." ' To them 
Hooker was devoted, and to Josephine, born while he and Dr. 
Campbell were still prisoners in Sikkim, he stood godfather. 
This friendship also was lifelong, and is prettily illustrated 
in a letter to Sir WilHam Hooker dated July 19, 1848 : 
I wrote and told him this morning that I would ask you 
to confirm the name of a Rhododendron on his wife, a little 
compliment that has touched him to the quick ; he is very 
nmch attached to his wife, and I really never saw a man so 
heartily appreciate a trifling favor. Now pray don't forget 
to attach the name to one of the species sent if the one I 
have given it to be not new. With regard to all the names, 
pray alter them as you please or name the plants yom'self 
altogether. I have no ambition that way now, and would 
indeed rather see your initial at their tails than my own, 
but, I beseech you, don't forget this MacCallum Morae [for 
Mrs. Campbell]. 
