Dear Darwin

I am groaning over my Address for York after a fashion with which I have more than once bored you awfully.—¹ now do believe me when I say that it is an unspeakable relief to me to groan towards you;—& I will have done.

I am trying to formulate my ideas on the subject of the several stages or discoveries or ideas by which the Geog. distrib. (of plants) has been brought up to be a science & to it’s present level, & showing that these stages have all been erected on ideas first entertained by great voyagers or travellers, thus “hitching” myself on to the sympathies of a Geographical audience!—something in this following sort of way—

1 Tournefort’s Enunciation of the likeness between the vegetation of successive elevations & degrees of latitude:—the true bearings of which have come out only now that we know that said vegetations are affiliated in fact as well as in appearance.²

2 Humboldt’s showing that great natural orders, Graminiae Leguminae, Compositae &c are subject to certain laws of increase or decrease relatively to other plants, in going polewards (in both hemispheres), or sky-wards. I should also refer parenthetically to his construction of the isothermals as so great an engine towards the advancement of Geog. Bot.³

Now will you give me your idea as to whether I should be right in calling Humboldt the greatest of Scientific travellers; or only the most accomplished,—or most prolific.? It is the custom to disparage Humboldt now as a shallow man, but when I think of what he did through his own observations during travel, for Geog. distrib. of plants,—for Meteorology, for Magnetism,—for topography,—for physical Geography & hydrography, for Ethnology, for political history of Spanish America & for Antiquity of Mexico—besides the truth & picturesqueness of his descriptions of scenery & all else—I am constrained to regard him as the first of scientific travellers;— do you?⁴ This is however a digression.—

3. Lyell’s showing that distribution is not a thing of the present only or of the present condition of climates and present outline & contour of lands & Forbe’s Essay on the British Flora.⁵

4. The establishment of the permanence since the Silurian period of the present continents & oceans.— Were not you the first to insist on this, or at least point this out?— Do you not think that Wallace’s summing up of the proof of it is good? (I know I once disputed the doctrine, or rather could not take it in—but let that pass!)⁶

5. The Evolution theory.⁷

6 The discovery of fossil warm plants in high Northern regions, leading to exact ideas as to effect of glacial period, as shown by Gray’s Essay.⁸

7. I must wind up with the doctrine of general distribution being primarily from North to South & always along existing continents, with no similar general flow from S. to N.—thus supporting the doctrine which has it’s last expression in Dyer’s Essay read before the Geog. Soc.—& referred to in my last R. S. Address (1879 p. 15)⁹ Now if this is accepted, we may not too hastily throw overboard Saporta’s doctrine of the boreal origination of the main types of vegetation;¹⁰ & if this again is accepted we cannot altogether neglect Buffon’s argument that vegetation should have commenced where the cooling globe was first cold enough to support it, ie. at a pole,— and lastly if this is accepted I must bring in Buffon’s speculation in its proper chronological order, and put it as No 2 of the stages that have led up to our present state of knowledge—¹¹ But I am disposed to regard Saportas & Buffons views as too speculative for that & to introduce them at the end— What do you think of this point, & of it all.?

It is not even on paper & how I am to get it all in shape before the end of the month passes my limited power of prevision.

I have to take some part in this Congress, & by request, give a Garden party on Saturday—¹² it will be a dreadful ordeal I fear, (except it rains!.)

I was at H. C. Watson’s funeral yesterday— I had known him since 1832!—¹³

We have taken a cottage at Bagshot, in Waterer’s grounds for the childrens holidays & for my Sundays.¹⁴ You will be affectionately glad to hear that Brian comes out high in taking his Diploma in Metallurgy at School of Mines; & that Reggie left his school at Margate with the first prize— Brian goes for 2 years to the Mining School at Clausthal.¹⁵ Reggie is still puny & weakly but in excellent spirits— I shall now send him to France to live with an Aunt of my wifes for a year & go to a day school.—¹⁶ Languages are his forte.

Moseley will I suppose go to Oxford.¹⁷

I feel awfully guilty in sending you such a screed & asking you for so much advice.

Ever affly Yrs | J D Hooker.