From J. D. Hooker [5 May 1862]1
Kew
Monday
Dear Darwin
I have not a Leschenaultia to examine, so pray send me some flowers. I should like to dissect them—2
We have had a regular kick up, & been in a troublous state for some time. We have had all our spoons forks &c to the tune of 80 pieces of silver walked off with; by a nice young man who introduced himself to our maids, & was made so much of that he could not make enough of us without & I have had tears, groans, hysterics, Police inspectors & all the other evidences of civilization in the house. It is all our own faults, wholly & entirely, for not looking better after our servts, doors & establishment. I don’t care a brass farthing for the silver, which I have replaced already (with electro-plate!) but I must confess to a feeling of shame at finding out that my establishment has for some months had the reputation of being not a little disreputable—
Oddly enough, your lovely Teapot, 2 solid silver Candlesticks (which I have long wanted my wife to sell) & various other very expensive articles were left standing by the plate-basket which was emptied. I am disgusted at their not taking the candlesticks, which are of no use to me a bit, & at their assuming your tea-pot to be plated!—or they surely would have taken it.— So “there is no pleasing some people” you will say
The Cameroons’ plants are most interesting, lots of temperate forms descending to 4000 feet, for your private satisfaction— I am drawing up an account of them for Lin Journal.—3 More temperate Abyssinian species than ever.4
The upper region of Cameroons 7–13000 ft, consists of Volcanic cones, exactly like Auvergne according to the sketches our collector has sent home:5 he has sent a fair Journal too— he spent some weeks at 7000 feet.
I had hoped to have had your Willy up ere this, but have been put out by this ugly affair: please tell him I will write very soon.6
Ever yours affec | J D Hooker
CD annotations
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Summary
Household problems – stolen silver, maids. His house for some months has had reputation for being not a little disreputable.
On Cameroon plants.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-3537
- From
- Joseph Dalton Hooker
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Kew
- Source of text
- DAR 101: 33, 134a
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp †
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 3537,” accessed on 26 September 2022, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-3537.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 10