Himalayan Journals | Page 6

the Tibetan passes of Nepal. His prudence
and patience in negotiating with the Sikkim court, enabled me to pursue
my investigations in that country. My journal is largely indebted to his
varied and extensive knowledge of the people and productions of these
regions.

In all numerical calculations connected with my observations, I
received most essential aid from John Muller, Esq., Accountant of the
Calcutta Mint, and from his brother, Charles Muller, Esq., of Patna,
both ardent amateurs in scientific pursuits, and who employed
themselves in making meteorological observations at Dorjiling, where
they were recruiting constitutions impaired by the performance of
arduous duties in the climate of the plains. I cannot sufficiently thank
these gentlemen for the handsome manner in which they volunteered
me their assistance in these laborious operations. Mr. J. Muller resided
at Dorjiling during eighteen months of my stay in Sikkim, over the
whole of which period his generous zeal in my service never relaxed;
he assisted me in the reduction of many hundreds of my observations
for latitude, time, and elevation, besides adjusting and rating my
instruments; and I can recall no more pleasant days than those thus
spent with these hospitable friends.
Thanks to Dr. Falconer's indefatigable exertions, such of my collections
as reached Calcutta were forwarded to England in excellent order; and
they were temporarily deposited in Kew Gardens until their destination
should be determined. On my return home, my scientific friends
interested themselves in procuring from the Government such aid as
might enable me to devote the necessary time to the arrangement,
naming, and distributing of my collections, the publication of my
manuscripts, etc. I am in this most deeply indebted to the disinterested
and generous exertions of Mr. L. Horner, Sir Charles Lyell, Dr. Lindley,
Professor E. Forbes, and many others; and most especially to the
Presidents of the Royal Society (the Earl of Rosse), of the Linnean (Mr.
R. Brown), and Geological (Mr. Hopkins), who in their official
capacities memorialized in person the Chief Commissioner of Woods
and Forests on this subject; Sir William Hooker at the same time
bringing it under the notice of the First Lord of the Treasury. The result
was a grant of £400 annually for three years.
Dr. T. Thomson joined me in Dorjiling in the end of 1849, after the
completion of his arduous journeys in the North-West Himalaya and
Tibet, and we spent the year 1850 in travelling and collecting, returning
to England together in 1851. Having obtained permission from the
Indian Government to distribute his botanical collections, which equal
my own in extent and value, we were advised by all our botanical

friends to incorporate, and thus to distribute them. The whole constitute
an Herbarium of from 6000 to 7000 species of Indian plants, including
an immense number of duplicates; and it is now in process of being
arranged and named, by Dr. Thomson and myself, preparatory to its
distribution amongst sixty of the principal public and private herbaria
in Europe, India, and the United States of America.
For the information of future travellers, I may state that the total
expense of my Indian journey, including outfit, three years and a half
travelling, and the sending of my collections to Calcutta, was under
£2000 (of which £1200 were defrayed by government), but would have
come to much more, had I not enjoyed the great advantages I have
detailed. This sum does not include the purchase of books and
instruments, with which I supplied myself, and which cost about £200,
nor the freight of the collections to England, which was paid by
Government. Owing to the kind services of Mr. J. C. Melvill, Secretary
of the India House, many small parcels of seeds, etc., were conveyed to
England, free of cost; and I have to record my great obligations and
sincere thanks to the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation
Company, for conveying, without charge, all small parcels of books,
instruments and specimens, addressed to or by myself.
It remains to say something of the illustrations of this work. The maps
are from surveys of my own, made chiefly with my own instruments,
but partly with some valuable ones for the use of which I am indebted
to my friend Captain H. Thuillier, Deputy Surveyor-General of India,
who placed at my disposal the resources of the magnificent
establishment under his control, and to whose innumerable good offices
I am very greatly beholden.
The landscapes, etc. have been prepared chiefly from my own drawings,
and will, I hope, be found to be tolerably faithful representations of the
scenes. I have always endeavoured to overcome that tendency to
exaggerate heights, and increase the angle of slopes, which is I believe
the besetting sin, not of amateurs only, but of our most accomplished
artists. As, however, I did not use instruments