Transcription:
Rough draft of letter Martinez, Cal., June, 1904 Dear Sir Joseph Hooker ; When I got home from my long journey abroad
none of the letters awaiting me gave greater pleasure than Mr. Nickolson's, which assured me that you were again in your usual
good health. When Prof. Sargent and I were setting out on our journey we looked forward to a visit to you as one of our greatest
pleasures, and you must know our regret on leaving London without seeing you. We had an interesting trip, though far too short
through S outhern Russia, the Crimea, along the Black Sea to Batoum, to Tiflis and across the Caucasus by the Dariel and north
to Moscow. Thence across the Urals and through vast fertile Siberia and beautiful Manchuria. We saw a good deal of Manchuria
about Lake Baikal, Harbin, the Kingdon Mountains, the Amoor and Vladivostok. I wanted to see more of the densely forested
Ural Mountains than could be seen from the railroad. Prof. Sargent would not stop even for a day. Leaving Siberia at Vladivostok
we sailed to Shanghai, where we separated, Prof. S. going for a few days to Pekin and thence to the botanical gardens at Java
and home, while I, free once more, went on alone to India, where I made short trips in the Himalaya at Darjeeling and Simla.
Thence to Egypt, Ceylon, Australia, New Z ealand and the Philippines, and home by China, Japan and Honolulu. All the time
I was in India you were constantly in my mind, and I often thought of the pleasure you must have experienced in the magnificent
N ew Z ealand forests as an enthusiastic young naturalist with Ross. Your long busy life, Sir Joseph, has been truly noble,
and I am with sincere respect and admiration, . Faithfully yours, J.M.03365