ot run on. By the way, I find Link in 1820 speculated on relation
of Alpine and Arctic plants being due to former colder climate, which he
attributed to higher mountains cutting off the warm southern winds.

LETTER 355. J.D. HOOKER TO CHARLES DARWIN. Kew, November 2nd, 1862.

Did I tell you how deeply pleased I was with Gray's notice of my Arctic
essay? (355/1. "American Journal of Science and Arts," XXXIV., and in
Gray's "Scientific Papers," Volume I., page 122.) It was awfully good of
him, for I am sure he must have seen several blunders. He tells me that
Dr. Dawson (355/2. A letter (No. 144) by Sir J.D. Hooker, dated November
7th, 1862, on this subject occurs in the Evolutionary section.) is down
on me, and I have a very nice lecture on Arctic and Alpine plants from
Dr. D., with a critique on the Arctic essay--which he did not see till
afterwards. He has found some mares' nests in my essay, and one very
venial blunder in the tables--he seems to HATE Darwinism--he accuses me
of overlooking the geological facts, and dwells much on my overlooking
subsidence of temperate America during Glacial period--and my asserting
a subsidence of Arctic America, which never entered into my head. I
wish, however, if it would not make your head ache too much, you would
just look over my first three pages, and tell me if I have outraged
any geological fact or made any oversights. I expounded the whole thing
twice to Lyell before I printed it, with map and tables, intending to
get (and I thought I had) his imprimatur for all I did and said; but
when here three nights ago, I found he was as ignorant of my having
written an Arctic essay as could be! And so I suppose he either did not
take it in, or thought it of little consequence. Hector approved of it
in toto. I need hardly say that I set out on biological grounds, and
hold myself as independent of theories of subsidence as you do of the
opinions of physicists on heat of globe! I have written a long [letter]
to Dawson.

By the way, did you see the "Athenaeum" notice of L. Bonaparte's Basque
and Finnish language?--is it not possible that the Basques are Finns
left behind after the Glacial period, like the Arctic plants? I have
often thought this theory would explain the Mexican and Chinese national
affinities. I am plodding away at Welwitschia by night and Genera
Plantarum by day. We had a very jolly dinner at the Club on Thursday. We
are all well.

LETTER 356. TO J.D. HOOKER. Down