Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 12.djvu/164

152  1em

1em  HOOKER, (1785–1865), a dis tinguished English botanist, was born at Norwich, July 6, 1785. His father, Joseph Hooker of Exeter, a mem ber of the same family as the celebrated Richard Hooker, devoted much of his time to the study of German litera ture and the cultivation of curious plants. The son was educated at the high school of Norwich, on leaving which his independent means enabled him to travel and to take up as a recreation the study of natural history, especially ornithology and entomology. He subsequently confined his attention to botany, on the recommendation of Sir James E. Smith, whom he had consulted respect ing a rare moss picked up in a ramble. His first botanical expedition was made in Iceland, in the summer of 1809, at the suggestion of Sir Joseph Banks; but the natural history specimens which he collected, with his notes and drawings, were lost on the homeward voyage through the burning of the ship, and tlie young botanist himself had a narrow escape with his life. A good memory, how ever, aided him to publish an account of the island, and of its inhabitants and flora (Tour in Iceland, 1809), privately circulated in 1811, and reprinted in 1813. In 1810-11 he made extensive preparations, and sacrifices which prored financially serious, with a view to accompany Sir R. Brown- rigg to Ceylon to explore that teeming though then almost unknown island ; but the disturbances created by the king of Candy led to the abandonment of the projected expedi tion. Hooker immediately fixed his attention, however, on the formation of an herbarium which was destined to. become tlie finest in Europe; and in 18H he spent nine months in botanizing excursions in France, Switzerland, and Northern Italy, during which he became acquainted with many of the leading Continental botanists. The, following year he married the eldest daughter of Mr Dawson Turner, F.R.S., a lady who r during forty years,, shared in the labours uf his study. Settling at Holes- 