Ferdinand von Mueller

1

MS envelope front: 'Dr. Ferd Müller | Care of Messrs Büttner & Heuzenroeder | Chemists & Druggists | Rundle Street | Adelaide'. Front post-marked Launceston, 9 July 1849, and GPO South Australia 29 July 1849.

For a published precis of this letter, see Daley (1935), pp. 132-3.

Woodhall

2

Tas.

June 8th 1849

Dear Sir,

I received your letter of the 15th of April

3

Letter not found.

& which gave me great pleasure, as I was afraid that something had occurred to prevent you getting any letter from me — I have indeed been very anxious about it as I had sent you before 2 Boxes of specimens accompanied with letters — so that I had to make a journey into Launceston to learn all the particulars about them as I found by your letter you had not received them — & I now send you the dates the first box arrived at Adelaide (Port) of the 16th of April last, one day after the date of your last letter, it was sent by the "Shamrock" and was left at Messrs Bennetts the Ship Agent there, the 2nd box left Launceston in the "Tamar" on the 2nd of May. which vessel has not yet returned, this I learnt from my friend Captn Scott in Launceston who shipped them for me, so that I trust that by this time you have received them safe, being at a distance from our port I was not able to give you advice as to what vessel they would go by, but hope that I shall hear of their safe arrival — respecting the specimens I left with Mr. Gunn he has in a most unhandsome manner made away with them and made a paltry excuse saying that he thought I should not want them, but it is just his character but after the numbers of specimens I have given him & information he has got from me I should not have thought him so bad, but the fact is he is jealous of any persons knowledge of plants lest it should discover his defects, of which he has plenty, but I have no more connection with him. I know not if you have had any communication with him, but if so you will find him profuse of offers & promises, but take my word for it you will never get any thing more, but of this you will be a judge should you ever see or write to him, but I have said enough about him, and so in order that I would not cause any disappointment I have forwarded you I think in the 2 Boxes near 600 genera & sp. many of which were not in his possession, & of which you will find duplicates & triplicates, so that after all it is perhaps better as it is, as those specimens with him were small, these are all I can promise you this season but I hope to resume the next, I have now begun to make up the unfortunate loss of Cryptogamous plants pr "Henry"

4

See footnotes to C. Stuart to M, 8 January 1849.

& hope to be able to send you in the Spring, depend I shall do all I can — the last summer was much against me but hope better next — I am sorry to hear that you were also unfortunate at Rivoli Bay. — respecting your request of specimens of East India & cape plants in cultivation here, there are but few of the latter & none of the former olde enough to produce flowers, but next season as any flower I will think of you, I have just got a new lot of seeds from South Africa, & also from Swan River the latter I have not yet sown, & moreover they are not named I can however make out most of the Genera . & if you think it worth for me to send them before I send my next box of specimens I will do so, one or two are named only & I see the celebrated Hakea Victoria of Drummond , & of which he speaks so much is amongst them — let me know in your next about this. — now this I am sorry for, that I cannot this season send you seeds, being so much confined in my situation & the Gentleman with whom I am living demanding nearly all my time & having but little taste himself for Botany but in my agreement with him for next year I shall stipulate for more liberty — I only wish I had it in my power to do more — respecting Giles, I am much obliged and at the same time sorry that you [should] have had the trouble you have respecting him so think no more of him as doubtless what he[...] [...]

5

illegible.

is by this spoilt, but he is a rogue & shall now get nothing from me, let him make what he can of what he has got, it was the books he wanted, altho' of no use to him so that if you will please to pay any expence that may occur with Stephens on my account & forward me the balance

6

Neither Giles nor Stephens identified. For some background to the issues see C. Stuart to M, 22 May 1848, C. Stuart to M, 24 July 1848, C. Stuart to M, 8 January 1849 and C. Stuart to M, 25 April, 1849.

(of which your calculation is correct) I will be obliged & we will have done with this subject, I am anxious for the collection particularly on account of the seeds which I should like to cultivate, I sent you a list of a few things I should like to get if practicable, but particularly seed of the Donia formosa a few of which could come in a letter I shall be most happy to receive any names from you in connexion with the specimens at your leisure hoping to hear from you soon

the first lot of specimens which I sent I did not save duplicates of as I got them second hand but I have done so with all the rest. the Leucopogon No. 36 in the first lot, & of which you request more specimens I did not unfortunately [reserve] a duplicate & cannot remember it, but it may be perhaps amongst some of the latter sendings, but if you could send me the least fragment in a letter it would be good