Ferdinand von Mueller

1

MS black-edged; M's sister Bertha died on 7 September 1861.

Melbourne bot & zool

Garden, 20 febr. 62

My dear Prof. Maskelyne,

I beg to lay before you a brief statement of our position in regard to your acquisition of the Great Cranbourne Meteor for the British Museum.

2

See Lucas et al. (1994).

The present owner, Mr James Bruce of Sherbourne Park had originally the intention to present the whole specimen to your noble institute, but on Mr Abels transmission of his meteor from the same locality to London, Mr Bruce declared himself ready to divide the great meteor between the British & Melbourne museum[s] when Prof. Mc Coy expressed a desire to secure the specimen for our museum. I was not aware of this arrangement until after having received permission from Mr Bruce to remove the meteor with a view of sending it to the British museum, whilst meanwhile Prof. McCoy accepted the offer of half of the specimen made by Mr Bruce. Writing to Prof McCoy, as you will perceive by the enclosed copy, I pointed out the indesirability of such a course, when my friend agreed that if the Abelian Meteor could be secured by you and returned to the Melbourne Museum, he would forego his partial claims on the larger specimen.

3

See M to F. McCoy, 14 February 1862, and F. McCoy to M, 17 February 1862.

This proposition is also regarded in a favorable light by his Excellency the Governor, who with most praise worthy interest desired to secure the main meteoric mass for your Museum and offered to make the necessary pre-payments for the removal.

Mr Selwyn has kindly offered to give every assistance, which his geological Department can aford in facilitating the removal and the same will be done by me, so that I think the cost of the removal will be trifling to your institute or probably none, because if our Museum receives back the Abelian Meteor, it would perhaps be possible to charge the transport of the larger mass here to the museum fund. Since Mr Abel of Ballarat instructed his nephew, Prof Abel of Woolwich, to act for him in the disposal of his specimen, I think the latter Gentleman, will see the propriety of reducing the price in proportion to the overestimated weight, the former having been fixed at £300 "-"- and the weight having proved to be not as anticipated 3000 lb but only about 2300 lb. The weight of the great Meteor is estimated at 8000 lb, altho only approximately so, the specimen not being yet fully disinterred.

Ready to do everything in my power for the accomplishment of your wishes,