Document information
Physical location:
MS papers 37, folder 204, no. 528, Haast family papers, Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington. 62.07.29bPreferred Citation:
Ferdinand von Mueller to Julius Haast, 1862-07-29 [62.07.29b]. R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora, J.H. Voigt and Monika Wells (eds), Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, <https://vmcp.rbg.vic.gov.au/id/62-07-29b>, accessed April 5, 2025
1
MS black-edged. The file consists of 8 pages. However, pp. 5-8 are misfiled here,
being the continuation of MS no. 521, folder 203, M to J. Haast, 24 December 1861.
Mein theuerster Freund.
Es macht mir grosse Freude Ihnen heute einige Abdrücke Ihrer edlen Landschaftsbilder
der Glacier des Mount Cook übersenden zu können. Die kurze Notiz zu den Gletschern
hat der Editor selbst geliefert.
Ich war hoch beglückt Ihr effigies zu erhalten, was mir von Ihrer rüstigen Persönlichkeit
eine lebhafte Vorstellung giebt bis ich einmal das Glück habe Ihre Freundeshand schütteln
zu können. Was Sie mir über Travers Handlungsweise sagten hat mich doch betroffen.
Ich habe vor 2 od. 3 Monaten
gleich
nach dem Empfange Ihrer Alpenpflanzen den Ranunkel mit einer Beschreibung an Dr Hooker
gesandt u hatte ich die Handlungsweise Ihres Compatitoren voraussehen können, würde
die Art hier gleich veröffentlicht haben, um Ihnen die Priorität zu sichern. Mit letzter
Post an Dr Hooker schreibend spielte ich auf den Umstand an, u will es jetzt seinem
Rechtlichkeitsgefühl überlassen zu thun was er gut denkt. Im Vertrauen gesprochen
möchte ich aber doch bemerken, dass Sie auf
Grossmuth
bei unsern englischen Wissenschaftsfreunden nicht rechnen dürfen.
2
Die kurze ... geliefert. is a
marginal note without indication of insertion point in the text, but seems to belong
here.
Wollen Sie daher gütig im Auge halten, dass ich gern die bot. Erforschung von den
Chatham Inseln mir sichern möchte, worauf ich auch wohl einiges Anrecht habe, weil
ich neuerdings zuerst auf diesen Gegenstand die Aufmerksamkeit gelenkt. Es lag mir
daran für die Canadische bot. Gesellschaft, in welcher ich einen der 4 Ehrensitze
für die Colonien habe, eine
wichtige
Abhandlung schuldige, für welche die Chatham Pflanzen passenden Stoff liefern möchten.
An meinen Freund Sir Rod Murchison schrieb ich mit dieser Monats-Post, Ihre Wahl in
die RGS. beantragend.
Mit Freude und darin Ehre suchend werde ich Ihrem Wunsch willfahren Ihnen mein Bild
zu senden. Es ist mir keins im Augenblich zur Hand, da ich im Allgemeinen mich dem
portraitirn widersetzte. Selbst Sir Will. Hookers Wunsch habe ich bisher nicht erfüllt
in dieser Rücksicht, obgleich meins das einzige Bild eines beschreibenden Phytologen
sein soll was in der Kew Gallerie fehlt.
3
The final three words are wrapped around and completed in the margin. There is no
valediction.
Prof M'Coy sagt, dass er Ihnen letzhin über Ihre Fossilien Aufschluss gegeben habe,
die Kiste sei verlegt worden Er hat sich über den Inhalt derselben sehr gefreuet.
4
'Prof M'Coy ... gefreuet' written in margin.
29 July 1862.
My dearest friend,
It gives me great pleasure to be able to send to you today a few reprints of your
noble landscape sketches of the Mount Cook glacier.
The short notes were provided by the editor. I was very happy to receive your photograph,
it gives me a vivid concept of your vigorous personality, until one day I shall have
the good fortune to shake your friendly hand.
5
See M to J. Haast, 25 May 1862 and M to J. Haast, 29 June 1862. Pictures of the Mueller and Hooker Galciers at Mt Cook, NZ, ‘from an original drawing
by Julius Haast, Esq.’, were published in
Illustrated Australian Mail
, 21 July 1862, p. 136, with a brief commentary.
6
There is no photograph of Haast in M's surviving photograph album in the library,
Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne.
I must say that what you tell me about Travers' conduct has disconcerted me. I had
sent the Ranunculus together with a description to Dr Hooker
immediately
on receiving your alpine plants two or three months ago.
Had I been able to foresee the conduct of your competitor, I should certainly have
published the species here at once to secure your priority. When I wrote to Dr Hooker
with the last mail, I alluded to the incident and I am now going to leave it to his
sense of justice to do as he thinks best. Though, speaking in confidence, I would
like to remark, that you cannot count on much
magnanimity
from our English scientific friends.
7
See M to J. Haast, 18 March 1862, and M to J. Hooker, 24 March 1862 (in this edition as 62-03-24a).
8
Letter not found. However, see Hooker's reply, J. Hooker to M, 22 August 1862, in which he told M (a) that what Travers had sent to Kew, that Hooker had named
R. traversii, was not the same species as the one M had sent, and (b) that what M had described
as R. haastii had been discovered earlier by David Lyall and already described by Hooker as R. lyallii.
Would you therefore kindly keep in mind, that I would like to secure for myself the
botanical exploration of the Chatham Islands. I think I have some claim on this, as
I have recently been the first to draw attention to this subject. I am concerned that
I owe the Canadian Botanical Society, where I occupy one of the four honorary colonial
memberships, an
important
paper, for which the Chatham Island plants might provide a suitable subject matter.
With this month's mail I wrote to my friend Sir Roderick Murchison and proposed your
election to the Royal Geographical Society.
9
Letter not found. See also M to J. Haast, 29 June 1862. There is no evidence that Haast was ever elected to the Royal Geographical Society.
I will be happy and consider it an honour to accede to your wish and send you my photograph.
I do not have one available at the moment, as I generally resist being photographed.
So far I have not even complied with Sir William Hooker's wish in this regard, even
though mine is supposed to be the only photograph of a describing botanist lacking
in the Kew gallery.
Professor McCoy says, that he has recently communicated to you information on your
fossils, and that the box was mislaid at the moment. He was very happy with its contents.
Ranunculus