Ferdinand von Mueller

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MS envelope front: 'Miss Euphemia Henderson | Phillip Island'.

Melbourne botanic Garden,

8. Febr. 1863.

My dear Miss Henderson,

I beg to avail myself of the earliest opportunity, which offers itself, of expressing to you and to Mrs and Mr M'Haffie my most cordial thanks for the generous attention and hospitality, which I experienced whilst staying in your lovely isle. The pleasures of my visit were moreover so much enhanced by your goodness of guiding me in my rambles, which thus became sources of much augmented happiness; and I only regret that notwithstanding rightly anticipated accumulation of office work I did not extend my stay longer in the bracing air and rural tranquillity of Phillip Island and enjoyed not longer your and your sisters harmonious plays and that genuine gentleness, which is so beautifully symbolized in your christian name.

I shall this day only partially be enabled to redeem my promise of sending you some botanical plates, exhibiting details of analysis. The little volume,

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Volume not identified. See M to E. Henderson, 22 February 1863.

which accompanies this letter may perhaps suffice, until I have an opportunity of sending the larger and more numerous plates of "the plants of Victoria".

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B62.03.03.

The small hand lens enclosed is a poor instrument, but the only second one of the kind which I have available for this mail; for subtil work its magnifying power is insufficient; but for superficial inspections I used it since many years.

The piano-music of the Hugenots

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Thalberg (1858)?

I trust to be able to forward by this mail.

Of the plants, which we jointly gathered, the Cakile maritima or British "Sea Rocket" proves after I subjected it to a careful comparison absolutely identical with the species of the northern hemisphere. The Cress and the little Saltbush from the Nobby

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The Nobbies, Phillip Island, Vic.

(Lepidium foliosum and Atriplex crystallinum) are quite indistinguishable from plants known to me from Tasmania, altho' from no part of the Australian Continent.

Since some time I cherished the hope of visiting Europe for about a year with a view of adding to my scientific knowledge. But my mind remains as yet unsettled on this subject, and the plan may possibly be deferred or althogether abolished.

In conclusion allow me to repeat that my services will at all times at command for any commissions you or Mrs or Mr M'Haffie may entrust to my care, and that I look forward with extreme pleasure to the time of your stay in the vicinity of this city.

With grateful and kindest regards I remain, dear Miss Henderson, yours