Ferdinand von Mueller

Melbourne botanic Garden,

1. March 1863.

Sir

I have the honor to solicit your favorable consideration of my desire to visit Europe and to obtain for this purpose leave of absense for a year. Engaged mainly in scientific researches during more than 15 years in Australia, during 10 of which I had the honor of being attached to the staff of the Victorian Government,

1

MS annotation in an unknown hand: ' Appointed 26 Jany 1853 '.

I am anxious to render myself by ocular observation more fully acquainted with the progress of various branches of science in Europe.

Under the necessity of availing myself of the speediest and therefore costliest route for the purpose of deriving of so limited a period the fullest advantage and under the consideration, that my engagements at home will involve a considerable expenditure, I venture to enquire, whether in the event of you being pleased to grant to me this leave of absense, I may enjoy the additional benefit of retaining my full salary for the time. I would have been reluctant of adding this solicitation, had during the two years, when I was by permission of the Victorian Government engaged as one of the scientific Officers of the North Australian Exploring Expedition under the auspices of H. M. Home Government any salary accrued to myself from this colony.

Should you be pleased to relieve me of my duties for a year I would beg to propose, that Mr Ch. Wilhelmi may meanwhile be entrusted with my duties as Botanist to the Government and with conducting the strictly official correspondence of my establishment,

2

Ch. Wilhelmi … establishment is underlined.

and that Mr E. B. Heyne, who has served as my principle Officer in the horticultural department since some time, may be appointed as acting administrator of the botanic Garden.

3

Should you be pleased … of the botanic Garden. is marked by double lines in the margin.

I beg to add, that should you be favorable to my propositions, I am inclined to take my departure for Europe by either the March or April mail steamer.

An annual report

4

M's next annual report was B63.05.01.

would be submitted to you prior to my departure, in which the leading arrangements for the work to be performed during my absense will be enumerated.

The honorable the Chief Secretary

&c&c&c

5

An annotation shows that the Chief Secretary's reply was conveyed to M in a letter from W. Odgers, 11 March 1863 (letter not found). M's request was apparently approved (see M to J. McCulloch, 19 September 1865), but he did not visit Europe.