Ferdinand von Mueller

Melbourne bot Garden

11/9/63

My dear Prof M'Coy,

You were in such emotion when you left me last night, as to prevent me from apologising for the offence I unconsciously have given you. In my friendly remonstrance against continuing to discuss a topic, which evidently grew more and more painful to both of us, you gave certainly a wrong interpretation to my intentions, as nothing could have been further from me than to desire exhibiting a want of courtesy.

Altho' I plead perfectly innocent of such intention, I ask nevertheless most cordially your forgivness for having wounded your feelings and to assure you that not many things in this world could cause me more grief than seeing the friendship to wards me clouded of a Gentleman, and a fellow labourer in the empire of natural science, for whose discoveries and researches I entertain the profoundest regard, and whose acts of kindness have been towards me so manyfold, so genuine and extending over so many years.

I am quite willing to relinquish the position to whomsoever else chosen of representing the interests of the British Museum and of Mr Bruce in reference to the transit of the meteorite

1

See Lucas et al. (1994) for a discussion of the fate of the large meteorite purchased by James Bruce with the intention of presenting it to the British Museum, of M's involvement after Bruce appointed him as his agent for this purpose, and of the attempts by McCoy and others to retain the meteorite in Victoria.

and to assign to them my trust again, even if it were only to show, that I have no personal interest in adhering to the arrangement into.

2

entered omitted?