Ferdinand von Mueller

Melbourne, bot Garden,

25. March 1864.

My dear Prof. Maskelyne.

You will have been somewhat surprised, that I have been so tacit in reference to any arrangements for transmitting the Brucean Meteorite.

1

See Lucas et al. (1994).

This arose because your communication to Sir Charl Darling through his Grace the Duke of Newcastle led me to suppose, that the Abelian Meteorite was on its way to Melbourne, and as the arrival of that specimen and his Excellencys subsequent action on the despatch of the Minister for the Colony would have brought this protracted and unsatisfactory transaction to a decision, I remained meanwhile unactive in this regard, beyond providing the Governor with a full statement in writing (of which I beg to offer you a copy)

2

M to C. Darling, 28 November 1863.

of the arrangements entered into with consent of his Excellency's predecessor and born out by all the needful correspondence on the subject.

Sir Charles thought it most advisable to await the arrival of your consignment. But when by last mail I received your very kind letter dated 8 Jan. I waited again on his Excellency in order to communicate its purport.

3

See N. Maskelyne to M, 8 January 1864.

There appearing now some incertainty whether you may not have preferred to retain the Brucean Meteorite until further communications from here, his Excellency expressed his intention to communicate with Prof M'Coy again and probably I shall learn the result in time to inform you of it by next mail.

Meanwhile I would beg of you for the honor of Victorian Science to refrain from drawing the attention of the Royal Society to the line of action, which here was adopted when a fairly and earnestly made promise was to be redeemed.

It is a great consolation to me to be conscious of having done throughout what I regarded fair and moreover and above all to be assured of your recognizing my action as conscientious.

Could I have foreseen subsequent events I should have considered it my duty towards your noble institution to possess myself at all hazards of the Brucean Meteorite unconditionally and thus I cannot feel myself now free of the reproach, that by not doing so I caused your honorable colleagues and especially yourself a vast amount of trouble and inconvenience.

With my grateful acknowledgement of the generous sentiments evinced towards me I remain, dear Dr Maskelyne, your attached