Ferdinand von Mueller

Melbourne botanic Garden

10/10/64.

Sir

I have the honor of transmitting to you herewith a copy of the work on the Chatham-Island plant,

1

B64.10.02.

the publication of which you kindly sanctioned. 522 copies being printed I solicit that you will be pleased to grant 30 copies to the Gentleman,

2

William Travers.

who at an expense of nearly three hundred pounds Sterling furnished the material for this book as a donation to the Melbourne botanical Museum. I further seek your permission to distribute 80 copies of this work on behalf of the Government to scientific institutions in Victoria and abroad, as I am particularly desirous that the views I have in this work for the first time publicly deposited against a recent dangerous doctrine of naturalist,

3

Darwin (1859), a copy of which Darwin presented to M; see Lucas (2010a). For M's use of the Chatham Islands book, see Lucas (2010), pp. 108-15.

which if unrefuted by natural science is calculated to impair the faith of many in Christianity, should be widely diffused. I beg further to solicit that also 80 copies of a small work on Australian Mosses,

4

B64.10.03.

to be issued within a few days may be granted for simultaneous distribution.

The honorable the Chief Secretary

&c &c &c

5

File notes reveal that M's requests were approved, and that the Government Printer was informed on 24 October 1864.