Ferdinand von Mueller

25/10/66

Dear Dr Hooker.

I have been suddenly called upon as a scientific traveller of Queensland to take charge of the Queensland Courts at our Exhibition,

1

Intercolonial Exhibition of Australasia, Melbourne, 1866-7. See M to W. Hill, 25 October 1866.

no special Commissioner having arrived from that Colony & this throws me entirely out of my calculations as regards time for mail business.

I wish merely to beg of you to see kindly a claim settled made by Mr Lovell Reeves heirs against me on behalf of the late Prof Harvey. Our excellent departed friend caused a number of copies of his phycologia

2

Harvey (1858-63).

to be sent to me nearly all of which I gave away to encourage the study of algae, finding it impossible to effect a sale.

3

M had used the press in an attempt to stimulate sales, stating that it 'should be in the library of every educated family residing near the sea-shore' (Australasian, 4 August 1866, p. 561).

Poor Harvey said it was an entire business affair of Mr Reeves, and in doing any favors towards the interest of the publisher he should not participate in them. I thought accordingly that a small percentage might be deducted from the sum through my becoming so very extensively a purchaser myself & I settled so far the account. This percentage I am now charged after a long lapse of time and as the claim is made on our departed friends behalf I at once respond to it. If you find that Mr Reeves heirs alone make the claim, I leave it to your judgement whether the full extent of their demands should be recognized.

4

See M to G. Bentham, 23 October 1862, and M to J. Hooker, 27 November 1866.