Ferdinand von Mueller

Melbourne bot. Garden

19/2/71.

Sir

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 15th inst.

1

See S. Bindon to M, 15 February 1871.

and beg to assure you, that I fully appreciate the friendly consideration, expressed by you on behalf of yourself and your colleagues towards me. I shall always endeavour to promote every good object, as far as the means within my reach allow it without utter ruin to myself, and shall also continue to strive to stand in an amicable relation to those with whom I may be worthily consociated in any public measures, and in this spirit I placed a few years ago my appreciation of your own efforts by a phytograph dedication on permanent public record (See also the 5th vol. of the Australian flora).

2

MS annotation against this section of the letter: '2.' This and subsequent numbers refer to the numbered paragraphs in S. Bindon to M, 15 February 1871.

I have never contended that an institution like yours has no claims on me as Botanist of the colony; contrarily I have been anxious to share in its work, and I am sure you will do me the justice by casting your eyes around the museum to acknowledge, that the sentiments expressed by me are supported by facts. I got together or superintended the display of approximately 550 articles in so many glass-vessels. The Museum received from me gratuitously about 60 paper samples, framed and all of different material. There are also over 100 wood samples of good size, for which the Museum only defrayed the polishing, and there are many miscellaneous articles besides, got together through my instrumentality. As State Botanist I never shrank from duties of this kind, unless my activity became impeded by opposition; but I wish it to be distinctly understood that I can incur no further departmental or private monetary expenses for the Museum, simply because I have for the purpose neither public nor private means.

3

MS annotation against this section of the letter: '3'.

As regards the fixing of the paper labels to the woods it is my intention to renew those, which did not adhere, and to use a different material for fixing. Other far more urgent duties have lately occupied my time, but I will effect the repair forthwith. It is however unkind of you to speak so disparingly

4

disparagingly?

on the subject, when in every other instance the labelling by me proved so perfect.

Of the presence of Mr Thiset for such purposes in the Museum I was never informed, and when on Friday last I at once enquired for him, the attendants did not even know him by name.

5

MS annotation against this section of the letter: '4'.

I neither denied that the Museum defraid

6

defrayed?

the printing of the labels, nor did I in any way led you to believe, that I intended to withhold them. I simply stated, that the large lot of labels was only yet party cut out, and as therefore the sorting was not completed, I would send the whole lot when that is done. I have no use whatever for these labels, and if I had, should use them until authorized by the Committee. The importance of surplus labels for cheap renewal you will assuredly concede. The remark, that no labels should "in future be printed unless the copy was first seen" by the Committee is so humiliating to a professional man and would place me in such an abject servility to men, with whom since 1853 I used to act as a Colleague and not as a servant, that on reflection you will assuredly not impose conditions of these sorts on me. It is neither just to persecute me with reproach, because labels of drugs &c were printed, for which we required no duplicates for interchanges. We shall still require them from time to time for renewal; may help therewith also branch museums in the country; and above all we cannot possibly have in a scientific collection a series of articles half or partly printed and partly done by hand-writing. The best hand-writing is not equal to print. Good hand-writing is, I believe, nearly as costly and involves at renewal the same cost. This is well-known at Kew, where Dr Hooker had lately every manuscript label in the Industrial Museum removed and for the sake of legibility and uniformity and ready renewal printed . The Government of Madras finds printing of even all its ordinary correspondence the most advisable method. You will also do me the justice to admit, that I had the labels not printed on my own responsibility, that I explained fully the whole advantages of the label-question by personal attendance on the Committee, that I explained the prices also, and incurred the expenditure with the Committees full sanction. It is therefore not just to find fault with me afterwards. 72 woodspecimens are yet to be labelled, and if the Committee will engage by tender or otherwise the printing of the labels, for which at the end of the last year no fund was available, I will furnish to the printer the manuscript and revise the proof, and instruct Mr Thiset, to which piece of wood each label respectively is to be put.

7

MS annotation against this section of the letter: '5.'

I regret that the Committee declined to incur the small weekly expenditure of two guineas for some trained person, whom I was anxious to employ to canvass for more contributions, make preparations of novel character, put articles up &c, as the return would be an ample equivalent for so modest an outlay, and as thereby much progressive work might be done. I hope the Committee will deem this proposition worthy of reconsideration.

8

MS annotation against this section of the letter: '6.'

I did not say that I was unable to identify the woods or to supply the names. If Mr Thiset will give me the necessary manual assistance, no difficulty will arise on this point, beyond this, that if I could engage some person myself, as above indicated, I could command his services during those late evening hours, when I can best myself attend at the Museum.

Paragraphs 7 and 8 of your letter are absolved already by my preceeding replies.

9

See also M to R. Barry, 10 March 1871.

Allow me now to draw your attention and that of your colleagues to the circumstance, that the duplicate set of vegetable chemicals from my laboratory, and of which the bottles only were paid for by the Exhibition Committee, remains unpacked and unutilized in the annex ever since the return of these articles from the Sydney Exhibition.

10

Agricultural Society of New South Wales Metropolitan Intercolonial Exhibition, Sydney, 1870.

Altho' it is now too late to send these things to the intended London Exhibition,

11

Second Annual International Exhibition, London , 1872.

they could be well utilized, if sent to Mr Verdon, who for the purpose of affording every possible information on the resources of our colony, has commenced a technologic collection in his London office. It this proposition is acceptable to the Committee, I will arrange with Mr Newberry

12

Newbery.

for the packing; the transmission then would be effected by the trustees, who may present these things on behalf of the Government, my own object only being to prevent their destruction and to effect their proper utilisation.

I beg also to bring under the notice of the Committee, that it would be a pity if the fruit season was entirely lost, without any casts being prepared. Should the Committee fall in with this view, I will gladly submit a plan for arranging the details of operation and perhaps from time to time a few pounds might be placed at my disposal to pay the artists.

The handwritten labels on the glasses require yet to be gummed and varnished, an operation which the Committee will doubtless entrust to Mr Thizets care.

His Honor Samuel Bindon,

Chairman of the Committee of the Industrial Museum.

P.S.

A number of the articles in the Glasses already delivered require yet labels. The matter can be done at once, under my direction, if I know who is to carry out the writing or printing.

13

MS annotation by [Bindon]: 'I regret that Dr Mueller did not state a sum as requested I would feel obliged if he could'. see M. Clarke to M, 20 February 1871.