The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: 11/8/77. ¶ ¶ Your telegram ¶ came in time for my lecture, dear Mr Ramsay; I had overlooked the Rev Mr Canon King, but not the others. The lecture was a long one, as I referred to about 170 Clergymen...

Document information

Physical location:

ML MSS.562, Letters to E. P. Ramsay 1862-91, Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney. 77.08.11

Plant names

Euphorbia
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Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Edward Ramsay, 1877-08-11. R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora, J.H. Voigt and Monika Wells (eds), Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, <https://vmcp.rbg.vic.gov.au/id/77-08-11>, accessed September 11, 2025

11/8/77.

Your telegram

Telegram not found, but sent in response to M to E. Ramsay, 30 July 1877.

came in time for my lecture, dear Mr Ramsay; I had overlooked the Rev Mr Canon King, but not the others. The lecture was a long one, as I referred to about 170 Clergymen who were also naturalists. I hope to be able to get it printed.

B77.13.05. M's lecture at the West Melbourne Presbyterian Church on 6 August 1877 was on 'The advancement of the natural sciences through ministers of the Christian Church'. Canon R. L. King was included on p. 33, among a discussion of members of the clergy active in the natural sciences in Australia.

It is very pleasing that you will aid me in obtaining from Mr Moore the dried New Guinea plants.

See M to E. Ramsay, 30 July 1877.

I have just despatched to him my last publications. Mr Camera told me, that Mr Moore had various things from the islands, which he wishes named.

Eduardo Camera, touring with a season of Italian Operas, had been in Sydney in July and was in Melbourne by 2 August (Sydney morning herald, 2 July 1877, p. 5; Age [Melbourne], 2 August 1877, p. 3).

I will willingly undertake that task, if dried specimens are sent to me.

By next mail I can propose you to several zoologic and other scientific societies on the continent.

I feel very sad By all unscrupulous means & misrepresentations it is endeavoured to prevent me from getting votes and plants again, so as to resume work with other Directors.

Surely the numerous parks round Melbourne might suffice for the cousin of the former Minister;

i.e. William Guilfoyle, who according to M was a cousin of the wife of James Casey, the former Minister of Lands.

— and garden staff and plants & buildings go back to me. There hardly is anything to show for the £60,000 spent within the last four years except destruction, unless some lawns, the commencement of an other glass-house and a steam engine for Water supply and a little fencing.

I would be delighted to see the when it flowers. A few blossoms and a new sketch of the plant would suffice. Pray send the circulars

Almost certainly the circular given in this edition as 76-04-00.

to your brother. Among minute annuals , just after the rain season, would likely be novelty yet anywhere in the interior. They could best be sent by post direct to Melbourne.

I have received as yet no plants from the last voyage of the Rev. G. Brown.

George Brown.

Did he gather any?

I would gladly leave the colony, but without my collections and library, both commenced in 1840, and only in part my own property, I should not be able to continue my work elsewhere. See, my dear Sir, what Seemann says in the historic preface of the Flora of Fiji, and you will understand the difficulty to surrender also that rest of my Department.

Seemann (1865-73). The 'Historical preface' on pp. v–x seems to have little relevance to M's position. However, Seemann's 'Preface' on pp. i–iv rehearses the difficulty of working up his Flora without a settled position, even with the support of the Hookers at Kew and access to the collections there.

Regardfully your

Ferd. von Mueller.

Do I understand, that the mission-vessel leaves Sydney ? or Cape York ? on the 28 of this month. If Sydney, could you telegraph, whether I could get a passage. Or better, I would be able to go by the mail steamer, and await her at Somerset. But I suppose she leaves the latter place on the 28th.

I feel very sad , and like to get away for a while. I suppose an other insulting debate will take place in the house on my votes in a few days.

The vote for the office of the Government Botanist was included in the general vote for 'Supply' on 28 August 1877 which, after it was reported that the votes 'did not include any item which was likely to be objected to', was passed without debate (Parliament of Victoria, Hansard, vol. 26, p. 623) .

Do not telegraph, unless it is Sydney from which the Mission Vessel proceeds.