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RBG Kew, Directors’ Letters, vol. 165, East Asia Letters vol. 1, 1866-1901, f.250. 84.11.03Preferred Citation:
Ferdinand von Mueller to Joseph Hooker, 1884-11-03. 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/84-11-03>, accessed June 10, 2025
1
The folio is bound, out of date order, with a series of eight letters from Benedetto
Scortechini, April 1885 to August 1886, in a section of the volume titled ‘Perak’.
The Scortechini letters are folios 247-249 and 251-257.
By last mail, dear Sir Joseph, I wrote you
concerning the Rev. B Scortechini’s wish, to come in a few months with his extensive
collection of Perak-plants
to Kew, where he wishes to examine his specimens in connection with identical and
allied forms, and put his notes into form for a special publication on the Perak-Flora.
2
See M to J. Hooker, 23 October 1884.
3
Perak underlined in blue pencil.
Doubtless you will give this worthy and zealous man the support available in your
grand establishment, particularly as this will also be auxiliary to your “Flora of
British India.”
The Rev. Gentleman is still at Perak, and a letter via Singapore would reach him,
should you wish to communicate with him directly.
He is well worthy of all your consideration.
4
J. Hooker (1875–97).
5
Scortechini in a letter to J. Hooker (f. 247) dated Thaiping [i.e. Taiping, Perak]
9 April 1885 thanked Hooker for his letter, which ‘found me out in the thick jungle
of Perak ... could not answer it immediately because I was far from any regular postal
communication, and because my writing material was exhausted ... you will be pleased
to hear that for two years more I shall remain here collecting and studying.’ The
date of Hooker’s letter is not mentioned but it is probably the one referred to in
the annotation, though Scortechini did not mention M in this letter. On 12 June 1885
(f. 248) he wrote from Perak, Straits Settlement, ‘your kind note 27th Feb. reached
me only a few days ago, evidently being delayed ... Baron von Mueller was complaining
that he never got from me some novelties for our joint collaboration, so to easy [sic] off some material I have sent to him descriptions and specimens of several new plants’.
From Straits Settlements, Perak, on 9 July 1885 (f. 249), Scortechini wrote ‘Yours
of the 18th of May just at hand ... Sir Hugh Low shortly is expected to be back and
to him I shall submit your very kind offer to send the collection to Kew for safe
keeping.’ From Thaiping on 12 August 1885 (f. 251), he wrote: ‘yours of June the 26th
just at hand. By this same mail I despatched ... specimens of what I described as
Pseudo-Eugenia ... I have sent others to Beccari and Baron von Mueller by last mail
... I would gladly have sent to Kew some specimens of the species which I have described
and published as new, only I was afraid of giving you too much trouble. As you have
kindly made me the offer of your assistance in comparing specimens with authentic
ones kept at Kew, with pleasure I shall accept it ... I would have sent several ...
things which ... I sent off to be published, had it not been for a certain delicacy
I felt.' The letter is annotated in Joseph Hooker's hand: 'Eugenia skiophila, Duthie'.
See Scortechini (1885).
Regardfully your
Ferd. von Mueller.
6
Annotated in William Thiselton-Dyer's hand Sir JDH | You shd write to Scortechini | 17.12.84 and in Joseph Hooker's hand Done JDH.