Ferdinand von Mueller

12/1/87.

Let me thank you for your most kind letter, dear Mr Ridley; and let me express my grateful recognition also particularly, for the gracious manner, in which you alluded to me in your important treatise on new Papuan Orchids.

1

See Ridley (1886), p. 321:

The greater portion of the flowering plants are being described by Baron von Mueller, who is probably better acquainted with the flora of this island than anyone else in the empire.

M repeated his thanks in M to H. Ridley, 21 February 1887.

I have not heard from Mr Forbes for a considerable time, but learned from the daily journals, that he was ill with fever and thought of leaving for Europe:

2

When Henry Forbes run out of funds for exploration in May 1886, instead of returning to England as planned he had accepted a position as Government Island at Dinner Island (now Samari Island). He was reported as ill with fever in November 1886 (e.g. Daily telegraph (Sydney), 18 November 1886, p. 5), but as recovered in December (e.g. Sydney morning herald, 1 December 1886, p. 4), and was expected to remain at Dinner Island until March 1887 (Brisbane courier, 25 December 1886, p. 5.

no doubt your Department will have direct communication from him.

It is very considerate of you, that you informed the recipients of sets of Mr Forbes’s plants that arrangements had been made for the elaboration of most of the Dicotyledoneae here. My progress with them has been slow; but [as] I shall soon have cleared off the heavy departmental, which arose in 1886, I see good prospects for finishing the Dicotyledoneae (with the exception of the already exempted orders) in 1887. Should however my health break down or any other hindrances intervene, then your honored Chief, Mr Carruthers, will be so informed; so that Mr Forbes's interests do not suffer.

Will send you any dried specimens of Papuan orchids, which can be spared.

3

Written in the left margin on the back of the folio.

By the Lusitania through a Melbourne (Tate’s) Agency went 635 spec of dried plants to your [est.] from here on the 24 Dec 1886.

4

i.e. to the British Museum (Natural History). Written in the central and left margins on the front of the folio.