Ferdinand von Mueller

Melbourne

4 Aug. 1891.

To the honorable Sir Henry Parkes, G.C.M.G.,

Premier of New South Wales.

This evening, dear Sir Henry, I received a letter from Mr P. E. Wolff, in which he informed me, how kindly you were viewing his intended expedition to some of the South Sea Islands.

1

Wolff was 'visiting Australia and the Islands on a scientific mission under the patronage of the King of Norway and Sweden and in the interests of several scientific bodies in Paris and Berlin'; see Freeman's journal (Sydney), 18 July 1891, p. 15. See also M to H. Parkes, 4 August 1891 (in this edition as 89-08-04a).

He further wishes me to bear out his statement, which I gladly do, that he is entirely free to apportionate the collections, which will result from his [itin]eration, to those institutions, with which he is in communication, so that he will be unhindered in leaving the primary series and the most select specimens for such purposes in Sydney, as you may desire. Furthermore he has requested me, to cooperate with him in the distributing of the collections abroad, as in one instance has been formally already arranged with Professor Bastian, M.D., Director of the anthropologic Museum of Berlin, when this distinguished Ethnologist was here last year, who however gave only orders for £75. As in all these instances the orders given are only general, the most select articles can all be reserved for the Sydney Museum, when he returns, he coming first then to your metropolis. Personally I shall do everything to see, that your Government in every respect is obtaining an equivalent for the support, which you generously intend to afford to his enterprise. I shall be the only mediator in apportionating the collections. Mr Wolff is accredited by the Leipzig anthropologic Museum but not under any monetary obligation to that institution.

Let me remain, dear Sir Henry, regardfully your

Possibly your Government may require an extra-supply for the Chicago Exhibition also of anthropologic articles. Mr Wolff is a Gentleman of high principles, and can be implicitly trusted.