The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, ¶ 18. April 1854. ¶ Sir ¶ ¶ I have the honor to inform you for communication to his Excellency the Governor, that I returned this day from my botanical expedition, in whic...

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Physical location:

E54/4192, unit 203, VPRS 1189 inward registered correspondence, VA 856 Colonial Secretary's Office, Public Record Office, Victoria. 54.04.18

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Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to John Foster, 1854-04-18. 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//letters/1850-9/1854/54-04-18-final.odt>, accessed June 4, 2026

For a copy of this letter see Item 533, box 72/5, La Trobe papers, La Trobe Australian Manuscripts Collection, State Library of Victoria, Melbourne.

Botanic Gardens, Melbourne,

18. April 1854.

Sir

I have the honor to inform you for communication to his Excellency the Governor, that I returned this day from my botanical expedition, in which I have been engaged for nearly six months, traversing during this period the distance of 2550 miles.

According to my last report, dated Avon river, March 13th,

M to J. Foster, 13 March 1854.

I intended to adscend Mount Wellington, a task which I was however unable to fulfil this season, as the early and almost continual rain in Gipps land during the last month compelled me to retreat from the higher mountains.

I undertook since a journey to the Buchan river, a tributary of the Snowy river and the continuation of the Native Dog creek, visiting there the craters and caves, which yielded some novelties to my collections

After a few short excursions along the Mitchell-, Avon- and Thompson-river I proceeded to the ferrntree gullies near the Moe swamp —, so interesting for their richdom in mosses.

The additional species amount to nearly 50, chiefly cryptogamic, as the following series proves of their genera: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

These added to my former collections give a total amount of 1700 species for my Victoria Flora, and it appears to me very improbable, that now more than 300 species should be left undiscovered within the boundaries of this colony, and it will be hardly possible to disclose this scattered remaining part of the vegetation in an other expedition as extensive as the last.

I beg now to solicit his Excellency's sanction of three coast journeys during this winter, vize to Point Nepean, to Cape Ottway and to Portland bay, so that I might become more closely acquainted with the algae of our shores, — in order to cooperate with the honorable Professor William Harvey, who, under the auspicies of the Dublin university, is now examining the phycological productions of the Australian seas.

A full general report of the results of my last journey will be laid before the Government at the close of the winter.

I have the honor, to be

Sir,

your most obedient and humble servant

Ferd. Mueller.

The honorable the Colonial Secretary.