Ferdinand von Mueller

1

MS written by Carl Wilhelmi and signed by M.

Melbourne bot. & zool. Garden

12 February 1860.

Sir

I have the honor to bring under your favorable consideration the propriety of permitting an advance of £150 out of the vote of wages of this establishment, to be transmitted to the Agent General of London, this sum to be made available to Edw. Wilson Esqr., in order that this gentleman may engage a competent person for the space of a year at the above salary in order to carry out the practical work connected with Mr Wilsons future importations of animals into Victoria.

Altho' the sum of £500, which your Honor has been pleased to place on the supplementary estimates for 1860, will, I presume, be available for Mr Wilsons purposes, I still think that it would be most advantageous to this establishment to expend the amount above suggested for special labour in England, by which means Mr Wilson will be able to extend his operations with less limited means. I am for instance anxious to induce that Gentleman to transmit a number of young Salmons in April, when they emigrate to the sea, and could most probably be brought safely in seawater. These and other experiments will involve so much outlay in addition to useful purchases to be effected by Mr Wilson, that I venture to solicit for the grant of the additional £150 for defraying wages in London.

The Honorable the Chief Secretary

&c&c&c

2

See also M to J. Moore, 12 February 1860 (in this edition as 60-02-12a).