Ferdinand von Mueller

Melbourne bot. & zool Garden

16. May 1860.

My dear Prof. Gray.

My principle reason for adressing you today consists in bringing under your notice, that a box with dried plants seeds & the last number of my Fragmenta

1

Probably Fascicle 12 (B60.05.01), issued in May 1860.

also some sheets of my flora & plates

2

Components of B62.03.03. It is not certain how many sheets had been printed by the time of this letter, but sheet K, pp. 73- 80, was printed in June (see M to W. Nicholson, 3 July 1860).

etc. was forwarded to you under care of Capt. Cate, Commander of the ship "Black Sea" bound in a few days for New Bedford from Sydney. I regret only, that the collection of plants is not more worthy of your acceptance. — It will however ere long be followed, si fata velint,

3

If the fates allow.

by a more extensive one.

Allways full of immodest wishes for this establishment, I would beg to solicit, that you will kindly send me N.A.

4

North American.

Rubi, when in a dormant state, of such species as are close at Hand. They will be both useful & ornamental.

Dr. Steetz some time since in one of his ingenious & learned letters

5

Letter not found.

when with admiration referring to you, says of you: botanicorum facile primus,

6

Indisputably the first among botanists.

a judgment in which I fully concur, & which you fully are entitled to after R. Br.'s labours terminated.

7

Robert Brown died on 10 June 1858. M no doubt had in mind Alexander von Humboldt's description of Bown as ‘botanicorum facile princeps’ [indisputably the prince of botanists] .

A most excellent & kind friend of mine, Mr. Hooper, a merchant of Melbourne, now permanently returning to the U. States, has kindly taken charge of the elaboration of the extratropical Eucalypti, just issued.

8

Samuel T. Hoooper of the Boston firm Newell, Hooper & Stephens who opened a commssion agent business in Melbourne and Sydney in 1853 (circular announcement, 19 January 1853), and operated until 1860, when the Andrew Newell took it over and traded as Newell & Co, (Argus, 1 Febuary 1860, p. 1), but he has not been further identified; B60.05.01, pp. 32-71.

With my most sincere admiration and attachment, my dear Dr Gray,

The Cereus gigantea

9

Cereus giganteus?

has grown beautifully & is now in the possession of many gardens.