Ferdinand von Mueller

1

MS black-edged; M's sister Bertha Doughty died on 7 September 1861.

Melbourne bot. Garden

27 febr 62.

My dear Mr Selwyn.

I regard it incumbent on me to bring formally under your notice, that Professor McCoy very kindly and disinterestedly responded to my appeal not to divide the great meteor, and that the Professor consented to forgo his claims on half of the Aërolith, should Mr Abels meteor be secured by the Authorities of the British Museum for being returned to Melbourne with a view of presenting it to our National Museum.

2

See F. McCoy to M, 17 February 1862.

By the february Overland mail I informed Prof Owen and Prof. Maskelyne

3

See M to N. Maskelyne, 20 February 1862. No similar letter to Richard Owen has been found, but Owen had already written advocating the same arrangement; see R. Owen to M, December 1861 (in this edition as 61-12-00 ).

of this proposed arrangement, and whilst their decision thereon is pending, I feel not justified in giving my consent to the division of the great Meteor and must protest on behalf of the British Museum against any such measure, until the authorities of the latter institution express their distinct concurrence.

It is my own impression, that such scientific experiments, as will likely be instituted in London on this large meteoric metal, can not be of equal value after the division of the meteor and further I cannot suppress my persuasion, that only in its entirety this noble cabinet piece will be fully estimated, especially since divided it would no longer surpass all others of the series, located in the British Museum.

Whilst you were staying at Cranbourne, Mr James Bruce writes to me in his last letter, after having heard of the temporary arrangement between Prof McCoy and myself: "I am glad you are come to an understanding about the meteor".

4

Letter not found.

Allow me to express to you my best thanks for the skill zeal and energy, evinced by you, in bringing this treasure to Melbourne and for your spontaneous offer to effect the removal. It is needless to state, that I shall hold myself responsible for refunding the costs of the removal, in case our proposal to the British Museum's Authorities should be accepted and the Meteor accordingly be transmitted undividedly to London.

Pray favor me with a reply.

5

The letter is enclosed in a foolscap file inscribed 'G.S.O. 35/47 28.2.62/ Melbourne Botanical Gardens, 27. Feb 62/ Dr Mueller relative to dividing Bruce's Meteorite'. The folder also bears the following note: 'I for my part am quite willing to wait the return of the ma[il] & think the remarks of Prof Neumayer & Mr Foord touching the division of the mass might advantageously be published & brought under the notice of Profs Owen & Maskelyne for their consideration. | F McCoy | 4/3/62'

Other documents in DF/3/1/42 show that Neumayer had proposed that the meteorite be fragmented and the fragments exchanged with other museums to increase Victoria’s small collection (G.S.O., 34/47. 28.4.62, statement by Neumayer, 27 February 1862), and that Foord believed that the exterior of the meteorite could give little scientific information (G.S O. 36/47 1.3.62: Statement by George Foord, 27th February 1862).

See also Lucas et al. (1994).