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Unit 2, pp. 4-5, VPRS 1092 Governor's letter books, VA 466 Governor, Public Record Office, Victoria. 63.04.27Preferred Citation:
Henry Barkly to Ferdinand von Mueller, 1863-04-27. 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/1860-9/1863/63-04-27-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026
27th April 1863
My dear Dr Mueller,
I was not able to reply to Professor Maskelyn's letter about the Bruce & Abel meteorites
by the mail,
as I did not hear from Professor McCoy on the subject till Saturday afternoon & did
not like to forward his letter without referring to you for some information in the
first instance.
1
Nevil Maskelyne had written to the Governor on 28 January 1863 asking him to order
the transmission of the meteorite purchased by James Bruce to London, evidently unaware
of the limited powers the Governor had after constitutional reform in the Colony in
1855, when the role became increasingly symbolic, representing the Crown in a system
of independent constitutional monarchies (see Lucas et al. (1994), pp. 73-9). The
smaller meteorite from the Cranbourne cluster, owned by August Abel and exhibited
in London, was bought by the British Museum to exchange for the one Bruce intended
to be given to it.
2
See F. McCoy to H. Barkly, 25 April 1863 (in this edition as M63-04-25).
Professor McCoy having been notified by the Mining Department nine months ago to serve
on a Board to consider what steps should be taken as to the retention of the Bruce
meteorite in the colony, did not feel himself at liberty to answer the application
I addressed to him without consulting the Government.
The result was a Meeting of this Board, — which as I learnt briefly from him on Saturday
came to the conclusion that the meteorite should be retained as Mr Bruce had in January
1862 presented one half to the Victorian Museum, & repeated the gift by a letter published
in the "Argus" just before his departure in which he merely stipulated that the British
Museum should have the right of cutting off one half at their own expense if the Trustees
thought proper.
This right the Board of course recognise.
I certainly did not gather anything of this sort from Mr Bruce's letters to you which
I have seen from time to time, & should not have alluded to the matter in the terms
which I employed in my last annual address to the Royal Society, had I supposed such
to be his intentions.
3
Barkly (1865) (read 28 April 1862) has a long passage on the meteorite, pp. xli-xliii,
including his own assessment of the proposals that it be cut in half and shared (
pp. xlii-xliii):
I am proud certainly to think that there are in this young country men so eminent
in the study of magnetism, of mineralogy, of chemistry, and the other sciences involved,
as to be capable of satisfactorily investigating the properties and the origin of
such phenomena, but I must confess, nevertheless, that looking to the uniqueness of
the specimen — for though three larger meteoric masses are known to exist, two in
Mexico, and one in La Plata, the heaviest yet brought to Europe weighs but 14 cwt.,
and the next but 12 cwt. — it strikes me it would be a pity to break it up before
it has been seen by the scientific world, while the number of European savans is so
far greater, that it would seem almost selfish to seek to anticipate on these distant
shores their experiments upon it.
The point has, I believe, been referred to the highest authorities at home, whose
views will, I am confident, be cheerfully acquiesced in.
No doubt that reference on my part led to the application which Professor Maskelyn
addressed to me, & which will entail a very awkward explanation on my part.
I remain &c
(Sd) Henry Barkly
Dr Mueller
&c &c &c