Ferdinand von Mueller

22/2/64

My dear Miss

Your kind lines

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Letter not found.

reached me after Mr Fletcher & Mr Smith had started,

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Robert Fletcher (fl. 1861-8); Smith not identified, but he may have been James Smith (1820-1910), a council member of the Acclimatisation Society of Victoria.

so I reply to them by first post, though I have little else to say, but that I feel highly gratified that you are well & that your spirit is not so depressed as before.

Pray let me know, whether I can do anything, that would give pleasure to Mr & Mrs M'Haffie. Mr Fletcher will have brought the best female white Swan I have here. I have seen Mr M'Haffie several time & he treated me invariably kindly. Mr Snodgrass I have also met, who though he is courteous, seems distant. Of course I cannot expect more from an intimate friend of your family, as I have given you so much sorrow by my fault.

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A reference to M breaking his engagement with Euphemia Henderson? See M to E. Henderson, 18 August 1863; Maroske (1997). John McHaffie was named as a trustee in Snodgrass's will; see A. Lewis (2010).

As a matter of course I do not expect you to collect seaweeds in any large quantity for me, but you may perhaps be so friendly to lay a few occasionally aside & for any discovery you shall duely have the credit. Dr Harvey writes that with his work (phycologia, which I believe you have complete) he intends abolishing

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abandoning?

algology. But three other deer friends, Prof Areschoug of Upsala, M. Lénormand of Vire (Calvados) & Dr Sonder of Hamburg are great algologists & will work up any novelties, if I do it not even myself. If you desire me to send you any paper or anything else, pray command it unhesitatingly When Mr Smith started a second time I was reflecting, what little presents I could send you, but I could not think of any thing at the moment you might value. — For the graceful & hospital

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hospitable?

manner, in which Mr & Mrs Haffie

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M'Haffie?

& yourself I must feel the more obliged, as I did not deserve so much benignity from you

I had two letters from Sir Will Hooker,

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Letter not found.

full of expressions of almost paternal kindness. He lost christmas eve his deerest friend,

Dr Booth,

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i.e. Francis Boott.

for 40 years near his heart. Dr B was the treasurer of L.S.

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Linnean Society, London.

& meritorious bot. author To Lady Smith now 92 years old he was an other near friend. The Lady is yet so fresh in mind & body, as to exhibit scarcely any alteration since 40

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40 after 60 deleted.

years!