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Sammlung Perthes Archiv, SPA ARCH PGM 328, Forschungsbibliothek Gotha der Universität Erfurt. 71.09.07c

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Ferdinand von Mueller to August Petermann, 1871-09-07 [71.09.07c]. 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/71-09-07c>, accessed September 11, 2025

1
MS annotation by Petermann: 'Erh. 7. Nov. 1871' [Received 7 November 1871]. For a published version of this letter, see Voigt (1996), pp. 101-2.
Melbourne im bot Garten
7/9/71
Das beigefügte Zeitungsblatt möchte vielleicht einige Notizen enthalten, welche Ihnen, edler Freund, neu sein möchten. Die andern Artikel über Neu Guinea, (alle geschrieben von Mr Shillinglaw) sind mehr historischen Inhalts.
Durch die Vermittlung des Reisenden E. Giles bemühe ich mich, hier eine geographische Gesellschaft zu organisiren, zum Zwecke der weitern Erforschung Australiens. Die Mittel der Gesellschaft sollen ausschliesslich dazu verwandt werden, um beständig eine kleine Schaar für geographische Forschung im Felde zu halten.
Ihrem Freunde dort am Bureau des Almanach sende ich mit dieser Monatspost wieder einige Schriften.
Vor einigen Tagen erhielt ich die 51ste Ausgabe von Stielers Schulatlas. Verdient unser grosses schönes Australland mit seinen Schätzen nicht eine spezial Karte in der 52sten Ausgabe?
Stets mit dankbarer Zuneigung Ihr
Ferd. von Mueller
Phillip & Bartholemew haben ja sogar einen kleinen speziellen Schul-Atlas für Australien.
Die Fragen im Circular mit einer Ausnahme wurden von mir entworfen.
2
Der Zeitungsdruck … Vortrages is on a separate page.
Der Zeitungsdruck über meine Forst-Vorlesung enthält etwa nur die Hälfte meines Vortrages.
Melbourne Botanic Garden,
7 September 1871
The enclosed newspaper contains perhaps a few notices that may be new to you, noble friend. The other articles on New Guinea (all written by Mr Shillinglaw) are more of historic contents.
3
M may have sent the issue of the Australasian for 12 August 1871, which included (p. 9) the conclusion of a 4-part article by J. J. Shillinglaw on 'New Guinea: a field for exploration', or the Argus for 14 August, which reprinted Shillinglaw's piece.
I am attempting to organise a Geographical Society here through the agency of the explorer E. Giles, for the purpose of the further exploration of Australia. The means of the Society are to be used exclusively to that end, so as constantly to keep a small party in the field for geographical exploration.
With this month's mail I am sending again a few publications for your friend there at the Office of the Almanach.
4
Possibly Ernst Behm, who published the geographical yearbook at Justus Perthes' Geographische Anstalt in Gotha, or (perhaps more likely) the editor of the statistical part, Hermann Wagner, to whom M had previously sent statistical papers on Australia; see M to A. Petermann, 14 July 1871.
A few days ago I received the 51st edition of Stieler's School Atlas.
5
A. Stieler, Kleine Schul-Atlas über alle Theile der Erde nach dem neuesten Zustande nach Stieler’s Hand-Atlas verkleinert, first published in 1821, subsequently appeared in a vast number of steadily updated editions.
Does not our large, beautiful Australian land with all its treasures deserve a special map in the 52nd edition?
Always with grateful affection your
Ferd. von Mueller.
Even Phillip & Bartholemew
6
i.e. Bartholomew.
have a small special school atlas for Australia.
The questions in the circular,
7
Not identified.
with one exception, were prepared by me.
The newspaper article about my forest lecture
8
The conclusion of the report of the lecture in the Australasian, 1 July 1871, p. 7 (B71.07.02) indicates that some of the text was omitted:
After enlarging upon the value of forests in their picturesque and poetic aspects, the learned lecturer concluded thus:—"I regard the forests as an inheritage, given to us by Nature not for spoil or to waste, but to be wisely used, reverently honoured, and carefully maintained. ...".
Comparison with the fuller text, B71.01.05, shows that the Australasian version omitted more than the final sections of the lecture, for example tables of data and other ellisions within most sections of the lecture. In the editorial in the Yeoman section of the same issue of the Australasian, p. 24, the lecture was reviewed and criticized:
Dr. Von Mueller has shed no fresh light on the subject, and his whole lecture, though, as we have already pointed out, meritorious in some points of view, is singularly devoid of technical information—the very kind that his audience might have expected to hear. In treating of '' industrial pursuits " more or less incidental to forest culture, the lecturer had an excellent opportunity of dealing with them technically, but this he failed to improve, and his audience was recommended to study Muspratt's Chemistry, Von Berg's Aneleitung (sic) zum Verkohlen, and other works of that practical tendency which the public has been led to believe would distinguish the lectures given at the Industrial and Technological Museum from those of a merely popular and amusing character. [The works cited are Muspratt (1860) (see M to R. Barry, 6 December 1865, n. 2) and C. Berg (1860).]
gives only about half of my lecture.