Ferdinand von Mueller

[Carngham],

1

Carngham Station, owned by Philip Russell, was south-west of Ballarat, Vic.

beyond Ballarat,

22/2/74

I write these lines to you, dear Dr Hooker, on my way to the utterly unexplored ranges west of Cape Otway, as I do not want to miss the very first opportunity of offering to you my homage at your elevation to Sir Isaac Newton's chair. All engaged in phytologic research must feel themselves honored through your election, so well deserved and sure to be so dignifiedly maintained, more particularly as since the days of Sir Hans Sloane no really working phytographer has occupied the throne of British science.

2

Hooker was elected President of the Royal Society of London on 30 November 1873 and served until 1878; Hans Sloane immediately succeeded Newton, presiding over the Royal Society from 1727 to 1741.

Let me hope, that amidst the additional obligations, which your new and lofty position must involve, your health will remain firm and undisturbed.

It is possible, that my new journey for 2 or 3 weeks will not yield anything absolutely new; but it is not unlikely, that I may find yet within Victoria now several other Tasmanian plants not previously recorded from Australian continental positions. At all events the ranges alluded to, though I approached them from St Vincents Gulf overland as far back as 1848, when I had still to arm myself against the natives,

3

In 1848, when M visited the SE of SA, he travelled no further east than the Glenelg River.

ought to be included in my phytographic survey, and ought to make me more extensively acquainted with the geographic area of several species.

I found, while at Mt Kosciusko,

4

See M to G. Bentham, 27 January 1874; M to J. Francis, 24 December 1873 (in this edition as 73-12-24a) and 7 February 1874.

that

Herpelirion

Search for Herpelirion in

• This website
• Australian Plant Name Index

5

Herpolirion?

has a 3 valved capsule , but I was too early to get seeds ripe enough for close examination of their structure.