Ferdinand von Mueller

1

Letter not found. The text given here is from 'Report of the proceedings at the annual meeting of the Royal Hawaiian Agricultural Society, 23 October 1884' in Royal Hawaiian Agricultural Society. Annual Report for the year ending October, 1884, pp. 8-9 (B84.13.21). It is introduced by

Judge McCully reported that the Board of Management having awarded to Baron von Mueller, of Melbourne, Australia, its silver medal for his many services to this country, he had received a very pleasing letter from the Baron, with promises of continued contributions of seeds.

It was resolved that Baron von Mueller's letter be incorporated with the proceedings of the meeting.

Melbourne, September, 9, 1884.

To his Honour, Judge McCully,

Honolulu.

I was most pleasingly surprised, honoured Sir, when I received your kind letter of the 5th of August,

2

Letter not found.

in which you announce, that the Royal Agricultural Society of Hawaii has deemed me worthy of bestowing on me their silver medal. I feel that this generous mark of honour is but poorly deserved by what little I have hitherto done, to aid in rural developments throughout your beautiful islands; and I must regard this splendid gift rather as an encouragement in further efforts, to promote cultural interest there. In this, I shall feel all the more interested, when I reflect, how benignly my little help has there been considered, how intelligently cultural pursuits are followed up in your kingdom, and how grandly rural affairs can be carried out in your serene clime.

May I beg of you, honoured Sir, to convey to the President and Council of the Royal Agricultural Society of Hawaii my deepest gratitude for presenting me with this beautiful medal. It is among many, which the generosity of various countries at different occasions awarded to me, one of the most tasteful and expressive in design, and I shall always treasure it highly as a souvenir from a Union, so ardently engaged in promoting the cultural treasures in one of the most favoured countries of the globe.

Let me remain, dear Judge McCully, gratefully and regardfully yours

It affords me much pleasure, dear Judge McCully, to accompany my letter of thanks for the beautiful medal by a sending of various seeds, and as I had just at hand;— as others become available, I will send them by successive mails. I should however like to know, whether the Hawaiian Royal Government acknowledges the frank stamp of the Colony of Victoria, as is done by the Government of the United States, so that to any part of the latter all my sendings go free by post.

If no Reciprocity as yet exists in Government sendings between Hawaii and Australia; I shall of course frank in future all parcels by postage stamps.

By this post, I shall also write to Mr. Jaeger,

3

Mr A. Jaeger appears in the published report as Treasurer of the Society.

who, may be in the position to let me know some of the more particular requirements of the garden under his control.