Ferdinand von Mueller

26/1/88.

When the centennial anniversary of the independence of the U.S. was celebrated, my honored and venerable friend, you wrote me a letter, which I treasure among my best epistolar possessions.

1

Letter not found.

Now it is my turn, to write you on the most memorable day of Australia,

2

The centenary of the arrival of the first fleet of British settlers on 26 January 1788.

when the second century of its settlement is commencing! You wrote, that you would devote such a day of honor to correspondence with science-friends; and this sentiment I share so completely, that I also shall devote this day to communications with the learned, who honored me with their friendship. I telegraphed my felication to Sydney, whence I was invited;

3

Telegram not found. The principal celebrations of the centenary took place in Sydney, where the first settlement was established.

so I have done thus far my homage also on this grand historic occasion!

Hardly any special question is before me, concerning which I should adress you, though thousands of objects interest us mutually, but could not be discussed by letter-writing.

I am grateful, that divine will has spared me, to live into the second century of Australian civilisation, and to witness what the energy and enterprise of the British nation has accomplished so gloriously within such a space of time also in her Majesty's Australian Dominions!

To myself only a very brief period of worldly existence can be left; but it is with some pride, that I look back now to the results of more than 40 years uninterrupted toil in endeavouring to advance the interests of these great southern lands, humbly though , in applied geography, rural development and abstract science.

To the fullest extent do I concur with your views of the indesirability of superseding the first specific name in a correctly chosen genus; it was one of the reasons for the chronology of Austral plants in the "Census",

4

B83.03.04 and subsequent supplements.

to subdue that practice, to which Bentham even adhered yet in the earlier volumes of the Austral. Flora

5

Bentham (1863-78).

— he then even yet writing to me, that if he made not such changes, to which I was opposed, others would

6

he even then … others would marginal note on right hand side of page, with intended position indicated by an asterisk. Dashes inserted editorially for ease of reading.

See G. Bentham to M, 24 November 1864

— to drag forward a name for a species wrongly placed before as regards its genus. On this and many other points, concerning the systematic key of Vict. plants,

7

B88.11.02.

I am just writing an essay;

8

B89.05.04, read on 3 October 1888.

and I crave of you, to withhold any review of that work, until this essay will be before you.

9

Gray died four days after this letter was written. M's Key (B88.11.02) was reviewed by G.L. Goodale, American journal of science, no. 221, May 1889, pp. 416-7. M's essay was not mentioned.