Ferdinand von Mueller

copy

Melbourne 19/3/88.

To the Rev. W. G. Lawes, F.R.G.S.,

Representative of the R.G.S.A.

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Royal Geographical Society of Australasia.

for New Guinea &c.

It was the intention of the geographic Council of Victoria, reverend Sir, to pay you some homage during your present stay in our metropolis; but the shortness of your visit to this colony together with the multifarious engagements and duties, devolving on you in your exalted position, have left us not sufficient time, to call the Vict. branch of the R.G.S.A. purposely together, to do you special honor, as we intended. My colleagues of the Council here have desired me therefore, to write on its behalf a valedictory letter to you, expressive of a hope, that Gods divine providence may spare you for very many years with all your energies, talents and highmindedness for continuing your great labors in that cause, to which you have devoted the best part of your life so successfully and with so much selfsacrifice. I am certain, that I express further the sentiments of my honored geographic Colleagues here, all of whom I cannot see before your departure, when I say, that we trust you will live to see fully realized all your intentions and hopes, that in the great papuan Island Christianity with all its blessings, — first and largely spread by yourself, — will become universal, and that it may thus be destined for you and your renowned and noble collaborator, the Rev. J. Chalmers, to celebrate triumphs at all events through British New Guinea similiar to those, which the Rev. S. King

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Rev. Joseph King? copyist's misreading?

achieved in so touching a manner for Samoa already through a still earlier call into the mission-field. We as members of the geographic council here cherish also the hope, that your efforts and those of your honored Colleagues and your numerous disciples for securing substantial benefits to the Papuan Autochthones through civilisation, sped by you, will be crowned likewise with brilliant success, so that in a manner, alike to that adopted recently by the independant tribes of the Moaries

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Maori.

in New Zealand, the territory of each of the settlements in New Guinea may be permantely secured to the native inhabitants and may by surveys and legal enactments under British Sovereignty be permanently alloted to each family in just proportions for peaceful homesteads of modern comforts and for prosperous and largely enriched rural estates as heirlooms to their descendents. Thus, we trust, the spiritual and worldly welfare of the natives in New Guinea will be alike advanced collateral to the requirements of an unencroaching colonisation, so that a large and peaceful dominion may be added to the Great British empire, and this in its turn contributing also to the general blessing and ever hoped-for universal happiness and religious unity of the world!