Ferdinand von Mueller

Royal

1

Royal interlined by hand.

Geographical Society of

AUSTRALASIA.

INSTITUTED 1883

NEW SOUTH WALES BRANCH.

Sydney 12th May 1888

My dear Baron

It gave me great pleasure to receive yesterday your letter of the 8th

2

Letter not found.

and this more especially as it gave me good accounts of yourself — as regards Mr Bevan I enclose to you an explanatory which he has written to me. Between ourselves I consider him exigent — he has proved himself a dashing explorer and has done good service, he must learn patiently to await his reward as scores of good men have done before him. Some of his followers are to be found and I think their services should be recognized as well as those of Mr B—

I feel sure that it is useless just at present to urge a claim for land.

3

Bevan had applied in April 1887 for a grant of 254, 000 acres (c.103,000 ha) of land in New Guinea, but his claim was rejected by the Administrator, William MacGregor (ADB).

We must await the arrival of the new Governor and the proclamation of the Sovereignty of N.G. —

I shall have a talk to Mr B on the subject —

Very soon we shall have our new volume out and I have good grounds for anticipating that it will be creditable production — I am determined [...] to go to your great City when the Exhibition is opened

4

Centennial International Exhibition, Melbourne, 1888-9.

and I shall try to make myself useful in the geographical line. It was a great grief to me that I could not attend at Adelaide. Mr Favenc has [I] see written his No 1 letter to the "Argus" on his recent on his recent exploration

5

The first of a four-part series on the exploration of the Gascoyne region of WA; Argus, 11 May 1888, p. 11 (see Favenc (1888a)).

— I have faith in Favenc.

I congratulate you on completing for the Press two works

6

Strickland was presumaby aware of B88.11.02, which M was expecting to appear in July (M to S. Watson, 15 May 1888) and B88.12.01, which was going through the press in June (M to E. von Regel, 8 June 1888).

which will doubtless add more laurels to the many already bestowed upon you by public acclamation —

Please try to find an opportunity to remember me kindly to your admirable Secty Mr Macdonald and with best wishes believe me my dear Baron to be very sincerely yours