Ferdinand von Mueller

Brisbane, 12.8.91

Dear Baron von Mueller,

I must express my gratitude to you for your very interesting letter of the 6th

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Letter not found.

& my cordial thanks for enclosed seeds of the graceful

Eucalyptus ficifolia

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. I have conveyed to the Hon. A. C. Gregory your message, & I am desired by him to thank you very much for your kindly reference to days gone by, with which you who were both so closely associated,

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M accompanied Gregory on the North Australian Exploring Expedition, 1855-6.

& to state that he appreciates your sentiments very greatly. I have again reminded the Secretary of the Natives' Association,

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See also J. Thomson to M, 25 July 1891.

& shall continue to do so until some action is taken. One of our Life Members has sent me a donation of two guineas to the Antarctic Exploration Fund; he wishes it every success. I shall make this known & shall endeavour to induce others to subscribe; very probably I may be able to collect a few pounds; I will try.

I saw Lady MacGregor last Saturday; she expects Sir William at Cooktown

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North Qld.

any day. You will very probably see by the telegrams when he arrives. I trust you may be able to induce him to accept the Presidency,

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i.e. of the Geography Section at the forthcoming Congress of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, to be held in Hobart in January 1892. It would appear that MacGregor initially agreed to serve as President but later withdrew, his place being taken by Crawford Pasco to whom, after he had delivered his presidential address to the Geography Section at the Congress, a vote of thanks was passed, 'complimenting him on the able manner in which he had acted as substitute for Sir William MacGregor, who was unable to leave New Guinea owing to important and arduous labours' (Argus, 11 January 1892, p. 6).

but my long & intimate knowledge of him bids me hold out no hope for the success of your enterprise. At his urgent request I promised Mr. A. Morton a paper for the Hobart Meeting of the Association. After consulting with my old associate, Sir W. MacGregor, I chose as my subject "Exploration & Discoveries in British New Guinea, since the Proclamation of Sovereignty"; Sir William is going to assist me with Photographs, & other objects of interest.

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J. Thomson (1892), presented at the Hobart Congress of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science in January 1892, was published without photographs.

I will embrace the earliest opportunity of endeavouring to induce one or more of our booksellers to meet your wishes. I have the 7th Edition, which you so kindly presented me with.

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B88.12.01. Presumably M had asked Thomson to help with the distribution in Qld of the forthcoming 8th edition of his Select extra-tropical plants.

Would it be possible for me, dear Baron von Mueller, to obtain a copy of "The Aborigines of Victoria", in two volumes (by Smyth), published by your Government? I should very much like a copy for my Library.

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Smyth (1878).