Document information

Physical location:

RB MSS M198, Library, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. 93.10.07

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Otto Tepper, 1893-10-07. R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora, J.H. Voigt and Monika Wells (eds), Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, <https://vmcp.rbg.vic.gov.au/id/93-10-07>, accessed September 11, 2025

1
MS annotation by Tepper: 'Reply 3.11.93'. Letter not found.
7/10/93
Besten Dank, lieber Herr Tepper, für alle Ihre Sympathie u anderen gütigen Wünsche. Ich hatte meinen Koffer gepackt für die Reise nach Adelaide, aber zu einer schweren Bronchitis kamen noch pleurisische Complicationen u es würde mein Leben gefährdet haben, eine 500 Meilen lange Reise durch die Nacht zu machen, in dieser Jahreszeit. Selbst jetzt darf ich noch nicht das geheizte Zimmer verlassen, obwohl ich mich besser fühle. Hoffentlich wird es mir möglich sein, meinen Entschluss auszuführen u Adelaide um Ostern zu besuchen, wenn ich mich ja auch mit Ihnen in Geselligkeit und Wissenschaftlichkeit freuen kann "Si fata velint"!
Wer kann aber monate lang voraus in die Zukunft sehen! Eben höre ich von dem Tode des 23 jährigen prächtigen Sohne eines Nachbar, dem das meiste des Lebens mit seinen Hoffnungen noch vorzuliegen schien. Er einfach verletzte einen Zehen u starb nach 3 Tagen am Trismus! Der generöse vorige Mayor, der 3 mal nach einander gewählt wurde für 3 Jahre, u ein grosses Fest in der Stadthalle gab, wie ich Präs. d. Austr Assoc war, schied als sonst höchst kräftigen Mann dahin nach einer Pnemonia. Am Montag war er noch in seiner Office am Sonnabend beerdigten wir ihn. Von Tates Unpässlichkeit höre ich erst jetzt von Ihnen. Also der kräftige rüstige Mann brach auch einstweilen zu sammen! Mir schien es bedauerlich, die Meeting dort schon im Sept zu halten, u ich rieth es aufs Bestimmtest ab. Universitäts Leute sind nur zur Zeit der Sommerferien für längere Reisen frei. Staats Beamte können deren Posten nicht verlassen während der Parlaments Saison. Geschäftsleute können auch besser abkommen nach der Erndte.
Um aber den Geschäfts Punkt Ihres Briefes zu erledigen, bemerke ich, dass ich in Christchurch u in Hobart einen Progess Rapport der Caprifications Committee lieferte. Sie sehen den freilich kürzen Bericht in Mr Morton’s Band. Ich war damals gerade in Ängsten, ob meine Anstalt selbstständig fort bestehen würde, u konnte nur 2 Tage in Hobart sein, hielt aber einen längeren freien Vortrag. Dies Committee wurde wieder gewählt mit Mr C. French als Secretair, u ich als Vorsitzender. Mr F. hat aber ein eben so schweres Jahr gehabt u hat sich nicht um die Sache bekümmen können. Als Chairmann habe ich das Recht, ein Mitglied zum Secretariet zu berufen, u wenn Sie die Stelle annehmen wollen, soll es mich freuen. Merkwürdiger Weise ist im Hobart Band mein Name gar nicht in dieser Angelegenheit erwähnt.
Mr oder Dr Brown in Adelaide interessirt sich besonders für diese Sache und könnte Ihnen helfen u ich würde Ihnen eine Anzahl Abhandlungen, die ich darüber zusammengebracht, zu senden. Das Committee ist durch Mitglieder aller austral. Colonien ausgenommen WA repräsentirt.
Mit Freunschaft
Der Ihre
Ferd. von Mueller.
Tate u Morton waren gegenwärtig, wie das Committee auf meinen Antrag in Hobart wieder gewählt wurde. Es scheint, dass French der freilich nicht in Tasmanien war, es versäumte an Sie u die anderen Mitglieder zu schreiben, obwohl ich ihn daran erinnerte. Ein glorreicher historischer Erfolg würde es gewesen sein, wenn die Adelaider Meeting hätte eine neue Aufsuchen Parthie hätte ins Feld rufen konnen,
2
können.
um das Geschick der 3tn Leichhardt Exped. zu ermitteln und damit, so nahe zu S.A. die grosse N.W Wüste zu durchstreiten was jetzt mit Dromedaren so leicht wäre
Vielleicht können Sie einen Rath geben in Bezug auf Mr Rasp, da es Mr Holtze misslungen ist, ihn für eine neue Aufsuchung Leichhardt's zu interessiren. Ich sollte gedacht haben, dass ein Mann, der plötzlich durch ein Ungefähr so reich wurde u der keine directe Erben hat, sich gern eine Berühmtheit erwerben würde, durch Lösung des Leichhardt Räthsels, wo es für £1000 vielleicht £500 geschehen könnten. Wird er die Melbourne Races besuchen. Dann könnte ich wenigstens eine Besprachung mit ihm haben. Kennen Sie ihn genau? Was ist seine Disposition. Ist seine Frau eine Deutsche?
Nun wird wohl zu meiner Lebzeit sein Schicksal nicht aufgeklärt werden.
Trugen der Gouveneur u Hector deren Ordnen bei den Inauguration?
Ich werde Ihnen den Grund dieser Frage gelegentlich mündlich sagen.
Machte Hector eine lange Inductions Rede
7/10/93
Best thanks, dear Mr Tepper, for all your sympathy and other good wishes. I had my case packed for the journey to Adelaide,
3
To attend the fifth meeting of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, held in Adelaide in September 1893.
but to a severe bronchitis came pleuritic complications as well and it would have endangered my life to make a 500-mile-long journey through the night at this season. Even now I must not leave the heated room, although I feel better. It is to be hoped it will be possible for me to carry out my decision and to visit Adelaide at Easter, when I can also rejoice with you in conviviality and scientific matters "Si fata velint".
4
'If the fates are willing'. M did not make this hoped-for visit to Adelaide.
However, who can see months into the future! I have just heard of the death of the 23-year-old splendid son of a neighbour,
5
Not identified.
for whom the majority of his life with his hopes still seemed to lie ahead. He simply injured a toe and died three days later of tetanus. The generous previous mayor,
6
Matthew Lang.
who was elected 3 times one after the other for 3 years, and gave a great celebration in the town hall when I was President of the Australasian Association,
7
Report of the second meeting of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science held at Melbourne, Victoria, in January 1890, p. xvi.
passed away as an otherwise very strong man from pneumonia. On Monday he was still in his office, on Saturday we buried him. I am hearing just now of Tate's indisposition from you. Therefore the strong sprightly man also breaks down temporarily! It seemed to me regrettable to hold the meeting there as early as September and I advised against it most particularly. University people are only free at the time of the summer holidays for long journeys. State officials cannot leave their posts during the parliamentary session. Business people can also better get away after the harvest.
However, to settle the business point of your letter, I remark that I produced a progress report of the Caprification Committee in Christchurch and in Hobart. You will see the admittedly short report in Mr Morton's volume.
8
Report of the fourth meeting of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science held at Hobart, Tasmania, in January 1892, pp. 233-5 (B93.14.01).
At that time I was anxious whether my establishment would continue independently, and could only be in Hobart two days, but gave a rather long free presentation.
9
M seconded a vote of thanks to Crawford Pasco in the Geography Section of the Congress; his speech was reported as 'full of interest to Australasia, touching on the promising prospects of the great northern colony of New Guinea, and appealing powerfully for aid to equip the Antarctic expedition with all despatch' (Launceston examiner, 11 January 1892, p. 2). No other 'free lecture' has been identified.
This committee was elected again with Mr C. French
10
Charles French Snr.
as secretary, and I as chairman. However, Mr F. has had just as difficult a year and has not been able to concern himself with the matter. As chairman I have the right to appoint a member to the secretariat and if you wish to accept the position, it will please me. Curiously enough my name is not mentioned at all in the Hobart volume in this matter.
11
At the meeting of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science held in Melbourne in January 1890, a committee was established to investigate 'the fertilisation of the fig in the Australasian colonies'. The committee presented a report at the following meeting, in Christchurch in January 1891, and was renewed for a further term. A further report was presented at the Hobart meeting in January 1892 but, contrary to what M asserts, this time the Committee was not renewed, as part of a substantial reduction in the overall number of such committees. Since M was only in Hobart for a short time, he could not have attended the second meeting of the AAAS Council at which research committees were appointed or renewed (Report of the fourth meeting..., p. xviii). Having proposed that the committee on the fertilisation of figs be renewed, he may well have been under the misapprehension that this had been agreed to. Throughout the committee's existence, Charles French was identified as Secretary; no Chairman was anywhere identified, though M evidently served as such.
Mr or Dr Brown in Adelaide
12
John Harris Browne, who although returning to settle in England in the 1870s made frequent vistits to South Australia including in the 1890s, was actively involved in the cultivation of figs there, and was one of the recipients of fig plants distributed by the Agricultural Bureau in 1892 (South Australian c hronicle (Adelaide), 23 July 1892, p. 13); see also Chronicle (Adelaide), 28 March 1896, p. 42.
is particularly interested in this matter and could help you and I would send you a number of papers that I brought together about it. The committee is represented by members of all Australasian colonies except Western Australia.
With friendship
Your
Ferd. von Mueller.
Tate and Morton were present when the committee was elected again in Hobart on my motion.
13
See n. 11, above.
It seems that French who admittedly was not in Tasmania neglected to write to you and the other members, although I reminded him of it. It would have been a glorious historical success if the Adelaide meeting had been able to send a new search party into the field to establish the fate of the third Leichhardt Expedition and so traverse the large north-west desert so near to South Australia, which would be so easy now with dromedaries.
Perhaps you are able to give advice in respect to Mr Rasp, since Mr Holtze was unsuccessful in interesting him in a new quest for Leichhardt. I should have thought that a man who suddenly became so rich by chance and who has no direct heirs
14
Charles Rasp had made a fortune after discovering fabulously rich deposits of silver at Broken Hill, NSW.
would gladly earn fame by the solution of the Leichhardt puzzle, where it could perhaps happen for £1000 — perhaps £500. Will he visit the Melbourne races? Then I could at least have a discussion with him. Do you know him well? What is his disposition. Is his wife German?
Now his fate will probably not be cleared up in my lifetime.
Did the Governor and Hector wear their orders at the inauguration? Some time I will tell you verbally the reason for this question.
Did Hector make a long induction speech?
15
The President of the Hobart meeting of the Australasian Association, Sir Robert Hamilton, the Governor of Tasmania, did not attend the Adelaide meeting. James Hector, as President of the previous, Christchurch meeting, therefore took the chair at the opening session in Adelaide and installed Tate as the new President.