Ferdinand von Mueller

1

A note headed ‘Memo for Mr Maiden’ accompanies the MS: ‘Should the Baron be thanked for his offer of a paper next year, or does his letter not call for a reply? | W.H.W. [i.e. W. H. Webb, Assistant Secretary] | 14.12.94.’ On this, Maiden has replied: ‘I do not think a reply is necessary J.H.M.’ No addressee is indicated on M's letter; however, Webb's note suggests that it was sent to Maiden as Joint Secretary of the Royal Society of NSW and opened by Webb.

9/12/94.

Honored Sir.

Amidst extraordinary pressure of work during the latest days, I missed to telegraph, as I intended, for conveying my felicitation to your annual meeting. May I be allowed to do so still so late as this! Let me hope, that the new annual space of time, on which also the Society is entering, will be as replet with glorious results as the years gone bye.

That I have not actively participated in last years work, as I much wished, is easily explained. In this dire time of depression I had to concentrate my exertions on rural and technic interests almost exclusively for the benefit of the breadwinning people here. Abstract science work had largely to be deferred, but I hope to resume my progressive researches more in 1895 and to communicate some original observations then also to your Society

Pray convey my respects also especially to your distinguished President

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Richard Threlfall, professor of physics at the University of Sydney.