Ferdinand von Mueller

16/9/95.

The incomparable honor of belonging to the Institut de France, dear Prof de Candolle, is additionally to me so significant, as highly distinguished members of that august and venerable Union as yourself share in my joy felicitously.

1

M was elected a Corresponding Member of the Académie des Sciences of the Institut de France on 1 July 1895. He was mistaken in thinking that Casimir de Candolle was a member.

Let me offer my best thanks to you for your congratulation, and let me assure you, that I am immensely proud of my position in the highest of all science-unions, and that I am most grateful to you and other generous and powerful friends, who promoted my cause.

I had by last weeks mail the honor of being invited by the venerable and celebrated President and Secretary of the Institut to the centennial festival.

2

The Institut de France was founded in 1795.

But as the principle rural season is just coming on, it is impossible to leave my post for attending at this significant festivity, no such coming on again til 1995 ! I thus miss the opportunity to pay personally my homage to the elite of Savants of the world, there assembled under the grand auspices and historic renown of the Institut. I have however written in the French language a letter to the President and Secretary by this mail,

3

Letter not found.

expressing my sentiments of the privilege, to share in this unparalleled festivity at least indirectly, and assuring this sublime gathering through its Leaders, that in thoughts I shall be with you all on those glorious days

As you will be personally moving among the renowned Members, pray make known also my feelings of attachment from the antipodes and convey my best greetings. A magnificent volume of records is sure to emanate from this memorable meeting, the results of which I shall also watch with the deepest interest. Kindly write me again after this great centennial event, and ask others of my European friends to do the same, as I can then more fully refer to this luminous celebration in my Presidential discourse at the Royal Geographic Society of Australia at the end of this year.

4

It is not clear to what 'Presidential discourse' M is referring here. The Victorian Branch of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia, over which he presided, held its 'fourth triennial meeting' on 15 October 1895, but from the summary of M's speech in the Society's Transactions (vol. 3, p. 15) it seems that he made no mention of the French Academy's meeting. M's next speech to the Society was his 'third triennial address' on 20 March 1896, in which he dealt with 'the progress of geographical discovery' but again apparently made no mention of the French meeting (Transactions, vol. 14, pp. 14-15).

The last sentence is a marginal addition, and there is no valediction or signature. M to C. de Candolle, 17 September 1895 (in this edition as 95-09-17a) may be a continuation of this letter; however, it begins on a new page with its own date in M's usual style of starting a letter.