Ferdinand von Mueller

Royal Gardens

Kew. Novr. 2. 1854.

My dear Sir Charles

I have to thank your Excellency for your kindness in writing to me just before you left England & in the midst of all the hurry & bustle of your departure.

Dr Mueller, respecting whom I took the liberty of writing to you,

1

W. Hooker to C. Hotham, 11 March 1854 (in this edition as M54-03-11).

is, I am happy to say in frequent communication with me, & not by letter only but he sends numerous specimens of plants, many quite new ones, & of the whole he has drawn up, in Latin, most excellent & scientific characters & descriptions; & this extensive mst. may be considered the foundation of a complete "Flora of Victoria". So sensible are the Botanists here & myself of the value of these researches, that I have taken the great liberty of addressing to the Colonial Secretary at Melbourne a demi-official letter on this subject,

2

W. Hooker to J. Foster, 2 November 1854 (in this edition as 54-11-02). See also J. Moore to W. Hooker, 24 January 1855 (in this edition as 55-01-24).

hoping he may think it right to lay it before the Governor & Council.

It is true we do not expect your Excellency & the Members of the Council should be Botanists: but we hope we may be allowed to consider you patrons of Botany, especially when you have so very able a person as Dr Mueller who holds the appointment of Botanist to the Colony, & whose services must be in a measure lost, unless he is assisted in the publishing of the result of his researches.

I have just sent out to Dr Mueller a considerable present of Botanical Books. But he writes to me to order a further supply from a Bookseller. I do not think any Bookseller would send out books to a stranger to be paid for on their arrival there: - & indeed I am not without hope that the Colony will provide Books at the Botanic Garden, I presume, for the use of the Botanical & Horticultural staff.

I was delighted to read of the reception you experienced on your arrival & I will beg you to believe, my dear Sir Chas.