[Vor einiger Zeit schrieb mir Herr Dr. F. Müller, es würde ihm von Nutzen sein, wenn er von der Enumeratio seiner Pflanzen ungefähr 20 Exemplare zu vertheilen habe, ich möge Sie doch ersuchen, im Ganzen 25 Abdrucke anfertigen zu lassen, was er dafür zu bezahlen habe, werde er gerne entrichten.]
[Some time ago, Dr. F. Mueller wrote to me that it would be of use to him if he had about 20 copies of the enumeration of his plants to distribute, and that I should ask you to have 25 reprints made in total, for which he would be happy to pay.]1
Sonder added: 'Ich entledige mich dieses Auftrages in der Hoffnung, dass es nicht zu spät sein werde' [I execute this task in the hope that it will not be too late]. He also reported that he had just sent 'several boxes of goods' to M, and that 'Die in voriger Woche angekommene Sendung von Dr. Müller aus Melbourne hat wieder herrliche Sachen gebracht, 4 oder 5 neue Panax Arten, viele Moose und Farren, Compositae, Proteaceen woraus ich eine erstaunliche Uebereinstimmung der Vegetation mit der von Van Diemensland ersehe.' [The shipment of Dr. Mueller from Melbourne, which arrived last week, has again brought wonderful things, 4 or 5 new Panax species, many mosses and ferns, Compositae, and Proteaceae, from which I see an astonishing agreement of the vegetation with that of Van Diemen's Land.]
M's request did indeed arrive too late. In W. Sonder to D. von Schlechtendal, 1 July 1853, Sonder wrote: 'Müller hat mir freilich zu spät geschrieben, dass er so viele Abdrücke zuhaben wünscht, aber er ist in so fern wieder unschuldig, als sein Brief ungewöhnlich lange unterwegs gewesen ist. Müller meint er müsse der halben Welt Abdrücke mittheilen, er laborirt etwas an Eitelkeit, wogegen ich aber nichts sage, da er doch etwas Ordentliches zusammen bringt.' [Mueller has, of course, written to me too late that he would like to have so many copies, but he is again innocent in so far as his letter has been on the way for an unusually long time. Mueller thinks he has to send reprints to half the world, he is labouring a little on vanity but I don't say anything against that since he does put together something of value.] A version of that letter was published in Tkach et al. (2022), Brief 16).
Extract from W. Sonder to D. von Schlechtendal, 27 April 1853, a version of which was published in Tkachet al. (2022), Brief 15. M's letter is dated to late 1852 on the basis of Sonder's saying that M had written 'some time ago'. W. Sonder to D. von Schlechtendal, 18 March 1853, had already reported a similar but less specific request, probably in an earlier letter from M: 'Müller schreibt mir neulich, ich möge ihm bald Abdrucke zukommen lassen, er hoffe dadurch Unterstützung bei der Regierung zu finden' [Mueller wrote to me recently that I should have reprints sent to him soon, as he hoped to find support with the government by them]. A version of that letter was published in Tkach et al. (2022), Brief 14.
Please cite as “FVM-52-00-00,” in Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, edited by R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora†, J.H. Voigt† and Monika Wells accessed on