To William Haines   10 April 1855

Botanic Gardens, Melbourne,

10. April 1855.

Sir

I do myself the honor of adressing you, to solicit your information on the intended reestablishment of the botanical department, for which I had the honor to be appointed during the last two years.

Observing that for this purpose the sum of one thousand pounds Sterling has been unanimously voted by the Legislative Council, and that this measure was formally supported in behalf of the Government by the honorable the Auditor General, I beg leave to enquire, whether I am justified in continueing my labours under the auspices of the Government, under which alone I shall be enabled to carry them so amply out, as under the present state of science it must be deemed desirable. Laying humbly these views before his Excellency, the Lieutenant Governor, I pray permission to state, that I am desirous to proceed again with the examination of the botanical materials, collected during the last season in the Snowy Mountains, with the utmost despatch, in order to prepare myself thus in time for a journey through the western desert, which I have not yet explored, and which can be successfully only traversed at the end of the rainy season, when on a little surface water may be relied[.]¹ The main localities afterwards to be visited would be the environs of Cape Ottway,² the sources of the rivers Tarwin and Latrobe, Mount Baw Baw and the neighboorhood of Cape Howe.

I hope to accomplish the due investigation of the plants, occurring in these localities by next summer, and this would render it then possible to prepare every year a complete description volumen on the indigenous vegetation for the press.

I have the honor to be,

Sir,

your most obedient and humble servant

Ferd. Mueller.

The honorable the Colonial Secretary, Melbourne.³