Melbourne, 70. Collin Street East.
13. May 1855
Sir,
It was a delightful intelligence to me to learn, that my noble and learned friend, Prof. Harvey, deemed my humble acquirements sufficient for recommending me to the appointment of Botanist for the expedition,1 which you are organizing, and by which you will at lenght withdraw the veil, which covers yet the immense extent of the tropical interior of Australia.
Your tried abilities and your long experience in the field inspire me with the greatest confidence, that by the contemplated exploration extensive additions will be made to the Geography of Australia.
As however centuries may elapse, before the mighty stream of civilisation reaches to the wide mysterious interior of this country, — I feel with you, that also additional data to the natural sciences in their manyfold branches should be collected at this rare opportunity to the utmost extent. The observations on the vegetable kingdom alone will absorbe during the forthcoming expedition entirely the time of one naturalist. My ardent love for the Australian Flora induces me to desire you, if no man more worthy to fill such a place should come forward, to ask from Sir Charles Hotham for leave of my joining you under the auspices of this Government. — I am far from thinking to be so well qualified for such an important place, as would be desirable, for I am a young man and have very much to learn yet in the world, still I may mention, that I devoted all my spare hours since 1847 to botanical researches in Australia, and since the last two years my position enabled me to live for botany almost exclusively. The results have been besides much general useful information, which I endeavoured to diffuse, the publication of more than 100 new plants by myself in Professor Schlechtendals Linnaea, of an other hundred in the same journal by conjoin[ing]2 labours with some scientific friends and finally the elucidation of 150 others here in the transactions of our scientific societies.3 I published also previous to my departu[re] for Australia a Flora on the South Western part of the dukedom Sleswig.4
In a letter to Prof. Harvey5 I have explicated what steps would be necessary to accomplish my engagement, provid[ed] you should deem my humble qualifications worthy of your notice. If Dr Har[vey] should be absent, this letter will be obligingly laid before you by Mr Ch. Moo[re] and you will consequently pardon [me] for not further recapitulating the various points contained therein.
Allow me, Sir, to solicit in conclus[ion] that I might receive an early notice from you, because in case of your reje[cting] my proposals, I shall soon prepare for a journey into the Murray-desert.
I have the honor to be,
Sir,
your most obedient servant
Ferd. Mueller.
A. C. Gregory, Esq.6
MS annotation probably by A. Gregory: 'Dated 13th May Received 17th.'
After receiving M's letter, Gregory wrote to the Colonial Secretary, Sydney, E. Deas Thomson, on 24 May 1855, transmitting a copy of M's letter, and adding: 'I am aware that this appointment has already been offered to Mr James Drummond who is now in Western Australia, But have been informed by private letters that he has declined to accept it, and even should he do so I regret I should feel bound, as having charge of the expedition, to object to his appointment on the ground of that Gentlemans advance years (I believe 80), [MS marginal annotation: '!!!!'. Drummond was 71 in 1855.] as the severe privations to which the party will necessarially be exposed will fully tax the strength of those who are yet in the enjoyment of more youthful physical powers. But for this circumstance I do not know any person who for scientific knowledge combined with extensive experience and indefatigable persevereance could be more judiciously selected to fill the appointment in question. I would therefore recommend for the consideration of His Excellency, the expediency of accepting the services of Dr Mueller in the capacity of Botanist to the Expedition, as I imagine that the position he now holds as Government Botanist in the Colony of Victoria, added to the strong recommendation of Professor Harvey, are a sufficient guarantee of his ability to perform the duties required.'
Drummond was originally recommended for the position by W. Hooker (The National Archive, London, CO 201/479, ff. 562-3, W. Hooker to H. Merivale, 21 September 1854).
Gregory's letter to Thomson was subsequently forwarded to the Governor General, W. Denison, who ordered that the matter therein should be laid before the Executive Council to determine M's salary, and that in the meantime Gregory could write a letter of acceptance to M (No. 55/4828, 4/3351 letters received, Colonial Secretary's Office).
The Colonial Secretary's Office informed Gregory of the Governor General's wishes on 26 May 1855 (No. 686, MS Q424) and Gregory wrote to M on the same day. See A. Gregory to M, 26 May 1855.
On 30 May 1855 Denison laid the letters M to Gregory, 13 May 1855, and Gregory to Thomson, 24 May 1855, before the Executive Council. The Council advised the Governor General to employ M and to fix his salary at £250 p.a. The Colonial Secretary's Office, Sydney was to write to its counterpart in Melbourne 'about the Botanist & not to the Botanist himself, as he is in the employment of the Govnt, and they may not like to spare him — nothing is to be said about Salary. — leave is merely to be asked of the Govnt to employ Mr. Mueller' (M8/A, 4/3351 letters received, Colonial Secretary's Office). A letter was sent forthwith to the Chief Secretary of Victoria, W. Haines, 31 May 1855. See footnote 3, M to W. Haines, 10 June 1855.
The Colonial Secretary's Office sent Gregory formal notification of the decision by the Governor General, under the advice of the Executive Council, to employ M as Botanist on the North Australian Exploring Expedition on 7 June 1855. In the same letter Gregory was also informed that Drummond had apparently declined the appointment as botanist, and that the Government of Victoria had been asked if they had any objection to M's replacing him (No. 728, MS Q424).
Please cite as “FVM-55-05-13,” 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 26 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/55-05-13