Office of Lands & Survey
Melbourne, 10th. Novr. 1860.
Sir,
In reply to your letter of the 5th Instant,1 I have the honor to state for the information of the Committee of the Zoological Gardens that there are no data in this Office relating to the temperature of the various rivers of the Colony, and the Officers of the Department are too much occupied in the extension of the survey of the Colony to be able to devote the necessary time to the carrying out of such a comprehensive series of observations as would afford definite information on the subject.
Settlers, whose homesteads are situated on or near the banks of rivers might probably be willing to assist your Committee, if supplied with thermometers.
If, however, an observation taken on any appointed day would be of use, thus much might be done by this Department towards the object, while it is unable to undertake a series of observations throughout the year.
I have the honor to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant
C. Hodgkinson
Deputy Surveyor General & Secretary.
Dr. Mueller,
&c. &c. &c.
Melbourne.
M’s letter has not been found, but it is recorded in the registers of the Department of Lands and Survey; see no. 7585, roll 4, VPRS 227/P1 inward correspondence register, VA 538 Department of Crown Lands and Survey, Public Record Office, Victoria, where its receipt is registered, and A22, roll 1, VPRS 226/P1 index to inward correspondence, VA 538 Department of Crown Lands and Survey, Public Record Office, Victoria,, where the content is summarized: ‘Solicits data available for ascertaining the temperature of the rivers of Victoria’.
Please cite as “FVM-60-11-10,” 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