To William Branwhite Clarke1    19 August 1861

Melbourne bot. & zool Garden

19. Aug. 1861

Reverend & dear Sir.

I have duely received your kind letter, dated 13. Aug. 1861,2 as also the voluminous fascicle of printings in evidence of the claims which you have on Australian acknowledgement & which gives only an official form to what we all know is so fully due to your genius & your long & successful geologic labours.3

I trust to have an opportunity of seeing Mr Cowper4 previous to his leaving and would have seen that Gentleman already, had I not been chained for several weeks past to my house in consequence of some bronchial inflammation, which however is now fast subsiding and let me assure you, that what little influence I may possibly possess, shall always be excercised for your benefit or rather for doing justice to you.

Perhaps as a kind friend you will be pleased to learn, that I have been honored with being elected this year into the R. S of L.5

With deep feelings for your constant prosperity & health

I remain,

Dear Mr Clarke

your very attached

Ferd. Mueller

 

My letter was adressed to the C.S.6 without specified name.7

1
MS annotation: 'Recd 22nd'.
2
Letter not found.
3
See 'Progress report from the Select Committee on the claims of Reverend W. B. Clarke, together with the the Proceedings of the Committee and minutes of evidence and Appendix', 3 May 1861, Votes and proceedings of the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales (1861).Clarke claimed to be the scientific discoverer of gold in NSW. In 1861 the NSW Government accepted his claim and awarded him £3,000 [ADB]. M had lobbied on Clarke’s behalf while the claim was being considered; see M to C. Cowper, 25 April 1861 (in this edition as 61-04-25a).
4
Charles Cowper, Colonial Secretary of NSW.
5
Royal Society of London.
6
Colonial Secretary.
7
See note 3.

Please cite as “FVM-61-08-19,” 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 18 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/61-08-19