Melbourne bot. & zool. Garden,
25. Sept. 1861.
My dear Sir Roderick.
When recently I did myself the honor of writing to you,1 I expressed my warmest thanks for having from you, as a member of the Council of the Royal Society, enjoyed your support for my election and I solicited at the time that you would be pleased in consideration of the difficulty of my leaving the extensive department, which I administrate, to dispense in my case the rule, which renders personal attendance of the forum of the Society necessary for final admission.2 Trusting that you will forgive my intruding so repeatedly on your kindness I merely now trespass yet for a moment on your few leisure moments in informing you, that I was desired by Dr Milligan of Hobarton, now staying at London, to enquire whether the meteor iron (Victorian) in possession of Mr Abel of Ballarat could be secured for the British Museum. I did so and informed Professor Owen & Dr Milligan of the results of my enquiry, but as the latter Gentleman did not state, whether I should communicate with you or Prof Owen, you will allow me perhaps to state also to you, what arrangements have been made preliminary to the final disposal of the meteor-mass. It has been secured for local exhibition in Melbourne, antecedent to the London Exhibition, whence with many other articles of interest and utility it will be forwarded probably from here in December next on expense of our Exhibition Commission. After the aërolite has been exhibited at your grand show next May it would be purchasable and I believe Mr Abel will authorize his nephew Professor Abel of Woolwich,3 to act as agent for him. He estimates the weight at 3000 lb, (possibly somewhat overrated) and asks for it £300"-"- Should therefore the weight be much less, it may be likely, that the owner will reduce the price proportionally.
I thought it but right, that you, my dear Sir Roderick, as one on the head of British (no the worlds) geology should be informed of these facts in time, in order that if you thought the price was in proportion to the value and if the aërolite was desirable for your great national institute, it might be timely secured4
Ever your most grateful Ferd Mueller
Please cite as “FVM-61-09-25a,” 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 24 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/61-09-25a