To David Wilkie   26 January 1862

26/1/62.

Dear Dr Wilkie.

I presume you are aware, that Dr Beckler sailed since some days. It is therefore superfluous to discuss the question in reference to the certificate we were to draw up for that Gentleman.1 I wondered that he asked at all for a certificate as I do not see what earthly use it can be to him particularly as I fully expect, that the Commission will speak in favorable terms of his services. I for one am convinced, that he did more than hundred others in his place could & would have done. Why are you becoming such a perfect stranger to the garden?

your attached

Ferd Mueller

1
When Beckler decided to return to Germany, he sought a testimonial from the Royal Society of Victoria’s Exploration Committee, that had overseen the Burke & Wills expedition. At its meeting on 17 January 1862, the Committee agreed that M should draft a suitable letter for the secretary, John Macadam, to sign on its behalf. At a subsequent meeting, however, which M did not attend, this decision was rescinded. M attended the next meeting and forcefully expressed his dissent from the Committee’s decision. In the meantime, however, as M states in this letter, Beckler had sailed for Europe without waiting for the Committee’s testimonial. He left Melbourne on 20 January aboard Yorkshire, bound for London (Argus, 21 January 1862, p. 4).

Please cite as “FVM-62-01-26,” 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 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/62-01-26