Melb. bot. Garden
20/2/62.
My dear Sir William.
The monthly mail from England has not arrived as yet altho 10 days overdue; thus I have little occasion to write, beyond expressing a hope that you are enjoying the best of health. I thought to have been able to send you the bound volume of the Victorian Thalamiflorae,1 but it became not ready, the mail being several days earlier despatched than usual.
I have ventured to dedicate this humble production to you as a faint token of my esteem and attachment to you; wishing only I had something more worthy to bring.2 Perhaps the later volumes will be more worthy of your acceptance, the whole extending over 6 volumes.3 — I enclose a bill a loading for some fascicles of Thalamiflorae, sent pr. "Great Britain" in a case to you for Mr Benthams perusal & your selection of duplicates. It would aford me great satisfaction, if the collection will prove useful.
Ever yours in faithful [o]biedie[nce]
Ferd. Mueller.
12/6/62
By some clerical error in the adress the letter was returned to me with some of the enclosures now sent to you a second time.
Thalamiflorae
B62.03.03.
The dedication in B62.02.01 was shared: 'As a tribute | of the author's high regard and gratitude, | these pages are dedicated | to | Charles Joseph La Trobe, Esq., C.B., | to whom, as former Lieutenant-Governor of Victoria, this work owes its origin; | to | Sir William Jackson Hooker, K.H., | the nestor of botanists, who, for above half a century, has been a leading star in phytological enquiry; | and to | Sir Henry Barkly, K.C.B., | Governor of Victoria, | Under whose unceasing encouragement these volumes are advancing to completion.'
No more descriptive volumes were published, although the first five sheets, 40 pages, were printed of what would have been Part 2 (see B63.13.06) and a set sent at least to Bentham. See M to G. Bentham, July 1863 (in this edition as 63-07-00a), M to G. Bentham, 22 June 1863, and M to G. Bentham, 25 January 1864 (in this edition as 64-01-25f).
MS black-edged; M's sister Bertha died on 7 September 1861.
Please cite as “FVM-62-02-20a,” 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