From Ferdinand von Mueller to Dominick Daly   17 Dec 1862

Melbourne botanic Garden

17/12/62

Sir Dominik¹

I ventured to adress to your Excellency this day per Havilah the hitherto published fascicles of the third volume of my Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae,² into which most of the new plants discovered by Mr J. Macd. Stuart during his expedition of 1861 are introduced, begging your Excellency's acceptance of one of these sets, and asking of your Excellency's kindness to place the two other copies into the hands of Mr Stuart and his companion Mr Waterhouse.

It has been to me a source of the highest gratification that the persevering and skilful South Australian Explorer has crowned his former great geographical achievements by the completion of a traversable overland-route to the N. W. coast, a success which not only will be of the highest consequence to the colony over which your Excellency rules, but will remain for ever a lustre of the enterprise of South Australia.

It shall afford me a particular pleasure to elucidate the botanical treasures, which are likely accumulated under Mr Stuarts & Mr Waterhouse's care during the expedition, should your Excellency and the ministers of the South Australian Government be pleased to entrust them to my examination.³

On the return of Mr Babbage I was honoured with the call to elucidate the plants gathered during his journey and on these a memoir of 21 folio pages was furnished by me under the authority of the Victorian Government.⁴ I had also the advantage of examining all the plants collected by Mr Stuart during his last three expeditions,⁵ having received these by the favor of the late Mr Chambers.⁶ A number of notes on these plants are ready for publication and if I could have also access to the plants of the present expedition, a rather extensive essay may be furnished on the vegetation of the tracts, traversed by the South Australian Explorers.

I would have felt reluctant to ask your Excellencys favor for the loan of the plants of this expedition, did not the circumstance of Mr Waterhouse⁷ being entrusted with the office of Naturalist of the Expedition hold out a hope, that much more important results are obtained for botanical science on this occasion,⁸ when through the enlightened liberality and circumspection of your Excellencys predecessor, a highly skilful naturalist was specially attached to the expedition, and had I not gained through my own extensive travels with Mr A. Gregory in tropical Australia during the year 1855 & 1856⁹ the requisite experience to do justice to the task and had I not imbibed a deep desire to render more fully known the vegetation of our wide interior. I may be permitted to mention, that the duty of examining the plants of all the various expeditions, which were out in the field since 1856 has devolved on myself under the authority of the various Governments of Australia.¹⁰ In undertaking the task of examining Mr Stuarts plants I shall moreover contribute material towards the universal work on Australian vegetation, now under publication by my venerable friend Mr President G. Bentham, to whose work I am the constant and only adjutor.¹¹

I have the honor to remain,

your Excellencys very obedient

Ferd Mueller.

His Excellency

Sir Dom. Daly, Kn, &c &c &c

Governor of South Australia.