To William Hooker¹    24 October 1863

24/10/63

Dear Sir William

Though your kind instructive & ingenious letters are always sources of pleasure to me, I felt most particularly gratified when by last mail along with your kind handwriting I received the invaluable dear little picture, which now for the first time revealed to me your most venerable features. I shall regard your portrait, thus so kindly given, as one of the most precious gifts I possess for² my gallery of pictures of great coetans.³

I am glad that you and Dr Hooker will kindly support Sir Henry Barklys election into the Royal Society.⁴ The Governor is really so zealously devoted to science, though his time for extra-official work must always be limited, that he is well deserving of the distinction. His Excellency's Successor, Sir Charles Darling, has shown me already much kindness and urbanity, but as he has been seriously unwell we have had not yet the full benefit of his presence amongst us.

This reminds me of his friend, Sir Richard M'Donnell. What a pity it is, that this stirring, generous and gifted man, is not again in a gubernatorial position. What an amount of good he would do as the administrator of any of the British Dominions, in which geographical research combined with promotion of natural history enquiries should be carried on. To a great measure the strides made in South Australia for unveiling the interior of this great land must be attributed to the manful action of Sir Richard M'Donnell.⁵

As you always evinced so kind an interest in my welfare & fates, I cannot withhold from you the fact, that His Maj. the Emperor of Austria conferred on me the Knightscross of the Francis Joseph Order. I accept in it not as a reward for what little I may have done, but an encouragement for future labours.⁶

Ever with the profoundest wishes for your health, long continued life and happiness, I remain

your faithfully attached

Ferd. Mueller.