Melbourne Botanic Garden
8th August 1867.
Dear Sir,
Having received last night at Queen'scliff1 your communication desiring me to undertake the superintendence and arrangements for gravelling certain paths at Toorack2 and for effecting certain plantations at his Excellency's residence, I have at once returned to my Office though I am still extremely weak, as such work could not possibly be directed from a distance without much loss of time and inconvenience.3
I beg at the earliest moment to bring under your cognisance that I have no financial means in my department for any additional work, that indeed I have not even funds to effect the remaining repairs of the damages caused by last year's flood, and for some other urgent work in my Department
It will thus be necessary that a special sum should be provided for this work and I will do myself the honor to submit to you in about a day, an approximate estimate of the cost of the work, desired by you to be effected4
I shall be happy whenever the needful funds are placed at my disposal to engage the workmen carts &c and use my best discretion to carry out your wishes as far as it is within my power (means)
But when these arrangements shall have been effected, I must beg of you to concede me permission to return to a quiet place on the coast or to some other rural locality, to renew my chance of regaining health and strength, and I trust you will in your usual goodness not object to it, especially as I can remain in frequent communication with the Department and take with me material for official work
I have the honor to be
Dear Mr Grant
your very regardful
Signed F. M.
Hon. J. M Grant &c &c
Vic.
i.e. the Governor's residence.
When he returned to Melbourne M remained 'too weak' to undertake the estimates himself and asked E. Heyne to prepare them (M to Henry C. Manners-Sutton, 9 August 1867).
Estimates were enclosed in M to J. Grant, 9 August 1867 (in this edition as 67-08-09a).
MS is copy by unknown.
Please cite as “FVM-67-08-08,” 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