To Joseph Hooker   28 September 1867

On board of HM. Mailsteamer

"Geelong" on her way to King Georges Sound1

28/9/67

Dear Dr Hooker

For the final restoration of my health I have taken a seavoyage to King Georges Sound, where I may stay for a month, never yet having seen the South West Australian plants in their native state.2 I dare say I shall be able, as far as my present strength permits, to examine some of the curious forms of the Vegetation to advantage, at all events, I shall take with me an outline impression of the flora, which must be very glorious. Should I decide on any distant excursion, which must depend on the recovery of my strength, I may not be able to write to you or Mr Bentham by next months mail. But unless I meet with an accident or get a relapse to severer illness I hope to write to you from Melbourne again by the November mail. By that time I hope we shall be able to rejoyce at the stay of H.R. [H.]3 the Duke of Edinburgh among us.4

With my best salutation

Ferd. Mueller

 

Should I be too late for paying my homage to the Duke at Melbourne, I will wait on his R. H. either in Tasmania or in Sydney. Through the political complications the £100 - - for vol IV5 are now only granted; but possibly the sum may only be available by next mail6

Many of the southern everlastings I have lately received from the interior of Queensland

The bill of loading refers to the consignment of chiefly capsular Epacrideae made at the time of my departure to West Australia.

 

Epacrideae

 
1
King George Sound, WA.
2
Thwaites was told of M's condition: 'Mueller seems to be very far from well — a Col l Newdigate ['Newdgate' in published passenger list, Argus , 30 September 1867, p. 4] who spent a few hours here two days ago had been on the steamer with Mueller from Melbourne to K. George's Sound & thought he looked very ill and emaciated; but he was busy writing during the whole voyage. I had a short note from him [letter not found].' (G. Thwaites to J. Hooker, 28 October 1867, RBG Kew, Directors' correspondence, vol. 162, f. 307-8).
3
editorial addition — Text obscured by binding.
4
The Duke of Edinburgh arrived in Melbourne 23 November 1867 (The Times [London], 30 December 1867, p. 7, col. b) and sailed for Tasmania on 4 January 1868 (The Times, 21 January 1868, p. 9, col. c).
5
Bentham's payment for writing Flora australiensis.
6
The remaining text is bound as f. 283, but has been placed here on the basis that M is unlikely to have had the bill of lading at Queenscliff from where the letter at f. 282 was written on 20 September 1867. The bill of lading for the shipment of Box 34 containing the capsular Epacrideae, which was consigned for shipment aboard the Lincolnshirethat departed on 5 October 1867, has not been found (RB MSS M44, Notebook recording despatch of plants for Bentham for Flora australiensis, Library, RBG Melbourne).

Please cite as “FVM-67-09-28,” 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 29 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/67-09-28