Melbourne bot Garden
27/1/69
I was very much gratified, dear Mr Guilfoyle, to receive your kind letter1 and the interesting prints which accompany it.2 I really envey you for the splendid opportunities, which you had in observing the rich and rare vegetation of some of the pacific groups, which indeed you appreciated well and delineated in vivid language.
I should have earlier replied to your letter, but it arrived while I was away from home on an alpine excursion into previously unexplored mountains of Tasmania. I will send the important sketches of your itineration to my friend Dr Berthold Seemann, who is certain to take notice of them in his journal.3 If you want any special information on any of the plants you gathered I will endeavour to furnish it
Is anything done about the exploration of New Guinea, in which Mr Ramsay & others wished to interest themselfes? Do you know what facilities exists of sending a collector to the mission stations there? The natives inland cannot well be trusted, but I think if a collector was safely stationed at the missions and gave in barter things of cheapness for each dozen different plants, he would get quite well the plants even from the snowy mountains there, which would be of immense interest & one of the greatest additions to the material of modern science.
The ranges must teem with novelties ten times richer than any of the Pacific Islands
Pray give your worthy father4 my best regards and command my services at all times.
yours with every good wish
Ferd von Mueller
Please cite as “FVM-69-01-27,” 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