To Julius Haast   15 June 1870

Melbourne, im bot. Garten

15/6/70

 

Es freuet mich zu hören, lieber Herr Landsmann, dass Sie während einiger Monate die Westküste Australiens besuchen werden, um auf die geognostischen u oryctologischen Verhältnisse dort weiteres Licht zu werfen. Ich stehe nicht mit dem Freunde, der von mir die Skelette wünscht, in Tauschverkehr; daher kann ich das Skelett vom Apteryx australis (Männchen u Weibchen Apteryx owenii u Anarhynchus frontalis nur erkaufen, u bin ich willens den Preis, der dafür gefordert wird zu zahlen, wenn Sie gütig die Sache zum Abschluss bringen wollen u mir die Rechnung senden wollen. Kommt einmal die Gelegenheit vor, mir einige gute Moa Skelette zu erstehen zu einem annehmbaren Preise, so bitte ich Sie meine Wünsche im Gedächtnis zu behalten.

Bittend die Kürze meines eiligen Schreibens zu entschuldigen, und hoffend dass Sie und die Ihrigen sich des besten Wohlseins erfreuen, bleibe ich Ihr sie Ehrender

Ferd. von Mueller.

 
 
 

Melbourne Botanic Garden,

15 June 1870.

 

I am pleased to hear, dear compatriot, that you are going to visit the west coast of Australia for a few months, to throw further light on the geognostic and oryctologic conditions there.1 I have no exchange arrangement with the friend, who wants the skeletons from me, therefore I can only purchase the skeletons of Apteryx australis (male and female), Apteryx owenii, and Anarhynchus frontalis, and I am willing to pay the price asked for them,2 if you will be so kind to bring the matter to a conclusion and send me the account. If ever the opportunity arises to buy for me a few good Moa skeletons at an acceptable price, I would like to ask you to remember my wishes.

Asking that you will excuse the brevity of my hasty letter, and hoping that you and yours are in the best of health, I remain

respectfully your

Ferd. von Mueller.

1
Haast had been in discussions with Frederick Weld, appointed as Governor of WA from 1869 after being Premier of New Zealand, about the possibility of a position as Government Geologist in WA. Weld could not assure Haast of a permanent position immediately, but in a letter of 29 April 1870 offered him a temporary appointment that Haast did not take up. H. von Haast (1948), pp 564-5, includes an extract of Weld’s letter of offer. Weld had told M that a temporary position had been offered to Haast; see M to J. Haast, 30 April 1870, where M advises Haast that he thought the move was not advisable as WA was a financially poor colony.
2
See M to J. Haast, 30 April 1870.

Please cite as “FVM-70-06-15a,” 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 26 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/70-06-15a