17/6/70
The complications in my Department, dear Mr Bentham, have as yet not been solved. This and the heavy duties of the planting season have so fully occcupied my time, that I could only hastily pursue the contents of the new proof pages, which you were so good to send me. 1 I have made on them a few annotations, and as a whole regard these consecutive treatises as great master-pieces, such as we are accustomed to see emanating from you. Let me also assure you of the appreciation of the generosity, evinced by you, in upholding in so many instances my authorship. The confluence of Blitum with Chenopodium through extraeuropean species is interesting,2 and I contemplate to devote to this subject early more study, as my large universal collection enables me to deal with the question finally. I shall look forward with deep interest to the continuation of the volume.
Trusting your health is quite reestablished and that you enjoy much happiness
I remain your very regardful
Ferd. von Mueller.
[M] Le Sueur, the excellent Astronomer, who came here last year as observer for the great telescope, has resigned and returns soon to Europe!3
The PS is written in the margin of the letter.
'Mr [Albert] Le Sueur … has resigned his office as observer in connexion with the telescope, on grounds, however, entirely unconnected with the efficiency or inefficiency of the instrument' (Argus 18 June 1870, p. 1 S). For a history of the Great Melbourne Telescope and the controversies surrounding it, see Gascoigne (1995) and Gillespie (2011).
Please cite as “FVM-70-06-17,” 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 25 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/70-06-17