To William Guilfoyle   18 July 1871

Melbourne bot Garden

18/7/71

 

Your kindness, dear Mr Guilfoyle, is quite touching and to me inexpressibly encouraging. I have very seldom in life met with so much genuine kindness from one, on whom I have so little claim for consideration.

The plants, so kindly secured by you, have as yet not arrived. Be not impatient should after arrival I not immediately give much information, or should I delay the backsending, because the duties for the new forest Board1 might fall on me heavily for a time.

Your likeness I shall ever treasure much,2 and now I send one in return made 6 years ago; but I intend to go to an atelier soon again and then send you a new photogram

I beg to draw your attention to two groups of plants, likely to afford yet novelty in your district: mosses and seaweeds.

Your list of plants,3 occurring on the Tweed, is very instructive and I will utilize it.

With the best wishes for your success and my best hopes for your building up early a family domicile I remain your regardful

Ferd. von Mueller.

1
M was appointed in July 1871 a member of a Commission on Foreign Industries and Forests, together with Robert Brough Smyth and Clement Hodgkinson. The Commission reported in 1872, recommending the creation of a central administrative body to oversee the colony’s forests.
2
Likeness not found.
3
List not found.

Please cite as “FVM-71-07-18,” 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/71-07-18