Melbourne bot Garden,
20/12/71.
By the ship Nardoo, dear Professor Gray, which sails from here direct to Boston, you will receive through the mediation of its friendly Captain a package of museum plants. The contents are as follows:
| for | you: | Austr. | spec. | 250 |
|
" |
" |
Indian |
" |
120 |
for Mr Meehan:
| Australian | species | 195 |
| Indian |
" |
120 |
So you see at least my good will, to show myself grateful for your kindness, so often experienced.
The direct wool track from here to Boston, just commenced, will give us splendid opportunities for interchanges.
I wished much, that Mr Meehan could send me an other consignment of Walnuts & Hickory nuts, Pine seeds & any other tree-seed of your country, when such ripen.
With best wishes for your health & happiness
Ferd. von Mueller.1
The letter had been folded into three and in the centre panel of the otherwise blank page four there is an annotation in a different hand:
Capt. Paul
Ship Nardoo
Nardoo was cleared out of Melbourne for New York on 23 December1871 with 1,772 bales of wool (Argus, 1 January 1872, p. 3). It had arrived from Boston on 19 November (Argus, 20 November 1871, p. 4), its cargo, mostly timber and other building items, being sold by auction at the wharf in the week of arrival.
Please cite as “FVM-71-12-20,” 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