Melbourne bot. Garden
29/1/73.
It is exceedingly pleasing to me, dear and honored friend, that the Dicksonia stems arrived in a state of vitality1 and contribute to the exotic scenery in your conservatories. I have to send you many other remarkable plants in course of time. Your new garden,2 under your able Direction, must be a magnificent institution.
I am under so manyfold obligation to you, that I feel quite a difficulty to make a reciprocal countersending for the learned "acta" of the botan. &. the archaeologic Societies.3 I hope however to show myself grateful. The Departmental arrangements and reductions here have been very unfavorable to the continuation of my Fragmenta, but I hope to resume the labours of this work soon.4 The 6th vol of Benthams work, with extensive contributions from myself, will soon appear.5
I am particularly grateful for your generous exertions on behalf of Consul Were.6 He is now aged and 20 years consul for Denmark, also Consul for Sweden, Portugal, Brazil and some other countries, but never received any Decoration, altho' this venerable and respected man attaches more value to it than most people. Perhaps it will come too late for him like for the Explorers Capt Sturt and Capt Speke, who died, before the intention to honor them was carried into effect. He has a few enemies, but I can assure you, dear Professor, that the Danish Government can have a no more worthy Consul to bestow a honor on.7
With deep regards and grateful remembrance
Ferd. von Mueller.
The early death of Prof Oersted I have much regretted.8 Your copies of the "Fragmenta" shall be completed.
Dicksonia
Please cite as “FVM-73-01-29,” 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 29 March 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/73-01-29