Melbourne bot. Garden,
25/6/73.
Sir
I have the honor to inform you in reply to your letter of yesterday, just received,1 that in accordance with the advice of my medical attendants I cannot avail myself of any permission to travel for the persecution2 of my researches, such as you might have been kindly willing to grant me, and if I have left by my former letter3 the impression, that I desired ordinary leave of absense for twelve month, I beg now also formally to withdraw my application. It is however still my wish to continue my Museum and Laboratory work in connection with my literary volumes, and it is therefore my desire to remain in the colony, but for the sake of my health it is necessary that I should not be otherwise agitated and disturbed, but quietly left to the administration of my Museum and Laboratory, and it would be to my mental comfort if I could do so in an honorary position
I have the honor to be, Sir, your obedient servant
Ferd. von Mueller, M.D.
The honorable the Chief Secretary.4
Francis minuted on 5 July 1873: 'Dr Von Mueller has leisure now to proceed with his scientific and literary work & so far as possible (&c within the Vote on the 1873/4 Estimates) will also by volunteer by Lectures on Botany &c justify the liberality of parliament by services which it is not needful I should specially define — but in recognition of my official responsibility I shall be glad to be made aware of the direction of work & course of progress'. On 8 July, M minuted that he had 'received' Francis’s note.
See also M to J. Francis, 10 July 1873.
Please cite as “FVM-73-06-25,” 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 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/73-06-25