To Henry Rawlinson1    3 November 1874

Melbourne

3/11/74

It affords me much pleasure, dear Sir Henry, to send you a few geographical notes on some less known parts of the Samoan Islands, written by the Rev G. Brown.2

The Rev. Gentleman in his various journeys as a leading member of the Wesleyan Mission, has made many important scientific observations, particularly in zoology.3

I would be glad, if the Royal Geographic Society elected him as an ordinary FRGS. You may rest assured, that this will much encourage this worthy divine to advance also geographic interests while in the performance of his ecclesiastic duties.4

Let me remain your very regardful

Ferd von Mueller

 

Rev. Geo Brown. &c

Samoa.

 

Adr. Rev B. Chapman,

Secretary to the Wesleyan Mission Society,

Book Depot

King’s Street

Sydney

1
Addressee inferred: Sir Henry Rawlinson was President of the RGS in 1874-5.
2
See G. Brown to M, 2 Nov 1874 (in this edition as 74-11-02b).
3
Many of Brown’s collections were described between 1877 and 1881by specialists at the British Museum, for example a series of papers in the 1877 Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. He also presented live specimens to the Zoological Society of London (see, for example, the Blue-eyed Cockatoo from New Britain in the society’s List of the vertebrated animals now or lately living in the gardens of the Zoological Society of London,8th edition, 1883, p. 308).
4
George Brown was not elected FRGS until 1877; see Certificates of Candidates for Election, 22 January 1877 and 14 May 1877.

Please cite as “FVM-74-11-03a,” 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/74-11-03a