To William Gosse   23 May 1876

Melbourne

23/5/76.

 

I thank you, dear Mr Gosse, for your attention in sending me the two copies of the important document of Mr Lewis journeys.1 It is most pleasing to see thus gradually through able travellers the map completed and corrected. I have not yet read this new journal, but the map at a glance gives a full insight into the watersystems of Lake Eyre. My list of plants seems not to have come in time for being utilized for the journal2

Regardfully your

Ferd. von Mueller.3

1
Lewis (1876).
2
There is an appendix to Lewis's published report headed 'Remarks on the plants &c…', but this includes only notes on the zoological and miscellaneous collections, with nothing on the plants.
3
On 1 July 1876 the Surveyor General, G. Goyder, minuted: 'Forwarded to [CC]: Lds Office for information of Dr Schomburgk. It is much to be regretted that eminent scientific men like Dr Schomburgk and Baron von Mueller should adopt irregular means of communicating important results of exploration in this manner. I feel sure that the action is the result of some mistaken feeling on the part of the Baron who is sensitive on the subject of remarks that have been made comparing the Gardens of the respective capitals of Melbourne and Adelaide. Under these circumstances Dr Schomburgk will perhaps be so good as excuse the information coming through this office. Shd Dr Schomburgk approve I propose making the paper an addendum to Lewis's Journal.' Schomburgk replied: 'I have already become used to such discourteous irregularities towards myself from Baron Mueller. The plants collected by Mr Lewis, Lake Eyre, have for months been determined and arranged in the Herbarium of the Bot. Garden. The collection containing nothing new, I thought it not worth while to report on. Regarding the geographical distribution of plants in South Australia it will be of interest to Botanists to publish Baron Muellers list as an addendum to Mr Lewis Report, but the heading of Baron Muellers list should be Plants from the vicinity of Lake Eyre, forwarded to him from the Botanic Garden Adelaide'. Schomburgk's suggested title was approved, but M's list appears not to have been published.

Please cite as “FVM-76-05-23a,” 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 19 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/76-05-23a