To George Bentham   10 October 1877

10/10/77

On board of the "Siam"

 

I write a few lines on the mail steamer, dear Mr Bentham, now near King George's Sound,1 where we will land to morrow. I suddenly resolved to embark, as my health had given way and as I was mentally so oppressed, altho my worldly affairs do not admit of much itineration.2

It is my intention to get within the few weeks —allotted to my absense — so far as Shark Bay, to see how far there the southern & the tropical forms of plants are meeting. Novelty can hardly be expected there. I shall just be in time for the late spring-vegetation & the early summer-flowers.

The mail steamer with the European post has met us yesterday; so I shall not likely get any letters or prints from you, until December, when I hope to be again at Albany.3

I shall be much interested in your and General Munro’s views about our Australian grasses.

It is wonderful, that your eyesight, after half a century's work, remains so faithful to you, for appreciating even the minute analytic details of grasses.

I envey Sir J. Hooker for his splendid journey with Asa Gray to Arizona, Utah & New Mexico.4

Let me hope, that your health remains firm.

Regardful yours

Ferd. von Mueller.

1
WA.
2
See M to G. Berry, 26 September 1877. M left Melbourne on 4 October 1877 ( Argus , 5 October 1877, p. 4).
3
WA.
4
For descriptions of Joseph Hooker’s journey see Allan (1967), pp. 231-2, and Desmond (1999), pp. 248–50.

Please cite as “FVM-77-10-10,” 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 28 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/77-10-10