From F. Kilner1    5 March 1879

Custom House

Rockhampton2

5th March 1879

Dear Baron

About a fortnight ago I received your letter of the 3rd January3 asking me if I could procure a specimen of an alligator for a friend of yours in Germany — I heard of two in Town, so I got a friend who is a judge to look at them for me — He approved of one as a good specimen 9 ft 6 Inches long for which £10 was wanted. After some haggling I induced the owner to reduce the price to £8 when I immediately afterwards sent you a telegram about it. You replied and said you thought £5 was enough for it.4

I really think this specimen is cheap at £8 when you consider the trouble there is in getting alligators and the trouble and expense to prepare them.

The fishermen say they want £30 for a specimen over 20 feet in length – for one 25 feet long they want £35 You might get one cheaper further North say at Townsville or Cooktown, but you may have a long time to wait before you can get one.5

I will write to Fitzallen who is I believe still at Bowen

Hoping you are enjoying good health

I remain Dear Baron

Yours truly

Kilner

 

Baron Mueller

Melbourne

1
MS annotation: 'A Gavial Crocodil'.
2
Qld.
3
Letter not found.
4
Telegrams not found.
5
MS annotation by M: 'nicht wahrscheinlich' [not probable].

Please cite as “FVM-79-03-05,” 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/79-03-05