To Joseph Hooker   11 September 1879

11/9/79.

 

I have just received two copies of the W.A. Forest-report,1 dear Sir Joseph, which you were so good to see through the press. As the "Garonne" takes an extramail this afternoon, I hasten to express my thanks to you for the trouble you have taken in the issue of this work, which ought to be of utility even beyond Australia. I like the print, paper & plates much. If it is not too late, I will arrange that a dedicatory page is fixed yet in the copies, as I am anxious to inscribe this little work to you.2

The copies forwarded were purchased on my account by Dulau who bought for me five copies.

I am just moving from my poor rented place into a small cottage, where I shall keep just Office work, having only one overcrowded Gov. room left, where I have my dried plants. That is the whole remnant of my once illustrious Department! I bought the little cottage through a building Society and have to pay off its purchase sum in annual instalments during eleven years to come.3

Regardfully your

Ferd. von Mueller.

 

I have not heard from Sir Henry Barkly since a long time. Has he left London? I learnt, he is again to be raised to a gubernatorial position.4

You will have received Decas5 I & II of the Eucalyptography,6 III is nearly ready & IV far advanced.

Helicia & Macadamia can be reduced as subgenera to Brabejum, a note to which effect I have published some time ago.7

 

Helicia

Macadamia

Brabejum

1
B79.13.10.
2
No such page has been inserted in the copies we have seen.
3
28 Arnold Street, South Yarra. M paid of the mortgage early (see M to L. Wehl, 26 February 1885) but appears later to have re-mortgaged it (M to T. Wilson, 25 May 1892), apparently to Dr Alexander Büttner (see C. Wehl to C. Doughty, 12 March 1901, in this edition as M1901-03-12).
4
Barkly, who was retired on a pension in 1877, was nominated as one of the 'Commissioners on the defence of British possessions and commerce abroad' on 8 December 1879. He did not receive a further appointment as a colonial Governor. (DNB)
5
i.e. Decades.
6
B79.13.11.
7
B74.03.01. See M to J. Hooker, 3 May 1877 and 28 November 1878.

Please cite as “FVM-79-09-11a,” 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 26 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/79-09-11a