16/8/82.
Only a few hurried lines this time, dear Mr Dyer, just before the close of the mail. The best, the dearest, the noblest of my friends in this part of the world passed suddenly away; — a loss, which nothing in the world can replace!1 There was scarcely an eye without tears in the large congregation, when we sung the mourning hymn in the church before the coffin was removed from the Altar. I had the privilege, often as only guest, to spend after church in the evening the remaining hours of the Sunday with this genial man, and cannot realize that we shall see his kindly countenance no more, nor here2 again his friendly voice. He was one of the very few here, who had a comprehension for a professional position, like mine, who disinterestedly on principle stood up for my Department; who had the courage of his opinion even though offended on Sir James M'Culloch's dinner-table for my sake, who never changed towards me, and gave me the benefit of his great influence in undeserved adversities —
I had occasion to examine at last specimens of Cycas Seemanni, and shall follow this enquiry up, as possibly there may be a second Cycas in Fiji. The specimens are not yet dry; but you shall have — of course — some of them by one of the next mail. But my daily work in the Department is so difficult on account of all want of convenience in the little private cottage here, that I often have not even the time to look for a specimen under tables or chairs even in the bedroom when the mail-day comes. Some stems of Macrozamia Denisonii are procured, and as this is an outlying species of the genus I would certainly advise to sacrifice one of the stems for anatomic dissections, as you are sure to wish contrasting the anatomic structure of Cycas, Zamia &c more fully then3 hitherto done. The stems are quite fresh, and ought to grow, as they have been lifted with special care. If you not require them at Kew, they will be useful for interchanges*) I will try to get them on board next week.4
Pray give my regards to Sir Joseph and let me remain your friend
Ferd. von Mueller
I shall have something to say to morrow night about poor Mr Stobbs as Patron of the young mens Christian association of the Church.5
The slip is from the Melbourne "Age" of this day.6
The Rev. Mr Stobbs arrived two years after my Department was smashed, otherwise I would be in the garden still.7
Cycas Seemanni
Macrozamia Denisonii
Zamia
Rev. John Stobbs. In M to R. Tate, 20 August 1882, M describes Stobbs as 'one of the few genuine friends I ever had since my early orphanage in life'.
hear?
than?
There is no corresponding asterisk against any of the marginal notes, but evidently refers to the text 'I will try … next week' inserted here from left margin, f. 24, back.
Paragraph written in the left margin f. 24, front. No report of M's eulogy has been found.
Paragraph written in left margin f, 24, back. No cutting is filed with the letter, and no likely item has been identified in the Age (Melbourne), 16 August 1882.
Paragraph written in left margin, f. 24 back.
Both the Age and Argus printed obituaries on 11 August, p. 4 and p. 6 respectively, and the Argus, 14 August 1882, p. 5, also had an extensive report, 14 August, p. 5, of his funeral, held on 12 August, at which M was a pall-bearer, and of memorial services held on Sunday 13 August. The Argus obituary states that 'He was elected a Fellow of the Linnean Society, upon the nomination of Baron Von Mueller'. No evidence of an election has been found in the archives of the Linnean Society of London, nor in reports of elections to the Linnean Society of New South Wales in Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales in the period between his arrival in Melbourne in 1875 and his death.
Please cite as “FVM-82-08-16,” 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