From Charles Fawcett¹    21 February 1883

Kynnumboon. Tweed River,²

21 Feby /83

My dear Baron,

As I think I mentioned in a former letter³ I am here doing duty, during his absense on leave, for a friend who is Police Magistrate and Land Agent for the Police district of the Tweed which includes the Brunswick. I forward, in tin canister by same post, branch and fruit of small tree about 10 ft. When procuring timber specimens for the Government I noticed the tree near Ballina and the blacks informed me it bore a red fruit which they ate, but I could not get flowers or fruit then — I however sent you a branchlet such as you will find in the canister, though it may not arrive in a good state, as I have to take advantage of the post so as not to keep the fruit too long — The blacks' name is Biltary as I booked it at the time — I have also the flower and leaf of what is to me a new nut. Having no spirit here I placed the two flowers brought to me in a bottle of Kerosene — one flower (the raceme) (fully developed) cut in 3 parts and the other in two. I have been told this tree did not make its appearance until the land was cleared (as some weeds have & the "Cape Gooseberry") that there is a thin red fruit over the stone which is not quite so hard as that of Macadamia ternifolia and that the kernel is good to eat but better roasted — and I was told by the person who brought it to me (one of the oldest residents) that the Blacks did not know it when it appeared first (not long ago) I have not yet been able to spare time to go to see one of the trees but I shall before I send the specimen off. On account of the Kerosene I cannot send by post, but can by the postman to Lismore, whence it can go by steamer to Sydney, &c —

With best wishes I am

yours truly,

Charles. H. Fawcett.

Baron F. von Mueller

&c &c &c.