To Joseph Hooker   3 November 1884

3/11/84

 

By last mail, dear Sir Joseph, I wrote you1 concerning the Rev. B Scortechini’s wish, to come in a few months with his extensive collection of Perak-plants2 to Kew, where he wishes to examine his specimens in connection with identical and allied forms, and put his notes into form for a special publication on the Perak-Flora.

Doubtless you will give this worthy and zealous man the support available in your grand establishment, particularly as this will also be auxiliary to your “Flora of British India.”3 The Rev. Gentleman is still at Perak, and a letter via Singapore would reach him, should you wish to communicate with him directly.4 He is well worthy of all your consideration.

Regardfully your

Ferd. von Mueller.5

1
See M to J. Hooker, 23 October 1884.
2
Perak underlined in blue pencil.
3
Hooker (1875–97).
4
Scortechini in a letter to J. Hooker (f. 247) dated Thaiping [i.e. Taiping, Perak] 9 April 1885 thanked Hooker for his letter, which ‘found me out in the thick jungle of Perak ... could not answer it immediately because I was far from any regular postal communication, and because my writing material was exhausted ... you will be pleased to hear that for two years more I shall remain here collecting and studying.’ The date of Hooker’s letter is not mentioned but it is probably the one referred to in the annotation, though Scortechini did not mention M in this letter. On 12 June 1885 (f. 248) he wrote from Perak, Straits Settlement, ‘your kind note 27th Feb. reached me only a few days ago, evidently being delayed ... Baron von Mueller was complaining that he never got from me some novelties for our joint collaboration, so to easy [sic] off some material I have sent to him descriptions and specimens of several new plants’. From Straits Settlements, Perak, on 9 July 1885 (f. 249), Scortechini wrote ‘Yours of the 18th of May just at hand ... Sir Hugh Low shortly is expected to be back and to him I shall submit your very kind offer to send the collection to Kew for safe keeping.’ From Thaiping on 12 August 1885 (f. 251), he wrote: ‘yours of June the 26th just at hand. By this same mail I despatched ... specimens of what I described as Pseudo-Eugenia ... I have sent others to Beccari and Baron von Mueller by last mail ... I would gladly have sent to Kew some specimens of the species which I have described and published as new, only I was afraid of giving you too much trouble. As you have kindly made me the offer of your assistance in comparing specimens with authentic ones kept at Kew, with pleasure I shall accept it ... I would have sent several ... things which ... I sent off to be published, had it not been for a certain delicacy I felt.' The letter is annotated in Joseph Hooker's hand: 'Eugenia skiophila, Duthie'.
5
Annotated in William Thiselton-Dyer's handSir JDH | You shd write to Scortechini | 17.12.84 and in Joseph Hooker's handDone JDH.

Please cite as “FVM-84-11-03,” 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 9 May 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/84-11-03