The Baron
Sir F. V. Mueller K.C.M.G.
F.R.S. &c &c &c
May 14th 1886
My dear Baron
Very many thanks for so kindly naming the Calodendron,1 & the valuable information contained in your letters. I hardly think it would be wise just at the present time to ask the Trustees of the Museums of Victoria or Queensland for a subscription to the funds of the Royal Geographical Soc. of Australasia — as all the specimens of zoology collected by the last venture under Capt. Everill2 are here not yet having been divided, I have been entrusted with the working out of the whole, and with the assistance of several experts in connection with the Museum here & helped also by the Hon Wm Macleay, we hope to have the whole finished in a few weeks now after which they will be divided and sent on to the Museums of Victoria & Brisbane as previously agreed The collections are very meagre and do not throw much credit on the zoologist of the Expedition — Except in the case of Entomology where Mr Froggatt show[s] that he worked hard and made a very fair collection This Museum contributed irrespective of the £2000 voted by our Govnt nearly the whole of the scientific outfit at a cost of about £60 The value of the specimens which will come to our share will not exceed £20 — as in most cases I shall not retain any of the species and probably of the whole lot not more than ⅕th.
On the whole I think it would be unadvisable to ask the Museum to contribute until they have received their expecting shares.
believe me dear Baron
yours very truly
Ed P. Ramsay
Calodendron
Please cite as “FVM-86-05-14,” 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 29 March 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/86-05-14