To Alfred Deakin   26 May 1886

Melbourne,

26 May 1886.

The honorable Alfred Deakin, M.L.A.,

Chief Secretary.

Sir.

I have the honor to ask your authority to purchase New Guinea plants from Mr H. O. Forbes to the extent of twenty five pounds Sterling £25 for the Gov. Collections of my Department, that sum being available for such a purpose from what remains of the Gov. Botanists votes of the current finance-year.

Altho' Mr Forbes's Expedition fund was subsidised by the Australian Geographic Society on behalf of Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland to a comparatively limited extent, we cannot expect to get for each colony large zoologic, botanic anthropologic and geologic collections, as the scientific home in situations who supported his enterprise, have also to be provided, and as in reality the Australian Subsidy was mainly given him for geographic purposes. To secure therefore a more than ordinary share of Mr Forbes's dried plants for the continuation of my publication on Papuan plants (last fascicle herewith)¹, I would solicit, that £25 in my Department may be devoted as indicated.

I have the honor to be,

Sir, your obedient servant

Ferd. von Mueller.²