20/10/86
I understand, dear Professor du Bocage, that you desired some anthropologic articles for your Museum from Australia; so I have collected together a few from the aborigines, and send them now through my London Agents, Mess. Watson & Scull. It is now very difficult, to get weapons from the natives, as the tribes are dying out, and their former warfare and nomadic habits have ceased. In the box I have also packed some specimens of dried plants for Count Ficalho, who kindly sent me some of Welwitsch's plants formerly. Farther I forward the full series of Mr Lindts magnificent photographic pictures of New Guinea, in five volumes. Perhaps your geographic Society would elect him a corresponding member in acknowledgement, especially as he will shortly also publish a work on New Guinea.1 If you think, that these five volumes would be acceptable to his Majesty, I could send the Society a second set. The present sending is from myself.
As President of the Vict. geogr. Soc. I would repeat a solicitation, to try finding our through your geographic Society, who the Portuguese Captain was, who at Vasco da Gama's time mapped already the West-coast of Australia down to the latitude of Cape Leewin. Your Archivar of the Kingdom would perhaps search for documents, or the Professor of History of your University. If I could learn this by February next, I could give the details in my next Presidential Adress.
Regardfully your
Ferd von Mueller.
I will send Count Ficalho more botanic specimens hereafter.
Please cite as “FVM-86-10-20a,” 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 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/86-10-20a