To Edward Ramsay   11 February 1887

Private

11/2/87

The fungus, kindly sent by you, dear Dr Ramsay, is a spec. of Battarea. I will give you the specific name bye and bye.

Do not think me illiberal, as regards Mr Bevans Expedition;¹ but privately I am quite poor, and what little I had for collecting purposes officially, this year, has been expended already. The ascent of Mt Bellenden Ker² and the bot exploration of the adjoining regions cost £100 during the last nine month (not £500 as stated in the papers); then I had some little expenditure, to complete the investigations on the flora of East Gippsland for the "Key"³ — I could not possibly go to the ministry to ask for special additions to my funds, as every item must before be voted by Parliament.

For the £30, concerning which I telegraphed yesterday, I am personally responsible. I am much discouraged also in these arrangements; by past experiences! usually the return has been very small. Even at this moment there is a dispute monetaryily about some collections (not extensive) made by Lt Dittrich during Lindsay's Expedition.⁴ On one occasion I gave out of my private means £50 to Goldie and in return I got a handful of plants.

Regardfully always your

Ferd von Mueller

My own experiences moreover as regards obtaining collections of dried plants from N.G. by private expeditions are most discouraging. A collector on board of a vessels has so little space and so little facility for drying plants, — that the returns for his salary, outfit &c likely would be quite out of all proportion in value.

Of course, this expedition may prove an exception to the rule.⁵

Would it not be possible, to let Mr Moore's Department and Mr Maiden's Department⁶ be responsible each also; also for £30; then you would have £90, and the specimens could be subdivided in Sydney into 3 sets, I getting one.

It will likely lead to dispute, if I were made responsible, to take all bot specimens at their value to any extent. Who is to fix the value? Collectors have — as I found with Edelfelt⁷ in N.G., and with others — an exaggerated idea of the value of dried plants, as they are almost sure to bring mainly ferns (almost without novelties), neglect small not showy plants, pass aquatic weeds, don't trouble to get flowers from trees much seldom bring a fruiting specimen of any kind, generally think it too much trouble to wrap up a leaf and inflorescence of a palm or Bamboo, and regard it too much labor, to dry such or other bulky specimens properly.

With regardful remembrance,

dear friend, your

Ferd. von Mueller

I telegraphed that I will take specimens to the value of £30

Battarea