British New Guinea.
Granville1
16th July 1887
My dear Baron —
Mr Cuthbertson has presented to me your letter of recommendation on behalf of the Royal Geographical Society of Victoria2 —
You may rely upon my doing every thing I can to assist him in carrying out his explorations, and I believe that I shall be able to give him substantial help3 —
Mr Robert Hunter and Mr Hartman of Toowoomba4 have just come in after a rather successful excursion to the summits of the Range near Mount Obree5 —
I am
Dear Baron
Yrs very faithfully
John Douglas
Baron F von Mueller
K.C.M.G.
Now Port Moresby, PNG.
Letter not found.
On 12 July 1887, Douglas wrote to Cuthbertson: 'Baron von Mueller's letter which you have presented to me will of course insure for you my hearty cooperation in the work entrusted to you by the Royal Geographical Society of Victoria. I shall be happy to place Mr George Hunter's services at your disposal for a time, and this I am sure will be a material assistance to you in dealing with the natives. I need scarcely assure you, I think, that I wish you every success. You have an arduous task before you, and somewhat insufficient means, I fear, for the purpose of accomplishing the great ascent, but if energy and intelligence combined with a fine vigorous constitution wil suffice you ought to succeed' (A36, Royal Geographical Society of Australasia (Vic. Branch) papers, Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW, Sydney).
Qld, where Carl Hartmann had a nursery.
NG. See C. Hartmann to M, August 1887 (in this edition as 87-08-00b). See also W. Lawes to M, 21 September 1887, where Hunter is reported to have gone out again with Cuthbertson.
Please cite as “FVM-87-07-16b,” 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