16/10/87.
The realisation of the proposed exploring in Central Australia, will largely depend, dear Sir Samuel, on assurances of the S.A. & WA. Government, to secure at some fair estimate the map & report of the Expedition; and I hope your branch of the R.GS.A1 will be successful in a double appeal so far. Mr Giles2 has changed his plan of proceeding for a few months tour in business-interests to the Kimberley-District,3 by taking the eastern route; so you will not see him on his way Though we are sorry for this delay his services should be secured, — if possible —, as he goes without salary —, and has such courage and experience. During the race-time, I trust, my colleagues of the geographic Council here will help me further, to obtain contributions for the expedition-fund though I have hardly ever leisure to be present at races.4
It is very friendly of you, to invite me to the grand Adelaide-Expedition,5 which is so splendidly carried through; but I am passing just for this season's work still the "dichotomous Key to the system of Victorian plants" through the press;6 and if I went away for a week, it would throw back the just now overpowering departmental work for a whole month. Indeed the local Parliament demands a new edition of my volume on select plants now also, the last (the sixth in the English language) having been sold within 7 month of its issue from the Gov. Printing office here.7 So I may not even be able, to have the pleasure of a journey to Adelaide in midsummer, the only time, when it would be comparatively safe to travel for me.
Let me hope that next year Lady Davenport and yourself will be here for the Melbourne Exhibition,8 so that I also may often have the pleasure of meeting her Ladyship and yourself
With regardful remembrance
always your
Ferd. von Mueller
The Exhibition-jurors there have been most generous to me.9
Royal Geographical Society of Australasia.
Ernest Giles.
WA.
The annual Spring horse-racing carnival, including the Melbourne Cup run each year on the first Tuesday in November.
i.e. Exhibition; the Jubilee International Exhibition, Adelaide, 1887.
B88.11.02.
The new edition was published in late 1888 (B88.12.01), the previous edition having appeared in 1885 (85.12.03).
Centennial International Exhibition, Melbourne, 1888.
M was awarded a number of medals and certificates for his contributions to the Adelaide Exhibition; see the undated series, Adelaide Jubilee International Exhibition to M, in this edition as 87-12-00n to 87-12-00s. The jury process allowed for appeals and the process was not completed until December, hence the attribution of the certificates to December.
MS annotation: 'recd 22 Octr'.
Please cite as “FVM-87-10-16,” 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