4/5/88
It was quite touching to me, honored and venerable Sir, when I observed from your letter of the 26 March,1 what generous sentiments you evinced with such delicacy and spontaneous impulse towards me. This is the greatest possible encouragement, which my researches could enjoy, — because you, a still labourious octogenarian, are not only the Nestor but also one of the main-leaders and one who commands the widest field of research in our Science! Your letter to Dr Bride,2 when it comes before the honorable Duncan Gillies, the Victorian Premier-Minister, will doubtless deeply impress this statesman, to whom your and your illustrious parents names — as celebrated all over the world — are well known.
From your kind letter I am not quite certain, whether the Decades I-IV of the Acacias did reach you;3 they were sent somewhat earlier than V-VIII, but by some unexplicable mishap somewhere they reached their destination — as we now here learn — somewhat later. If I-IV are lost on their way to you, they shall be replaced. IX-XII are ready also except stitching, so they can soon be sent also.4 XIII contains Albizzia, Adenanthera, Erythrophlaeum & Neptunia, and is also nearly done. Of the 80 remaining as yet unillustrated species either the flowers or the fruits have not yet been obtained, so they can only appear supplementary in the course of later years. I will send a set of Duplicates of Acacias, so far as they can be spared, to you; but we are just now here so very much taxed with extra-duties, for the centennial Exhibition5
With my regardful salutation to M. Casimir DC and yourself
Ferd. von Mueller.
Acacia
Adenanthera
Albizzia
Erythrophlaeum
Neptunia
Letter not found.
Letter not found.
A list, which has not been found, of proposed recipients of the early Decades was submitted with M to C. Pearson, 29 March 1887; a further list, which included de Candolle's name, was submitted with M to G. Berry, August 1887 (in this edition as 87-08-00). For details of publication dates of the Decades, as far as is known, see comments under B87.13.04.
B88.13.01, all ready for distribution by August; see notes to M to E. Thomas, 4 July 1888. They may, however, have been sent as each was ready; see notes to M to E Thomas, 26 June 1888.
Centennial International Exhibition, Melbourne, 1888-9.
Please cite as “FVM-88-05-04a,” 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