Monday
7/5/88.
I deemed it best, dear Mr Macdonald, to reply at once to the letter, received from Mr Bevan this morning.1 I have written in a manner, that will not commit the Council in any way; so — if you approve of what I said, — remembering that the reward asked by Mr Bevan is an extraordinary large one2 — you could send this letter on at once.3 I have kept a copy of it here in my letter-book.
Best thanks for the copies of new publication, brought out by you.4
Regardfully
your
Ferd. von Mueller
Is Mr Bevan by profession a Master of vessel. A refusal from the Home Gov. would weaken our position.
T. Bevan to M, 4 May 1888.
Bevan had applied for a grant of 254,080 acres of land in New Guinea, but the application was declined by the High Commissioner for New Guinea, John Douglas; see J. Douglas to T. Bevan, 17 March 1888, published in Brisbane courier, 24 April 1888, p. 3. For Bevan's arguments, see Bevan (1888).
Letter not found.
Not identified.
Please cite as “FVM-88-05-07,” 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