Melbourne 14/6/90.1
This day, dear Mr Evis, I had a call from Capt. Hatton-Richards, the Private Secr. of his Excellency Sir Will. Macgregor,2 Governor of British New Guinea, and the Capt. asks me, whether he had been elected F.R.G.S, as up to date no communication to that effect has reached him. He was duely proposed by me many months ago, and 2 members of the geogr. Council here seconded the election-proposal.3 During the time, when so many extra-engagements devolved on me as President of the Melbourne meeting of the Austral. Association,4 I may have overlooked Capt. Hatton-Richards name in the latest publications of the RGS. Perhaps my sending of the Candidature paper never reached Burlington-House. In that case perhaps you would see to this Candidate being seconded on my nominating him which you might do there for me on the authority of this letter. Perhaps also the intimation of the Captain's election may have been miscarried, because the mail-communication with New Guinea is not yet established satisfactorely.
Regardfully your
Ferd. von Mueller.
While with Sir Will. Macgregor up the Fly-River,5 Capt. H.R. caught the paludal fever; to recruit his health he is now here; but he proceeds to W.A. for 2 months, and then will return to NG. Letters for him could be sent to my adress.
Annotated: Elected 30th June 90.
i.e. MacGregor.
In T. Hatton Richards to M, 19 March 1890, inter alia he thanked M for proposing him as F.R.G.S., to which M responded on 4 April 1890 (letter not found). No earlier nomination certificate than M to the Royal Geographical Society, 19 May 1890 (in this edition as 90-05-19) has been found.
The second Congress of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science was held in Melbourne in January 1890, with M as President; see B90.01.01.
Papua New Guinea.
Please cite as “FVM-90-06-14,” 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