Western Australia.
FROM THE Acting1 GOVERNMENT RESIDENT Roebourne
To
Baron Sir Ferd Von Mueller. KCMG etc
Melbourne
Sir
I am informed by Mr Dale of this Colony that you are desirous of some information with regard to a palm indegenous to the Hammersly Range2 in this District.
I have lately returned from the Hammersly & whilst there made what Enquiry & observations I considered necessary to reply to your queries, as sent to Mr Dale.
1) I am informed that the young leaves are not copper colored.
2) That the leaf stack of the Juvenile Palm is more spiney than that of the Adult Palm.
This specimen of palm is found principally on the Fortescue River & its tributaries (of which the Millstream is one) but it is also found upon the Robe3 at its head & also in Caves Creek The leaf when fully formed is remarkably like a fully expanded face. —
The seeds are about the size of an ordinary school boys' marble & vary but very slightly in size —
I have arranged with Mr Sandiford Overseer on the Mill Stream Station to send me some of this year's seeds, also some of the smaller leaves4 on receipt of which I will send on to you at once.
The Palm to me very much resembles, what is commonly called in Queensland the Cabbage palm but I of course cannot say that is identical —
If at any time I can be of further use to you in this or any other research pray command me & I shall be only too happy to render you every assistance in my power.
I have the honor, to be
Sir
Your obedient servant
Henry Francis Keep
Acting Govt Resident.
Acting interlined.
Hamersley Range, WA.
Robe River. All watercourses mentioned are in the Pilbara region of WA.
See H. Sandiford to H. Keep, 15 July 1892 (in this edition as M92-07-15).
MS annotation by M: 'Answ 3/7/92'. Letter not found. Keep's letter was forwarded to M by William Dale, with a covering letter (W. Dale to M, 22 June 1892), the file copy of which includes a summary by Keep, dated 10 June 1892, of the information he had elicited; this provides the basis for the dating of the present item.
Please cite as “FVM-92-06-10,” 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