From Ferdinand von Mueller to William Henry Archer   8 Apr 1893

8/4/93.

This morning, dear Chev. Archer, I received your confidential communication,¹ and am exceedingly gratified that the RS.² here through the determined action of its Council gives me its powerful support for the continuation of the Flora Australiensis.³ Pray express to the distinguished President and Hon Secretary my best thanks for having come to the rescue and so accept also my gratitude to yourself and the other honored Councillors. The continuation of work of the vascular Flora of a whole Continent as large almost as Europe in area and even richer in vegetation, is a gigantic task, and I have made daily efforts ever since the first volume of the Flora appeared to get together from the then widely unexplored regions the material and worked it largely out (95 pr. c. of the whole additions as Mr Tryon says⁴); but as no demand til now was made for the additional volume or volumes, it was deferred to approach more and more the desirable finality, especially as 4 colonies have now almost complete local Floras. In justice to myself, I can say, that I made heroic efforts to bring yet within my life-time the completion of the vascular Flora about

Regardfully your

Ferd von Mueller