To John Scott Keltie¹    14 August 1893

14/8/93.

In reply to your kind letter,² lately received, dear Mr Keltie, let me say, that soon after the receipt of the Circular from the R.G.S.³ concerning fuller cooperation of geographic Unions with the great Home-Society, I suggested at the Victorian geographic Council, that the distinguised Administration of the R.G.S. of England might elaborate annually a series of detail-queries or questions for transmission to the smaller British Societies, the answers to be collated and the acceptable results to be published in your Journal, and if needful previously to be discussed on any particular points by your Council or in exceptional cases of importance perhaps before general meetings.

On full consideration a number of subjects would from time to time present themselves, thus likely on connected tidal observations and other oceanic currents, on the most important spots for additional hypsometric data, and accurate determination of as yet uncertain longitudes of various places, encouragement to FRGS. abroad, placed locally well for elucidations of obscure subjects in geographic history, determining on new courses of explorations through the influents⁴ of the RGS. of England, schematising on pointed uniform records for zoologic and phytologic geography &c &c.

This proposition was made by me without instancing then any particular lines of researches to be taken up, but only on general principles, so that an affiliation and continued direct intercourse so far of all the other Societies to and with the great Central one might be effected.

My honored Colleagues adopted these ideas, and they were in a brief resolution conveyed to the RGS. Perhaps by some mishap the communication did not reach.⁵

Regardfully your

Ferd von Mueller