To [William Thiselton-Dyer]1    9 February 1896

[9.2.96]2

 

At a recent german festival here,3 I in proposing the health of His Excellency the Governor stood up in dignified terms for the greatest of political greatnesses that of Albion4 speaking in the English language and one of our leading British Colonist told me on his own accord subsequently that I sent "a thrill of delight" through him and other British byestanders by my wording and sentiment! I gave my oat5 of allegiance to Her Majesty here in 1847,6 when as a young Doctor I came to these dry winter-less regions to save my life, and when I brought some cash fortune, which enabled me mainly to travel for the first 6 years on my private expenses in Australia til in 1853 Governor Latrobe asked me to take Office.7

I have never crossed the Equator again as I could not spare the time for recreation. As I have therefore spent more than 2/3 of my life on British soil, and the other portion of my existence was divided between Germany and Denmark I ought to be considered a Britain!

1
Correspondent based on location of filed letter; although the letter could have been written to Joseph Hooker, whose post-retirement letters from M are filed in this volume. The letter may be incomplete.
2
editorial addition — The date '9.2.96' is marked on the letter, probably by W. Hemsley.
3
M proposed the toast to theColony of Victoria, in English, at a banquet attended by some 700 people on 18 January 1896 to mark Germany's National Day (Argus, 20 January 1896, p. 5). His speech was subsequently summarized in the Weekly times on 25 January, p. 12, and published in the Record (South Melbourne) on 29 February (see B96.02.01). A German translation was published in Deutsch-Australisches Echo on 23 January 1896, p. 7.
4
i.e. Britain.
5
oath?
6
M arrived in SA in December 1847 but did not take out British citizenship until 9 August 1849.
7
As Government Botanist of Victoria; see W. Lonsdale to M, 26 January 1853.

Please cite as “FVM-96-02-09,” 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 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/96-02-09