18/9/96
Erlauben Sie mir die Vorfrage, lieber Herr Tepper, ob Sie ermitteln können, zu welchem Preise mir jemand an Murray-Flusse oder sonstwo 5lb Sandarac-Harz von Callitris verrucosa senden wurde. Ein Schweizer Chemiker hat das Sanderach Harz von Callitris articulata, welches von Nord-Afrika kommt eingehend analysirt, u wünscht nun eine vergleichende Untersuchung des australischen Harzes vorzunehmen und für das Herbeischaffen meine Hülfe anzurufen. Es konnte auch etwas Handel in dieser Waare entstehen, denn Sandarac wird unsere Colonien von mittelländische Meere importirt!!
Lassen Sie Ihren Sohn nicht entmuthigt sein, wenn ich seine Pflanzen nicht eingehend vornehmen konnte. Ich arbeite noch immer 16 Stunden täglich, 12 an Sonntage um in den Abend Gottesdienst zu gehen. Aber bei den noch so [traurige] Finanz-Verhältnissen hier muss meine Zeit hauptsächlich den ruralen Interesse des brod-verdienenden Theils der Bevölkerung zugewandt werden. Inzwischen werden alle ankommenden Sammlungen hier sorgfältig inserirt um für die Supplement Band mehren neuer Localitäten u additionellen Charactern stets unter Anerkennung des Sammlers verwandt zu werden
Immer Ihre
Ferd. von Mueller,
Könnte Ihr Sohn mir die allerkleinsten Annuella sammeln? Darunter ist noch am Meisten Neues u die Mühe des Aufhebens, Trochnens u Sendens ist so gering.
18/9/96
Permit me the preliminary question, dear Mr Tepper, whether you could find out at what price someone at the Murray River or elsewhere could send me 5 pounds of Sandarac-resin of Callitris verrucosa. A Swiss chemist has thoroughly analysed the Sandarach-resin of Callitris articulata, which comes from North Africa, and wishes now to undertake a comparative investigation of the Australian resin, and called on my assistance for the procurement. There could also arise some trade in this commodity, as Sandarac is imported [into] our colonies from the Mediterranean!!
Do not let your son be discouraged if I cannot take in hand his plants in detail. I still work 16 hours daily, 12 on Sunday to go to Divine Service in the evening. However, my time must be mainly devoted to the rural interests of the bread-winning portion of the population in these still gloomy financial conditions. All collections arriving here are carefully noted1 in order to be used for the supplementary volume of more new localities and additional characters, always under acknowledgement of the collector.
Always your
Ferd. von Mueller
Could your son collect the smallest annuals for me? For the most part novelties are still among them and the trouble of picking, drying & sending is so trifling.2
Callitris articulata
Callitris verrucosa
Literally 'inserted'.
At the end of his translation, Tepper has added his translation of M's pencilled notes on an offprint of B96.10.01. M to O. Tepper, 18 September 1896 (in this edition as 96-09-18a) is Tepper's transcription and translation of the annotation which he filed as a separate document. The translation Tepper gives there differs sightly from that which he has added to this document.
MS annotation by Tepper: 'Received 20.9.96. Written to J. G. Neumann, Murray Bridge re Sandarac 23.9.96. Reply 29.9.96. Summary of Plants Insects & Birds' [letter not found]; and 'Last Letter. Died Oct. 9. 1896. "Overworked Brain, badly nourished Body, insufficient exercise"; McAlpine'. Whether the quotation, perhaps paraphrase, attributed to McAlpine is from a letter to Tepper or a published source has not been determined.
The letter is accompanied by an English translation by Tepper that differs from that given here.
Please cite as “FVM-96-09-18,” 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