LETTERS FROM DR. HARVEY. 49 
My present plans are quite unfixed. Probably I shall go at once to 
Van Diemen’s Land. I wish to go first to Port Faery, but shall be 
guided by what I hear at Melbourne, as to expenses, etc. If I find I 
can get reasonable accommodation with the pilots at the entrance of 
Port Philip, I may go there for awhile. The ground looked very 
tempting as we entered this evening; outside the heads we steamed 
through a magnificent meadow of Macrocystis, which I longed to be 
boating among; all the visible fronds (tell Joseph) had long, barrel- 
shaped vesicles. We also passed abundance of drifting Fucus comosus. 
Neither of these are found in West Australia, where I only saw one 
Laminarioid plant, namely Fucus radiatus, Turn. I shall leave this 
letter to finish when I decide my plans. 
Hobson’s Bay, 6th April.—Not yet ashore, though we anchored 
last night at ten o’clock. I find there is a Steam Mail round the Horn 
to start tomorrow, and so close this letter.—W. H. H. 
Melbourne, Sept. 15, 1854. 
I wrote you a few days back, on my arrival in the harbour, enclosing 
some characters of new genera discovered by Drummond in his northern 
journey. I have now been a week in Melbourne,—some days longer 
than 1 had hoped to be, but I trust to leave it early next week. I have 
engaged a passage in a small coaster for Port Faery, distant about a 
hundred and twenty miles to the eastward of Port Phillip Heads, a 
position that I anticipate will be favourable for 4/7, and from which 
I may make some short land excursions. I intend remaining there a 
month or six weeks, then returning to Melbourne, and so to Western 
Port (a little to the east of Port Phillip), where there is a considerable 
tide and rocky islands, strongly recommended to me by Dr. Müller and 
Mr. Selwyn (Government Geologist), both of whom have been there. 
Whilst delayed here waiting for the vessel, I have occupied my time — 
chiefly with Dr. Müller, at the Botanic Garden, in looking out dupli- 
cates of his land-plants and 4/g@, and in examining his rather consi- — 
derable collection of Alge made on the shores of this colony and of — 
Spencer's Gulf. He is an excellent fellow, and wonderfully sound, for . 
a German, in his conception of species. He is prepared to knock down — 
many of Cunningham’s, of J. D. H.’s, and even (tell it not in Dean- = 
street) of R.B.’s. I like him much, and hope to find in him a most — 
VOL. VII. Ls 3 
