Michell, W.A.   (fl. 1903 )

Mr W. A. Michell was an engineer involved in mining operations in north-west Australia.

This letter was sent in 1903 to his cousin, W.N. Winn, who forwarded Michell's plant collections, of which there were seemingly very few, to Kew.

"Yours of July 7th came to hand by the last mail, for which I thank you much.
Since then I have pressed a few flowers and am sending them by this mail.
Don't be alarmed at the label on the cardboard box (Gelignite) for it isn't an anarchist's trick. If, however, the flowers have absorbed one half of the language which I found necessary for pressing them, then be careful, for they will be quite liable to explode with violence, and wreck the whole city.
Some of them have prickles as you will soon feel, and altogether, I don't know when I've been so disgusted with a job before. At the results I mean. The bally things wouldn't lie flat until I got a case of Gelignite on top, and when I next looked at them, they seemed more like ghosts than themselves. However, such as they are l'm sending them. I only wish they were better.
Collecting minerals is child's play to collecting and pressing flowers, and I'm afraid I shall never have enough patience to press flowers decently.
If any of these dried and squeezed specimens should prove of interest to you, I shall be happy to send some more or to keep an eye open for anything else you may be interested in, in the way of flowers.
The hot season is now commencing and blooms are dying away giving place to seed pods. As soon as these latter are ripe I will send you some."

Source: Extracted from: Short, P. 'In Pursuit of Plants', UWA Press, 2003
Portrait Photo: none