Ferdinand von Mueller

Bynels Hotel

Melbourne

Septr 5th 1864

To Dr Muller

Dr Sir

According to promise I send you herewith a copy of my letter to the Editor of the Argus dated Jany 20th 1862 which I beg of you to read and mark first.

1

Letter accompanied by a handwritten copy of Conn’s letter that was published in the Argus, 20 January 1862, p. 7. The letter concerns who might be in the graves to which, while Conn was exploring ‘north of the Darling’, his Aboriginal guides had drawn his attention—graves that the guides claimed were of white men.

My impression then was that the Graves discovered by me might be some of Dalrymples

2

In the attached letter, Conn gives the name as 'Dutrenzle', but adds 'I think that is the name'. The explorer George Dalrymple was on the Darling Downs, Qld, in the late 1850s but is not known to have gone as far west as the area where Conn found the graves. Conn has not identified 'Dutrenzle' correctly: the leader was almost certainly M. S. DeRinzy, whose accounts of his journey were published in a series of letters to the editor of Empire (Sydney), 29 June 1860, p. 2, 30 June 1869, p. 2, and 2 July 1860, p. 5.

party but in this I was mistaken having since acertained that they never went there if ever such a party started at all.

3

In the letter published in the Argus, Conn stated that 'Dutrenzle' 'started from Fort Bourke some years ago and lost some of his men'.

With regard to the dray tracks seen by me on McDunnoghs creek

4

Not identified.

I have acertained that they were of Mr Walkers party

5

In late 1861, Frederick Walker led one of the expeditions appointed to search for the missing explorers Burke and Wills, proceeding overland from Rockhampton, Qld., to the Albert River on the Gulf of Carpentaria.

crossing from the head of the Warrego to Coopers Creek.

I am not aware of any other party having started from the Darling or South Australia & I think it not improbable that those graves discovered by me might turn out to be some of Leichardts

6

i.e. Leichhardt's

party, his last marked camp which has been discovered was upon Coopers Creek 250 miles

7

MS annotation by M: 350 miles in a straight direction F.M.

north of those graves & upon his outwards course. It would be needless to surmise what may have befallen him & his party after leaving that camp perhaps the loss of the leader, when the party might be lost or they might try to come South for the settled districts on the Darling as no doubt they knew of Capt. Sturts explorations to the North from there & it is only some 50 miles from his track to the […]

8

illegible.

& the water shed bringing them due South which they would be likely to follow in that dry country The Tracing of my route thro that country which I have furnished you with

9

Tracing not found.

will clearly show the exact locality marked by Burke & Wills & Howitt in the Govt charts & by me in the country which they did not see.

I regret that I have not got my old Diary here to refer to, but I assure you that the matter has always been a conjecture to me & a mystery which I should like to see cleared up to assert that they are the graves of Leicharts party would be ridiculous for any one but I [still] say that I should not be surprised if they were to prove such

The fierce determined nature of the Blacks there & the little fear they evince for white men is demonstrable proof to me that they have killed whites & the very large camps in that locality assure me that they are very numerous

I am obliged for your offer to take a party out & examine the graves & I would most willingly do so for my own satisfaction did not important business matters call me to the north but I would sugest to you that perhaps Mr Giles

10

Ernest Giles ; se E. Giles to M, 3 October 1864.

who was one of my party when I discovered the graves might be capable of doing so, from his knowledge of the country there besides he might be able to find the two lads

11

i.e. Conn’s Aboriginal guides.

who showed us the graves in 1861, & obtain further information from them bring one or both of them down for a short time so as to be able to clearly understand their language which is very soon acquired, Digg up the Graves & bring all remains that can be found for examination & carefully examine the Trees along the banks of the creeks for any marks which may exist I may here tell you that I marked a Tree (a leaning Gum) on the South bank of the creek & at the Western end of the Sheet of water direct South of the Graves perhaps 5 or six hundred yards I think the mark was thus

12

The mark is an apparent 'C' in a diamond 64-09-05_image0

& Mr Curlewis who was with me put CGC underneath

I would particularly caution any party going there to guard with the greatest vigilance against any attack from the Blacks.

I think a light party of four Whites & two Blacks would be sufficient provided they are experienced bushmen

P.S. you are at liberty to lay this before the Royal Society

13

See M to Royal Society of Victoria, 10 October 1864 (in this edition as 64-10-10d) (B65.14.05).

or make any other use of it which you think […seable]