Ferdinand von Mueller

Melbourne bot Garden

6/5/71.

Sir

In compliance with your request for information in the intended ascent of Mount Bellenden Ker,

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The Colonial Secretary's Office, Brisbane, wrote to the Chief Secretary, Melbourne, on 11 April 1871, asking for information about an expedition to the Bellenden Ker Hills proposed by M, about which the Surveyor General in Queensland had made recommendations about departures and cost. The Undersecretary, W. Odgers, had forwarded the letter to M on 25 April with the note: 'Will Dr von Mueller be good enough to report if he knows anything in the correspondence to which Mr Secretary Palmer refers'.

I have the honor to inform you, that I had no strictly official communications with the Government of Queensland on this subject, but that I interchanged occasionally since several years letters with members of the Queensland Government, with one or the other of whom I was personally acquainted, and had also communications with some Gentlemen in Queensland on this subject, who are interested in the progress of geography, just as I now am in communication with the authorities in Queensland concerning the final disclosure of Leichhardt's fate.

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During 1870, several Queenslanders had sought M's advice concerning reports by Aborigines of a party of white men coming to grief, long before, in western Queensland, reports that led the Queensland Government in January 1871 to send out a police officer, James Gilmour, to investigate (Lewis (2013), pp. 253ff.). M afterwards continued to communicate on the subject with Queensland friends; see M to a friend in Brisbane, 17 April 1871.

The special interest, which to me arises in the the ascent of the Bellenden Ker Range, is resting on the fact, that the botanical collector of the Department under my surveillance is stationed at Rockingham's Bay,

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John Dallachy.

and that a track to the highest mountain of Queensland would give him a most favorable line for new operations, with a view of augmenting the plants in my conservatories and museum, and for obtaining new material for interchanges.

As regards the proposition of the Surveyor General of Queensland, that any ascent of the Bellenden Ker Range should be made from a near inlet of the sea, I beg leave to remark, that altho' such arrangement would be most important to try of adding a new harbour or coast settlement to the possessions of Queensland and would for exploration purposes be an admirable plan, it would involve far greater expense and far more risk, then a mere cutting of a track for packhorses from the nearest occupied position towards the Mount. The plan of proceeding by sea would moreover have the disadvantage of depriving the party of the use of horses for packs or burden, whereas a direct advance by land on the mount would at once connect the police station of Cashmere and the sugarplantation, formed by Mr Davidson, with the new line through the forests. The party in the event of distress could in the latter case always fall back on the settlements with a clear calculation of time, while in the other case the voyagers and land-party would be for a length of time separated and either of them depend on wind and weather for their return.

My own ideas are simply to this effect, that a few of the native troopers, stationed in the Rockingham's Bay district, should for any ascent of the Bellenden Ker ranges be rendered available, if the Queensland Government should wish this range, the highest in their territory, to be reached; that a few bush-labourers should be engaged to accompany the troopers; that a surveyor should lead the party; that they should start from the nearest place occupied, and advance by land; that they should cut a track, where jungle cannot be avoided, simply wide enough to allow horses in a single line to pass; that the members of the party should keep together until they approach towards the higher parts of the range, from whence without any fear whatever from natives, who do not live there, some of the explorers could reach the summit on foot; that rations for a few weeks should be provided, within which time the ascent is almost certain to have been accomplished; that some oats should be taken for the horses to feed them where no grass can be found; that the collector of our botanic Garden should accompany the party. Under such an arrangement, if a few volunteers join and the police and settlers afford the loan of the horses, the whole outlay of the expedition ought not to exceed one hundred pounds (£100) to the Queensland Government, and no risk would be incurred. Supposed the party did unexpectedly meet with unsurmountable obstacles, the members can all earlier return, without their retreat being ever endangered, and so much additional knowledge of the country would be gained.

My own opinion does not limit the result of this ascent to the mere obtaining of new plants because 1, a very important position would be gained at the highest elevation of Queensland for the trigonometric survey, and a set of important angles be obtained for mapping a wide tract of unexplored country from this commanding hight.

2, the geologic nature of these very high mountains would be ascertained, their geologic structure being indiscernible from any distance and their elucidation requiring absolute traversal. It would then be shown, whether the country is likely auriferous, or what other ore such mount may possess, as no high range is without metallic riches.

3, It would simultaneously be ascertained by views from the summit, in what direction the approaches to these mountains can afterwards best be effected from various points, and what line offers the best access from the sea.

4, It would be made out, whether any open available pastoral land was stretching towards these mountains

5, the gathering of plants would not be a mere matter of curiosity, but be instituted with a view of finding out new substances for medicine, commerce and industries.

6, there are several other objects to be obtained for the gain of knowledge, on which the intended brief scope of this letter forbids me to dwell.

It remains for me only yet to point out, that so important a geographic exploit, at so small a cost within a few weeks time, does in my humble opinion not require any aid from the Victorian Government, unless the honorable the Chief Secretary, Sir James M'Culloch, would concede a subsidy of perhaps fifty pounds (£50) with a view of permitting the botanic collector of my establishment to purchase a saddle horse and a pack horse and the trifling outfit, which he will stand in need of; this recommendation deserves all the more favorable consideration, as the collector in the execution of his duties for the Victorian Government lost lately a fine horse, his private property.

It is almost needless to add, that any tour to the Bellenden Ker mountains must be carried out in the least rainy season. It seems, that a visit, very recently made by the honorable the Minister of Lands of Quueensland to Rockingham's Bay, where the honorable Gentleman met the collector of our botanic Garden, has more immediately given rise to the communication now before us

I have the honor to be, Sir, your obedient servant

W. H. Odgers Esqr

Undersecretary

&c&c&c

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MS annotation by the Chief Secretary, J. McCulloch, 14 May 1871: 'I have to request Dr Mueller to forward all communications with other Govts through this office It is evident that the Queensland Govt consider that suggestions have been made by Dr Mueller which will [see expenditure [... ... ... ...] It would be of great advantage if Dr Mueller would confine his letters [... ... ...] his time on those [... ... ...]'.