Ferdinand von Mueller

1

Telegram not found. For the text given here, see E xpress (Melbourne), 4 December 1872, p. 3, where it was introduced: 'Baron von Mueller has received the following telegram from the leader of a private exploration party in Central Australia'.

Giles sent a very similar message to Charles Todd in Adelaide that was published as 'Exploration westwards', Evening journal (Adelaide), 4 December 1872, p. 3, where it was dated 'Charlotte Waters, December 3'. The message to M is assigned the same date since it would no doubt have been sent at the same time.

M sent a clipping of another version of the article to August Petermann who printed a German translation, 'Von Müller erh. 19. Januar 1873', in 'Der Australische Überland-Telegraph', Mittheilungen aus Justus Perthes ' geographischer Anstalt, vol. 19, 1873, p. 106. Petermann cited the source as Evening express, Melbourne, 5 December 1872, but it was from the Melbourne Herald of that date.

The expedition has been frustrated through Carmichael's abandoning me.

2

Michael Carmichael. In letters to the press, Carmichael denied that he had abandoned Giles: South Australian register, 21 May 1873, p. 6; Australasian (Melbourne), 11 December 1897, p. 1297.

I was compelled to return to the line with a month's supply of rations. We penetrated at two points 280 miles straight from Chamber's pillar.

3

SA.

The most northern trip was in latitude 23deg. 50sec.,

4

In the published version of Giles's message to Todd, and also in a summary of the telegram to M that was published in the Melbourne Advocate, 7 December 1872, this co-ordinate is given as 23°5' S, which is consistent with the map published in Giles (1889). It seems implausible that Giles would have been measuring his co-ordinates to seconds; the reporter probably mis-read the symbol for 'minutes' as meaning 'seconds'.

and longitude 129deg. 40 sec.

5

129°40' in the message to Todd.

The most southern was in latitude 24deg. 50sec.

6

24°40' in the message to Todd, 24° 50' in the Advocate.

and longitude 129deg. 30sec.

7

129° 30' in the message to Todd.

On the north line we met with sandstone ranges covered with scrub, but no creeks of any importance. On the south line we were intercepted by a long, dry, salt, boggy country stretching W.N.W. and E.S.E. Maps journal, and plants will be sent by the first opportunity. —

Charlotte Waters

8

SA. The report in the Express continues: 'Mr Giles, it will be seen, got half way across to Sturt's Creek and mapped one third of the distance to the River Murchison, reaching almost at his two most westerly points the boundary line between South Australia and Western Australia'. The same comment appears in another version of the report, published in the Inquirer and commercial news (Perth), 18 December 1872, p. s1, and is there attributed to 'F. V. M.' (B72.12.07).