Ferdinand von Mueller

Melbourne,

23 Oct. 1885.

Wm. Sewell Esqr

Acting Secretary to the honorable the Premier.

Dear Sir.

In answer to your letter of the 21. inst.

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Letter not found.

I beg of you, to thank the hon. James Service for allowing the Council of the geogr. Society of Australia, Victorian branch, to place a brief statement concerning Mr Forbes's New Guinea Expedition before the hon Gentleman. The funds, obtained by the Society from the Governments of Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, have mainly been devoted, to provide a steamer and equip a party under Capt. Everill for penetrating into Central Papua by the Fly-River line; and if, as the Council ardently hopes, thus friendly relations are established with the far inland-tribes and their entirely unknown country-tracts become explored, then immediately commercial advantages by an easy river-way will arise.

Under this arrangement only £500.- .- could be spared from the funds so kindly placed by the Governments of three of the Colonies at the Society's disposal, to subsidise Mr Forbes's expedition; and as that gallant and experienced traveller

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Malayan deleted before traveller.

has hitherto only comparatively limited means at his disposal for the intended exploration of the highlands of the eastern portion of New Guinea, which is entirely British, the Council fears, that this most promising enterprise will come to a termination, in the midst or at the commencement of its successes. Mr Forbes financial position is this: he received from the Royal geogr. Society £250-, from the Scottish geogr. Society £200; from the British Association £150-. To this he added all his own private means about £500-, and (as mentioned) on the urging of the Victorian geogr. Council £500 of our fund were granted by the Austral. geogr. Society, the disbursement to be effected through the Rev. W. G. Lawes at Port Moresbye,

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sic.

and reports and a share of his collections to be furnished to us in return. Recently in a letter, adressed to myself and published by order of the Council in Melbourne-journals, Mr Forbes points out the impossibility of maintaining his Malayan carriers for such a length of time under engagement, as would be needed, to bring his highland-explorations to an issue in proportion to the magnitude of the scientific and practical interests involved with the means at his disposal; and as Mr Forbes own services will not be salaried, and as it is so very much cheaper to continue a party in the field than to reorganize one, the Victorian Council has asked me, to beg of the hon. the Premier kindly to consider, whether to such an important and deserving undertaking some further subsidy, such as Mr Service might himself deem proper, could be kindly given, without any intention to establish a precedent for continuity. The Society's own subscription-fund is so heavily taxed by local current expenditure, that from that source Mr Forbes means could only be augmented to a most trifling extent.

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On 26 October 1885, James Service minuted that 'I could not put this money on the Additional Estimates for the present year'. The next day, M was 'informed money could not be put on Addl Estimates'. There are several annotations on the file, as follows: (1) a note dated 2/11/85: '£1000 voted last year & paid to N.S.W. Govt | Have seen papers in Treasury'; (2) 'Keep at hand in view of recent events (massacre) | […] 18/11/85'; (3) 'Secy | Report of Massacre having proved unfounded we might now file papers? WS [i.e. William Sewell] 13/1'; (4) Premier N.S.W. | Asking for official report of Expedn (if any) | 19/2/86'.