Ferdinand von Mueller

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MS envelope front: 'The Reverend W. B. Clarke, | F. G. S., F. L. S., &c &c &c | St Leonards near Sydney | Ferd. Mueller'. Back post-marked Sydney Ship Letter, 9 September 1858, and St Leonards, NSW, 9 September 1858. The transcription given in Moyal (2003), pp. 494-6, differs from that given here.

Melbourne zoological & botanical Garden,

5. Sept. 1858

My dear & reverend friend.

With very much interest did I read your essay on the various searches for the remains of the unlucky Leichhardtian expedition.

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Clarke wrote a series of three letters to the Sydney morning herald in 1858, all headlined 'Leichhardt and the desert'. The third of these was not published until 20 October. M is undoubtedly refering to the long article, 24 August 1858, pp. 4-5, which closely fits his description. The earlier one, published on 30 July, is a commentary on the newspaper's leading article about the recently completed journey by Augustus Gregory and his brother from Moreton Bay to Adelaide, and the geographical discoveries made; Clarke concluded this with some suggestions about the proper place to look for the remains of Leichhardt.

— It contains various facts, of which I was previously not aware; and the contradictory accounts we have now before us, render this matter now very perplexing. Unless however positive evidence speaks to the contrary, I would rather bow to the superior judgement & authentic observations of Mr Gregory in regard to these marked trees, than to the opinion of other observers. Let us however hope, that these mysterious circumstances may be cleared up with the least possible delay!

You will be glad to learn, that we have very good hope of fitting out an expedition with camels next season.

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The Committee eventually sent out what became known as the Burke & Wills Exploring Expedition, 1860-1.

The Executive of this country with laudable zeal intends to introduce these animals for exploring purposes & also into the zool. Garden which is lately entrusted to my administration — For altho' poisonous herbs will probably be more dangerous to the herbivorous Camel than to the more graminivorous horses, altho' those creatures will probably not so well escape the spears of the natives, & altho they are not so likely to cross rivers & bogs with equal facility as the horse, still after the fruitless struggles of the explorers to conquere the desert, we have no safer means we could call in for aid. —

It would be glorious, if we could induce my excellent former leader

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Augustus Gregory.

to go out again thus provided for 2 wet & 1 dry season, which space of time under the uncomparable experience & ability he possesses, would be ample for a likely successful search after the missing travellers & for mapping the principle features of the hitherto unexplored portion of the interior.

You will observe that we endeavour to secure the sympathy of the Government & the colonist for this project, and that we had a public meeting for the purpose

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M attended a public meeting of the Exploration Committee of the Philosophical Institute of Victoria on 31 August 1858 [MS 9504, box 2088B/1, Australian Manuscripts Collection, La Trobe Library, Melbourne]. For reports of the meeting, see Argus, 1 September 1858, p. 5, and Age, 1 September 1858, p. 5.

(when I spoke certainly very differently to what I am reported to have said.) —

Admitting fully with Mr Gregory, that no grand features in the physical geography of Australia are yet to be developed & to be revealed, I cannot on the other hand regard as sufficient, what has been done hitherto in that direction; for it remains for us or at least this generation to mapp the unknown part of Australia, it remains for us to examine all the gifts of nature , which God's providence also strewed over a desert land; it remains for us to find all the oases , which will establish at a later day the routes of caravans throughout the interior; it remains for us to bury the bones of the immortal Leichhardt or release him or any of his companions from the desert-solitudes, in which they may possibly be yet retained. —

The examination of the mouth of the Burdekin, which I urged on your Government & for which you have fully the means within your reach by sending one of your proud navy structures up to near Cape Upstart for a month or two, instead of their vasting their time in cruizes through the pacific, that examination would be a powerful aid; because it would unquestionably bring the fine pastures of the Burdekin in contact with a navigable port and thus at once establish an uninterrupted line of squatting stations on a river second only to the Murray & superior for squatting purposes to most if not all!, and from whence westward & from its tributaries between 18 — 24° S. we should search for the vestiges of Leichhardt. West, with Columbus, West! —

With my greatest veneration for you and with my admiration for your youthful ardour for all what is noble

Pray give my regards to Dr & Mrs Bennett

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George Bennett, d. 1893.