The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: Melbourne Botanical and Zoological Gardens, ¶ 20th July, 1859. ¶ ¶ Sir,— ¶ ¶ Not yet fully recovered from a long illness I must regret not being able to respond to your request of being present at t...

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Letter not found. The text given here is from 'Exploration of the interior', Geelong advertiser, 21 July 1859, p. 2 (B59.07.02). The text was reprinted in the Melbourne Herald; see B59.07.04. A German translation of the final paragraph was published in the Deutsche Monatschrift für Australien; see B59.08.02.

The report is introduced with the following information:

The only persons who attended the meeting called for 3 o'clock yesterday by his Worship the Mayor of Geelong, were his Worship the Mayor, Mr O'Meara, Dr. Thomson, and a reporter from this office. Dr. Thomson and Mr O'Meara seeing the unlikelihood of any business being done, soon left. His Worship and the reporter remained till twenty minutes to 4 o'clock, but no one else arrived.

The Mayor stated that the occasion of his calling the meeting was the receipt of a letter, dated the 7th July, from Dr. Wilkie, drawing his attention to the fact, that only four weeks remained in which to make up the L2000, the collection of which would entitle the Melbourne Exploration Committee to draw the L1000, some time ago anonymously given on those terms. In answer to that letter his Worship had written to Dr Wilkie (who acts as honorary treasurer to the Melbourne committee) asking for information to lay before any meeting that he might call in the proposed behalf, and asking also that some member of the Melbourne committee might be deputed to attend such meeting and to answer any question that might be put. To that letter Dr Wilkie had replied that he had laid his Worship's letter before the exploration committee, and that no promise could be made with reference to the attendance of any member of the Melbourne committee; but that Dr. Muller would write a letter containing statements which could be read to the Geelong meeting. His Worship had yesterday morning received a letter from Dr Mueller and handed it to our representative for publication, as follows:—

Melbourne Botanical and Zoological Gardens,

20th July, 1859.

Sir,—

Not yet fully recovered from a long illness I must regret not being able to respond to your request of being present at the meeting convened by you to elicit a more general support from your city in the geographical development of Australia.

By the Honorable Dr. Wilkie, to whom the credit is due of having first excited active interest in this colony for the furtherance of Australian exploration, I have been requested to address for you an outline of our proceedings in Melbourne for this purpose, and to offer for the consideration of your meeting a few brief remarks respecting the plan of operation and the probable advantages to be derived from an undertaking in which every colonist of Australia must be so deeply interested.

In regard to the first point, I may observe that in addition to the labors of the Exploration Committee elected by the Philosophical Institute, we had the advantage of co-operation of a Financial Committee constituted to collect the needful funds for the enterprise. Reports of their proceedings will be found in the volume of our transactions for 1858, which I beg to transmit simultaneously with this letter.

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The ‘Report of the proceedings’ was published immediately following M’s letter.

You will be aware that about eleven months ago the munificent gift of L1000

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i.e. £1,000.

for promoting the exploration of Australia was made by a Victorian colonist, whose name, through the patriotic donor's modesty and disinterestedness, remains yet unknown to us.

But his condition of raising within a year a double sum by voluntary subscription, has yet to be fulfilled, since but few gentlemen of the committee were able to devote sufficient time for collecting contributions; and although in some instances a most liberal support is to be recorded, yet the sum obtained by the combined efforts of the two committees falls yet short of L1000.

It occurred to us that without difficulty, by the united aid of gentlemen in various parts of the colony, at least part of the yet wanting amount may be raised, and to yourself grateful acknowledgement is due for rendering so considerately your powerful support in the good cause.

Although the sum of L3000, if at all obtained, would appear but very inadequate to the enterprise, particularly if undertaken, as it is proposed, on a more extensive plan, it must yet be remembered that many months since the Government ordered 24 camels for the proposed expedition from India. When thus provided with the principal means of transport, the party may, if we succeed to raise the above sum, be fully equipped and also provided with travelling supplies and depot stores for one season without exceeding the above amount. And should the results of the expedition during the first season be proportioned to just expectations, we may then safely trust to the liberality of our Legislators for such subsidies as will be necessary for carrying on the expedition for a series of years. The general plan of operations, which the committee recommend, will be such as is likely to insure the safety of the party, and at least a gradual if not a rapid exploration of the main portions of the unknown interior.

Should, as suggested by Mr. A. Gregory, a depot be established on the lower part of Cooper's Creek, in about longitude 140° 30’, the explorers would then be enabled to reconnoitre from a far inland point the central parts of Australia until suitable localities, and remoter than the other are found for advancing gradually and safely the depot.

To judge from analogy permanent watering places are likely even to be found in our desert, although perhaps only very remote from each other, and unless poisonous herbs or the spears of the natives become destructive to the camels, these admirable animals which will find even in the parched and desolate regions of our Sahara the means of subsistence, will afford for the first time to the Victorian expedition immense advantages over those which were previously in the field.

If we further recollect that the late geographical researches of Mr. Augustus Gregory, in Tropical Australia, of Major Warburton, Mr. Babbage, and Mr. Sturt, in South Australia, and of Mr. F. A. Gregory, in the country north east of Sharks Bay, have considerably diminished the extent of unknown country between the traversed tracts, and that there seem to the final exploration of the whole interior no obstacles which under the advantage of a favorable season and under the enjoyment of those means which successes or failures in former explorations suggested, might not be overcome by experience, skill, caution, and perseverance—we may then regard the expedition proposed by the colonists of Victoria as timely formed, fully deserving the support of the country and well auguring of success.

Since this year the navigation of the Darling has also offered unexpected facilities for transit to the remotest interior, and thus a main depot on Cooper's Creek may be kept constantly supplied at comparatively inconsiderable expense, the enterprising Captain Cadell having even generously offered the use of his steamer for the transport of the expedition stores up the Darling.

Should the camels, as may be expected, soon arrive, the party could be organised and reach Cooper's Creek sufficiently long before the next rainy season sets in, to recruit fully their animals previous to the final start into the unexplored country.

The advantages which are likely to arise from this enterprise are too obvious and too multifarious as to need, you will concur, any detailed explication. Suffice it here to say, that the fixing of direct overland routes from the southern colonies to Arulien's

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Arnhem's?

Land would probably tend to the speedy occupation of the fertile pastures of North-west Australia, and thereby to the subsequent gradual extent of civilization around our tropical coasts, wherever harbors and sea communication facilitate export. And not without importance is assuredly this consideration at a time, when the long cherished hope for telegraphic communication between Australia and the northern hemisphere, is at the verge of realisation. And should even these great results not be promoted by the proposed journey, it will still be sufficiently important to secure national interest and support for the completion of the charts of this continent, and for the elucidation of the productions of nature which, never without purpose, a bountiful providence has strewed over every part of the globe.

I remain with the greatest respect, your Worship's very humble servant,

Frd. Mueller.

His Worship the Mayor of Geelong, &c., &c.

The correspondence of

Ferdinand von Mueller

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