Ferdinand von Mueller

1

See also M to J. Macadam, 12 July 1860.

Melbourne botanic & zoologic Garden,

19. Aug 1860.

My dear Mr Burke,

Obliged to convey a medical friend from the country, who unfortunately became insane, to the Lunatic Asylum,

2

Friend not identified.

I was under the necessity to leave home for a few hours this day, & regret having thereby lost your visit.

Had I known a little earlier of your wish, that I should convey any suggestions, that I may deem useful for the furtherance of your enterprise,

3

Burke & Wills Exploring Expedition, 1860-1.

to you in writing, I would have gladly done so more extensively as I am now at a late evening hour able to do.

4

The expedition was scheduled to leave Melbourne the next day.

There are a few principle arrangements, on which to some extent the success of the Victorian Expedition may depend & which I would like to point out to you before you take your departure.

Let me advise you, to divide the care of the animals strictly amongst the party. Let each of them be responsible for the packing of a certain number of the animals, of their unloading, attending to them for cleaning, watering, hobbling &c You will excite by this arrangement not only emulation amongst your subordinates as regards the speed of packing, but also in having kept the animals, their saddles, bags &c in as good an order as possible. From the alloted duties to certain animals not even your officers should be exempted.

Let me further suggest to you, that Officers & men keep by rotation night-watch. To the Astronomer

5

William Wills.

that part of the night watch should be allotted, most favorable for observation. Let the watch be divided into four periods from 8-10, 10-12, 12-2, 2-4. Whoever is on duty from 8-10 one day, should be on duty from 10-12 the next & so on in rotation. I cannot sufficiently impress on you the necessity, that breakfast should be served at 4 o'clock. It will enable your party to look for the horses &c before 5 in the morning, when every one will be least fatigued by a walk (in the heat which you will soon experience going northward), in search of the hobbled animals and when their loading will be less onerous than later in the day. It will moreover enable you to have completed a fair days distance in good time for preparing the nights camp and for constructing the chart of the days march. You will by this arrangement also intercept the animals in their rambling, which chiefly takes place at daybreak.

Should you enter any of the great depressions of the interior at the rainy season or under heavy successive thunder storms, I must warn you then, to establish your camp on high rises. For the floods in the interior are some times as sudden and terrific as they are ephemerous, and sweep away the biggest trees before them on places which soon afterwards may be waterless wastes.

Many an additional harvest you may aford to your scientific officers by selecting your camps, particularly the generally permanent Sunday-camps, at spots, interesting for investigation. If a range is near or even ridges only, the gentlemen may obtain geological & botanical & zoological specimens, which would not be accessible to them, if you had your camp established some miles away from them.

I am aware, that to the best pasture ground must be always looked in first instance, yet sometimes such may be found as convenient at a lesser than as at a greater distance from scientifically interesting localities. I pointed out already to Dr Beckler, that sandy ridges & stony ranges are more likely to yield phytological novelties, than any other places.

Allow me to mention, that it would be just as well to order anyone of your party, to have the weight of the packs on either side well balanced. The non-attendance to this causes in long journeys your horses to become soon backsore. For dressing sores of the animals I found nothing better than finely pounded Alum used alternately with infrictions of any fatty substances.

Allow never any one of your party to lay the revolver aside unless when in camp, as to the natives never is to be trusted. Allow no hunting, likely to be attended by accidents, or anything else unnecessary that may cause accidents in your party. What would be a trifling misfortune in a settlement, may prove the loss of life in the wilderness.

The nightwatch never should be permitted to sit at rest. After the days fatigue, men are but too apt to fall asleep unless necessitated to patrolling

It would replenish your stock of provisions on Coopers Creek

6

Qld.

if you could get from time to time a few bullocks driven up. The meat of them will in warm weather dry in two days, & we

7

M is referring to the experiences of the party forming the North Australian Exploring Expedition, 1855-6.

found that all the available dry meat of a horse was but a light load for one pack animal.

I would strongly advise you to place your camps always in such position, as to render a sudden attack of the natives under cover not possible, and to make always arrangements for the defence of a permanent camp.

On your way to our furthest point towards Central Australia (Termination Lake

8

Now Lake Gregory, WA.

) you may greatly facilitate your progress and ensure much more safety & likelyhood of success, by leaving the weaker part of your men & animals half way in depot until your return. Should however the country & the season prove favorable, I feel convinced you need not adopt this measure, because you will, with the great means of conveyance at your command,

9

This was the first exploring expedition in Australia to use camels.

be able to proceed probably in an uninterrupted journey after your arrival at Termination lake or towards it, from thence to the Murchison River settlement.

10

WA.

You will find it the best & most satisfactory method, to issue your rations weekly, when each individual may use them in the manner most pleasing to himself.

Much loss of time will be saved in having all the pack bags numbered. One of your officers should be storekeeper & held responsible for the stores & the correct issue of the rations, and always an accurate return should be kept of the rations remaining available.

There are a hundred other important measures, which I would have liked to point out had I time at this moment for the purpose. Perhaps whilst you are proceeding to and up the Darling

11

Darling River, NSW.

I may have an opportunity yet of advising you. If there is any special question you are inclined to put to me, I will answer it without delay in writing as far as I can.

Whilst wishing the Victorian Expedition most sincerely every success, you and your companions may rely on any assistance I can render here for promoting your enterprise, if such assistance is desired, altho' the very little inclination shown hitherto to consult me on most of the important arrangements of the expedition makes me reluctant to offer any advice unless it is directly sought.

12

See Home (2015), pp. 108-9.

May providence grant you & your companions health to bring the noble undertaking to a successful issue!