Ferdinand von Mueller

Exploration Committee

Royal Society of Victoria

Melbourne June 24 1861

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M and David Wilkie were requested to draw up a draft of this dispatch at an Exploration Committee meeting on 21 June. First M, and then Stawell, paragraph by paragraph, read the draft to the committee at its next meeting, on 24 June. A paragraph relating to the sending of SS Victoria to the north coast was ordered to be omitted and the letter was passed to Macadam and a copy ordered to be made (Box 2088/1).

Sir

No intelligence having been received either from the party conducted by you into the interior since the time of your departure on the 29th October last, nor from Mr Wright, who led the remainder of the Victorian Exploring party in February last towards Coopers Creek, anxiety has arisen lest some unforeseen circumstances have prevented you and the Officer, commanding at the Depôt at Coopers Creek,

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William Brahe.

to maintain the desired communication with the settlements, the Committee considers it therefore their duty, not to let this rainy season pass without an effort to ascertain how far they could aid the travelling and Depôt party by replenishing the Expedition stores or by strengthening the personal of your party or by any other services.

Our fears have been very much enhanced by the imperfect information which the Exploration Committee possesses with regard to the actual amount of available stores taken forward by yourself and by Mr Wright from Menindie. The Exploration Committee has therefore reason to fear, that if anything has occurred to intercept Mr Wrights communication with Menindie, the party may be short of provisions without having it in their power to restore them.

Under these considerations the Exploration Committee has chosen Alfred Howitt Esqu to proceed with a light party to Coopers Creek, where we have reason to expect where Mr Wright's Depôt has been formed and intelligence may be gained of your intended movements and of any designs you may have formed in reliance on assistance to be sent for your party to the Gulf of Carpentaria.

From the annexed copy of instructions, issued for Mr Howitts guidance

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See Exploration Committee to A. Howitt, 24 June 1861 (in this edition as 61-06-24a).

you will perceive, that whatever lies within the power of the Committee will be done to facilitate the arduous task on which you are now engaged, and to alleviate the sufferings to which your party may be unavoidably exposed.

It will be for your consideration to determine whether you will avail yourself of Mr Howitt's aid for resupplying your party or for any other auxiliary services which circumstances may dictate, cooperate with Mr Howitt and carry out so far as in your power the instructions given to Mr Howitt.

Mr Welch who accompanies as surveyor Mr Howitts party is at liberty to place himself under your command should you deem it desirable thus to relieve Mr Wills of a part of his onerous duties and should you find it otherwise congruent with your previous arrangements.

Should Mr Welch therefore exchange his present position, you are requested to fill up the vacancy thus caused by placing if possible the services of one of your Men at Mr Howitt's disposal should that gentleman desire it. Considering the question of sending the Steam Sloop "Victoria" with supplies for your party to the North Coast, the Exploration Committee has deferred to recommend at present such a plan to the Government since no prearrangements whatever exist for meeting your party at any given spot, or within any specified period, and since we may be deprived of the opportunity of sending the Government Steamer to your aid, should suddenly the occasion arise.

It needs however not our assurance, that the Exploration Committee will readily and gratefully accept the prompt offer of Government to send the "Victoria" to the North Coast, should after receiving Mr Howitts report or any other intelligence in reference to the probable movements of your party or by a still more lengthened want of information, the necessity arises of adopting this plan.

The Six remaining Dromedaries at the Royal Park could be readily brought to the Darling with a final view of strengthening your caravan, should the experience which by this time you will have gained of the adaptability of these animals for crossing the Australian Interior, justify this step. Finally the Committee expresses an ardent hope, that under the guidance of providence yours and your companions labours in the great and responsible enterprise entrusted to your direction, will be rewarded with safe termination and glorious success, and that by the light shed through the Victorian Expedition on previously unexplored tracts of the Australian interior, the progress of civilization and Knowledge will, not only for the benefit of these colonies but also for the good of mankind at large, be vastly extended, and that it may fall also to your honorable share, to clear the mystery, which yet inveils the fate of a long missed "wanderer of the desert".

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i.e. Ludwig Leichhardt.

Robert O’Hara Burke Esqre

Leader of the Victorian Exploring Expedition