Ferdinand von Mueller

1

For the text of this 'open letter', see Melbourne punch, 25 January 1866, p. 36, under the headline 'Melbourne Punch to Dr. Ferdinand Mueller, F.R.S. &c &c.'

MY EXCELLENT FRIEND—

Nobody doubts your learning, your enthusiasm, your industry, your general goodness of heart, and your perfect sincerity both in the interests of science and the cause of Leichardt; but a good many of us doubt your discretion. When, some months ago, you succeeded, after great exertion and much personal sacrifice, in organising an exepdition

2

expedition?

in search of the deplored Leichardt, I kept silence. I could not approve of a scheme whose results were sure to be fruitless, and which might be disastrous; but out of the high regard I entertained for you, and the perfect conviction I had of your sincere belief in the necessity for the expedition, I forebore to fling upon it so much as a single drop of cold water, though, if almost anybody but yourself had originated the scheme, I should have been constrained to turn upon it a very strong jet. I could not but admire your ardent wish to recover traces of your lost compatriot, and the steady aid you received from the ladies would have made it a very ungracious task to offer absolute opposition. Indeed, between you and me, I knew that when the ladies took the matter up, opposition would, in accordance with a well-understood principle of moral force, have only helped on the project. Therefore, I naught spake; fearing much — but hoping a great deal, as becomes my sanguine temperament. And now I am not going to reproach you. I admire your enthusiasm as much as ever I did. Your generous devotion appears to me as beautiful as it always did; but —and I am serious now—don't get up any more expeditions in search of LEICHARDT. Let living men's lives be more precious than a dead man's memory, illustrious as this may be. The men whom you sent forth have barely escaped with existence.

3

News of the travails of the Leichhardt Search Expedition in severe drought conditions near Cooper’s Creek reached Melbourne in January and the press carried brief accounts, for example, Australasian, 13 January 1866, p. 5: 'Dr. Murray … reports the whole party broken up, after narrowly escaping from drought at Coopers Creek'. See also D. McIntyre to M, 30 March 1866.

Another hour or two and they would have been added to the long list of victims of whom I am every day reminded as I pass out of my door. There is no sadder episode in our history than that of BURKE and WILLS. Let their monument be the only one of its kind.

4

The Punch office was at 77 Collins Street East, Melbourne, near the original site of the memorial statue of Burke and Wills at the corner of Collins and Russell Streets, where it was unveiled in April 1865.