Ferdinand von Mueller

Melbourne bot Garden

23/4/69

You may imagine, dear Mr Barlee, that I felt highly gratified, when I heard how promptly and how generously your honorable Colleagues and yourself had conceded to my solicitations, that a light party during the now commenced cool season should follow up Mr Mongers discoveries.

1

See F. Barlee to M, 31 March 1869.

It does the West Australian Government great credit and the pleasure, which I feel, in contemplating the hopeful chances of this enterprise are only mingled with the regret, that I cannot participate in it. I explained the causes already in my last letter,

2

Letter not found.

why it was finally not possible for me to join the party, and how it remains now even unsettled when I may revisit West Australia. That this however will take place some day and perhaps soon you may rest assured, unless it pleases providence to call me suddenly away from my earthly career.

Mr Forrest

3

John Forrest led the expedition, see J. Forrest (1869), also reported in J. Forrest (1870).

has a fair and rare chance to win his spurs, and I am confident he will avail himself of it. As a rule the small expeditions, conducted in an unselfish and heroic spirit, have done the most difficult work, and even in the larger enterprises at last the main work fell only on a few select men. The history of Australian discovery has proved this throughout. I anticipate, that Mr Forrest will penetrate as far as least as the supposed large Lake, of which the natives speak. In all probability it will be a vast saline depression, such as Lake Torrens, Lake Eyre, Lake Gairdner,

4

All SA.

which all at rainy seasons are converted into swamps or large lakes. I feel very much indebted to the W.A Government for the intended concession, that I might take a leading part in this new itineration. Let us hope that Mr Forrest will stay out as long as he can, even should he be compelled to depend on very reduced supplies. A party is always very quickly disbanded, but not so very easily reorganized.

Should any grand successes be attained and other discoveries remain in prospect, then, I am sure, your Government, will send Mr Forrest at once out again. There is always so much material benefit sooner or later arising from these enterprises, that sums, economically spent on them, bear always a vast interest

I acquainted the Ladies of the Leichhardt Search Committee with the new movement in your territory & may promise, that some reward will be collected should the exploration prove successful

5

The text that follows is on a separate sheet, f. 186, that in the file immediately follows the main body of the letter. The common subject-matter suggests that it was a postscript to the letter

I may confidentially remark, that I have drawn the attention of his Excellency Count Bismark

6

Bismarck?

through my venerable friend Professor Alexander Braun of Berlin to the generous action of the W.A. Government, and I have made a request that in the event of a successful issue of the enterprise a despatch of thanks should be sent to you.

I have also acquainted Sir Rod. Murchison, Professor Petermann of Gotha, Commandeur Negri of Florence, Prof Hochstetter in Vienne and other leading Geographers with the new enterprise

7

M to R. Murchison, 24 April 1869 (in this edition as 69-04-24a); M to A. Petermann, 22 April 1869; letters to Negri and Hochstetter not found.