Ferdinand von Mueller

1

Letter not found. The text given here is from 'The Ladies’ Leichhardt Search Expedition', Brisbane courier , 29 April 1871, p. 5 (B71.04.02). The letter is introduced by: 'Dr. Mueller, of Melbourne, writing to a friend in Brisbane, respecting our late comments upon the discoveries of Sub-Inspector Gilmour, says —'.

Melbourne Botanic Gardens, April 17

That Mr. Hely could not penetrate further, concerns not me.

2

In 1852, Hovenden Hely, one of Leichhardt's companions on his aborted second expedition, led the first expedition sent out into western Queensland to search for traces of Leichhardt and his companions, following their disappearance during his third expedition.

Just as little have I any cause to give an opinion of a subsequent special search expedition,

3

Led by Augustus Gregory; see A. Gregory (1858a).

which was formed in 1858 in New South Wales, and cost, I believe, £3000 sterling. In 1862 Leichhardt's two horses were found near the Flinders, and his supposed marked tree there. This gave rise to the Ladies' Expedition; and I hold that no man, whoever he may be, had a right to discourage the search until the actual remains of the party were found. In this view I am supported by the humanity of the whole world. I believe that the ladies can even take credit to themselves of having through me urged to some measure the expediency of sending out after the 'straggling long-bearded white man,' who, so several newspapers told us, was wandering west of the Thomson River, and that thus, to say the least, an additional impulse was given to the sending of Mr. Gilmour, who, in an extremely favorable season for water, accomplished his task with so much credit.

4

James Gilmour in 1871 investigated persistent stories about a white man living with Aborigines west of Cooper's Creek.

The editor of the Courier is probably not aware that a Bristol lady (a Mrs Robertson) has continued writing year after year to the Ladles' Committee to urge the continuation of the search after Leichhardt's party, because she hoped to see yet again a brother, who accompanied Leichhardt in his last disastrous expedition. But I wish on this occasion to defend the measures of the ladies in sending their expedition.

The season was a frightful one for drought, it ruined many a squatter, as it ruined the expedition. Mr M'Intyre was a brave and experienced bushman. Is it noble now to find fault with him after he sacrificed his life in the enterprise?

The ladies organised the expedition on the footing of a contract. Such had its trial, and would in a fair season (so I believe) have worked well. The remnants of the means left after poor M'Intyre's death were insufficient to continue the contract properly.

'A thousand pounds would be spent and nothing done,'

5

The quotation is from Brisbane courier , 5 April 1871, p. 2, in the editorial accompanying the narrative account of Gilmour's expedition which found three unburied skeletons that he supposed to be of white men. The editorial included the other points to which M is responding in his letter, including 'Mr Hely turned back at Nivella, but if he could have followed up the tracks the mystery of Leichhardt's fate would have been cleared up fifteen years ago'.

implies that the Ladies' Expedition did nothing for the £1000 received from Queensland. How unfair and cruel an assertion of a public journalist. M'Intyre mapped carefully as much of Queensland on his track as the length of the kingdom of Italy or that of Sweden would be. This ought to be well known to anybody in Brisbane. Besides, the money raised in Victoria was mainly spent in Queensland; indeed, altogether, nearly £4000 were disbursed. Your colony has had ample recompense and benefits of the Ladies' Expedition.

Mr Gilmour's excellent services should be again employed in this extraordinary season of water supply to set the fate of the whole party of Leichhardt absolutely at rest. Now after his judicious exertions he did obtain a real clue to the fate of the explorers, the remaining bodies ought to be found, also some real evidence be brought in of the whereabouts of all the horses, mules, and oxen which may have been partly drowned and buried in débris, partly speared, and partly be alive and strayed far. Besides, other evidences of Leichhardt's fate ought, now, to be readily forthcoming.

The public mind will not be satisfied until the whole mystery of Leichhardt's death is more fully cleared up, and the rumor of a white insane man being yet alive is fully disproved.

As regards the Ladies' Committee, their exertions were great, and so were their anxieties through a series of years, and some slight consideration towards them should be observed. As regards myself, I do not care for either praise or censure, but shall be actuated in my public and private career by the principles of an honest and conscientious man, anxious to do his duties, though such duties may involve not only great toil and long continued, but even large substantial sacrifices.

We have no news of any traces of Leichhardt's expedition from the overland telegraph line, so all other remnants of that unfortunate enterprise of a highminded man, who for ever is entitled to the gratitude of Queensland specially, will likely be within a limited geographical area –