Ferdinand von Mueller

1/8/77.

I answer your considerate official letter,

1

Letter not found, but see M to M. Fraser, 7 August 1876, and notes thereto.

dear Mr Fraser, inofficially, but beg of you to thank his Excellency the Governor for all he has done & recommended in my interest. So far however as I can understand from the wording of your letter, the R. Honorable the Earl Carnarvon must be under the impression, that the colony of New South Wales sent out Gregorys Expedition.

2

North Australia Exploring Expedition, 1855-6.

Now, this enterprise arose entirely with the home Government under the Duke of Newcastle, and it was merely for facilities sake, that the expedition was fitted out in Sydney, Sir William Denison merely disbursing the funds of the Home Government, which alone directed the enterprise. No portion of N. S. Wales was explored in that Expedition but we penetrated into W. A. No fund from N. S. W. was expended on the Expedition of 1855-1856, of which I was naturalist. It was a short subsequent expedition, in which I did not share, which was fitted out by the Governm. of N. S. W. under Gregory to trace Leichhardt.

3

A. C. Gregory led an expedition that set out in December 1857 to search for traces of Leichhardt in the channel country of south-west Queensland. The expedition then travelled south and west along Coopers Creek and Strzelecki Creek through the desert regions of northern South Australia, eventually reaching Adelaide in July 1858.

Perhaps His Excellency may see his way clear, to bring the exact position, which I occupied under the home government only, again kindly under the notice of his Lordship the Earl. I may add, that I gave up for 2 years a salary of £500 (= £1000) and accepted £250 a year instead (= £500) simply to serve a great scientific purpose! These £500 were spent by me nearly all in my outfit and other requirements, some assisting subsequently to work out the details of my observations of 1855-1856.