Ferdinand von Mueller

28/2/83

In my extensive travels during a long series of years through the wildernesses of Australia, dear Dr Creed, I found it safest to communicate as little as ever possible with the savages; hence I never learned enough of the habits of any tribe to answer any of the questions, submitted by you. I have however forwarded your circular

1

No copy of Creed’s circular has been found either among his papers at the Mitchell Library or elsewhere . Creed (1883) reports, at second-hand, various birth-control measures said to be practised by Aboriginal people across a vast area of the Australian outback, and indicates that Creed was seeking further information by means of a circular distributed ‘to all the settlers in the districts where these tribes live’ .

to Mr E. Giles, who took in his many explorations much notice of the blacks, and I have no doubt, that he will send you reliable answers to several of your queries. Medical Gentlemen, practising in the far interior, ought to be in a good position to afford information in the direction wished by you.