Document information

Physical location:

ML MSS.2134/1, Royal Geographical Society of Australasia (NSW Branch) papers, Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney. 85.05.11

Preferred Citation:

Crawford Pasco to Ferdinand von Mueller, 1885-05-11. R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora, J.H. Voigt and Monika Wells (eds), Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, <https://vmcp.rbg.vic.gov.au/id//letters/1880-9/1885/85-05-11-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026

GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY OF AUSTRALASIA,
VICTORIAN BRANCH
East St Kilda
1
Melbourne.
11 May 1885
My dear Baron
Immediately that your request reached me respecting Mr Vail's invention of a Boat and Waggon combined for Exploration purposes in any country, I called on Mr Vail
2
W. K. Vail?
to inspect whatever he had to submit —
As it consisted of only his own rough draft of plans it would be scarcely fair to pronounce an opinion of what a fully developed machine might prove to be still I fear there is little in it to recommend it for practicability —
The main feature on which Mr Vail seemed to base its success was a single wheel to be used as a driving wheel for the Paddles — the boat or Vehicle being composed of Basket work and cork was the best part of it but as a locomotive by manual labor I fear the advantages would be Nil —
Hoping you may soon be convalescent
3
M had been complaining of poor health during the early part of 1885 (see, for example, M to E. Ramsay, 9 March 1885) and he referred to his persistent cough as limiting his activities when declining, in M to F. Barnard, 10 April 1885 , the invitation to be nominated as President of the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria . Nothing further is known, however, about the illness to which Pasco here alludes.
Believe me
my dear Baron
faithfully yours
Crawford Pasco