Ferdinand von Mueller

1

Letter not found. For the text given here, see Daily telegraph (Melbourne), 19 February 1886, p. 7. This text is introduced with the following information: ‘Through the courtesy of Baron von Mueller, we have received a copy of the following letter, addressed to him by a Mr. Edwin [sic] Bright, on the subject of some supposed traces of Leichhardt and his party, which Mr. Bright, who is in charge of some travelling stock, claims to have discovered in the Lower Flinders and Cloncurry district. Mr. Bright has been urged by the Geographical Society to follow up these traces, which, it is considered, may very likely throw some light on Leichhardt’s fate‘.

The report, with Bright’s letter, was reprinted in Brisbane courier, 1 March 1886, p. 3, and West Australian, 20 March 1886, p. 5.

Queensland, 96 Camp,

February 9, 1886.

Baron von Mueller. —

Sir, —Seeing an article on remains of Dr. Leichhardt in the Age newspaper of the 8th of January,

2

See R. Uhr to M, 7 January 1886. See also Belooch to M, 5 January 1886.

and having been in the Lower Flinders and Cloncurry district last season, and having found a grave (a white man’s grave) on the Landsborough or Alexander River, in an out-of-a-way place, I thought from the apparent age of the timber that was placed around the grave at the time, and still think, can it be any of the long-lost party who is lying there? I told the owner of the run last season of my discovery, and of the timber being so rotten around it; but he (Mr. M’Kenna, of Talanwanta) knew nothing of it. Being in haste at the time, looking for a near cut to take sheep, I did not examine the locality, and I did not know Leichhardt was down that way until I read this article. I am going again down near that spot, and if you think it worth while to open the grave and examine minutely for any trace of the unfortunate lost ones, I will do so. I kept a good look out last time for any remains of this long-lost party, as when men are lost, or driven to despair, there is no knowing which way they may go; but on this trip I shall make it one of my chief duties to examine as close as possible each mile of my route to my destination, Austral Downs, on South Australian border. I shall follow down Flinders, cross Cloncurry, the Leichhardt, Gregory, and, I believe, some other river; but should I find any trace so as there can be no disputing it, you shall hear from me by wire as early as possible. It will take me some months to get out there, as I am travelling with 1,200 rams, and I am at present not far from Goondiwindi, on road to St. George. I should think, from the appearance of the timber, that it must have been cut by axe or tomahawk, and placed there at least twenty or thirty years; there is a fork of paperwood-tree, or ti-tree, placed at what I should take to be the head of the grave; this is in a state of good preservation. In conclusion, I may offer a few observations. If Leichhardt and party were down in that part, they may have died with the Gulf fever, as it is very bad in that part; or if they were in one of the low-lying localities of a wet season, the chances are they were all drowned, and little or no trace whatever left of them. I shall, however, make every inquiry of any natives I may meet, and shall do my best to clear up this long, sad mystery. —