Ferdinand von Mueller

Melbourne,

9/11/87.

The honorable Sir Samuel Davenport, K.C.M.G.,

President of the S.A. branch of the R.G.S.A. &c

On receipt of the telegram from the hon. Secr. of the S.A. branch of our Society,

1

Royal Geographical Society of Australasia.

dear Sir Samuel, the Victorian Council held at once a meeting, and considered the altered position, in which we were placed by the interim journey of Mr Giles to Arnhem's Land.

2

M did not restrict his use of this name to the region in NT that bears it today but applied it to much of northern Australia west of the Qld border. Ernest Giles in fact went to the Kimberley district of WA.

My Colleagues of the Council share your opinion, as I fully do, that delay in carrying the contemplated exploration timely on, would be very regrettable, as we can not at all reckon on a continuation of such favorable seasons, like the present has hitherto been, and as Mr Giles, (when I pointed out to him the embarrasment, which through his absense for several month would arise,) did recommend, that in the event of he not being entrusted with conducting the enterprise, Mr Tietkens should be chosen to lead the party. We therefore resolved, that we would, — subject to the approval of our subscribers here, — place our fund at the disposal of your branch, the sum unfortunately being hitherto less than £200, and we thus leave it to the discretion of the S.A branch , what the final arrangements should be. This we are all the more anxious to get decided in S.A., as the generous Sir Thomas Elder's wishes must be particularly studied, for without the renewal of his munificence of lending Dromedaries, the party would be almost powerless to face the deserts about and beyond Lake Amadeus.

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NT.

It occurred however to us here, as Mr Giles and Mr Tietkens were "companions in arms" before, and as both are of a disposition to cooperate, that some understanding may be arrived at, by which Mr G. could join the expedition and share in the leadership by he coming down (after his intended absense of four months along the telegraph-line from Port Darwin and meeting Mr T. somewhere near the MacDonnell-Range. Mr G. is now already about a month away, and it will take Mr T. of course some time to get gear and outfit ready, to obtain the Camels at Beltana

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SA.

and to reach the Macdonell-Ranges. As Mr G. does not ask a salary, there seems to be no financial reason against his participating in the expedition, on my own instigation contemplated by himself. In justice to Mr G. I must remark, that he would never have gone to the Kimberley-District had his worldly means not become exhausted, and had we here been able, to make more promising progress in collecting funds. In expressing these views on behalf of the Vict. geogr. Council we do not wish thereby to impede the free action of the S.A. branch, as this expedition concerns essentially your colony and Western Australia but we are still here thinking, that the last mentioned Colony might contribute on a solicitation from yourself. No doubt some responsibility arises in choosing an explorer for traversing so difficult a country, who has domestic ties and a young family; but I presume, that at all events Mr T. has connected himself with some life-insurance institution. I need not remark to one, so conversant with exploratory matters as yourself, that scope and space exists far more than one Central Australian Exploration party for more than one year. So perhaps we can find means, to keep two parties going, — for the quicker the rest of Australia is mapped, the sooner revenues and private incomes will become realized from tracts of countries, which remained far too long latent, considering the stage into which Australia has now passed with its history, its appliances, its talents, its aspirations and its duties towards the world at large.

I avail myself of this opportunity, dear Sir Samuel, to impress on you the desirability, as I have done also in adressing some time ago Sir Edward Strickland, that the cause of antarctic exploration be pleaded by the S.A. geogr. Council with your Government. There can be no doubt, that steam-whalers can most remuneratively be employed in latitudes, not accessible to the few sailing whalers on our coast; and we may also be sure, that steamers, fitted for regions towards the pole, will make Australia their home, so as to be able, to slip away at the earliest chances southward, their annual cargo — so far as not required here by ourselves — being shipped home by ordinary merchant-vessels. All this means increased trade and industrial wealth to every one of the Australian colonies, and therefore the tentative antarctic enterprise should at least for one seasons reconnoitering be sustained by all the Governments of Australia, so as to show an earnestness which would induce the Imperial Government to aid also. If S.A. would also promise, to give substantial support, we might here perhaps secure a vote, before the Parliamentary session closes; otherwise — at best — even the season 1888-1889 will be lost also.