Ferdinand von Mueller

1

MS annotation by M: 'Ackn end of Nov see letter book'.

Adelaide

Novr 24th 87.

My dear Baron

I thank you very much for your kindly expressions of congratulation

2

Letter not found.

upon my appointment to the charge of the Lake Amadeus Expedition and with regard to Mr Giles I would wish to point out that I have never at any time put myself forward in this matter

3

Ernest Giles had been expected to lead an exploration party in a similar area, but appeals to the Governments of SA and WA were unsuccessful (see, for example, J. Brooking to M, 10 March 1887). An appeal to potential private sponsors (Circular, in this edition as 87-08-24) raised insufficient funds. The Victorian Branch of the Royal Geographical Association offered to transfer the funds that had been raised to the the SA branch (M to S. Davenport, 9 November 1887), and Tietkens was appointed. The expedition was delayed by continuing lack of funds but individual members of the SA branch intended 'to propose some other way of acquiring knowledge of that almost unknown region' (S. Davenport to M, 12 February 1888). In 1889 Tietkens led an expedition to the area, 'Despatched by the Central Australian Exploring and Prospecting Association, Limited' (Tietkens (1890) and related Map shewing route of the Central Australian Exploring and Prospecting Association expedition, under command of William Henry Tietkens , 1889, digitized by the Ntional Library of Australia as http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-231442462 ). No evidence has been found that the subtitle to the journal, 'Under the auspices of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia, South Australian Branch', was in response to funding.

I was asked a year ago as to who would be the best man to take the party & I unhesitatingly said Giles and Giles was applied to and for a while it was an understood thing that he was to take it but as there seemed no immediate prospect of Funds being collected he entered into an engagement to go to the Kimberly & I feel much hurt that he did not write to me before he started, for I know nothing whatever of his whereabouts this is certain, Giles knew perfectly well that I wished to go and very generously withdrew his name from the undertaking but I hope sincerely hope that he has not expressed feelings of disappointment to you for I assure you my dear Baron that I have not once put myself forward, the Geograph Sec wrote to Giles repeatedly without receiving any reply and then they appealed to me, So that I am somewhat puzzled when you tell me of his telegram from Port Darwin expressing disappointment for it [...]

4

Word illegible.

agree with his generously with drawing his name a few months previous:

I would wish for an opportunity to write to him but his Sister in a letter to a friend of hers said that he had gone to Hong Kong & from there he was going to Kimberly

5

Kimberley; Giles and W. H. J. Carr-Boyd travelled on the S.S. Guthrie sailing to Hong Kong 'via ports', but disembarked at Darwin, NT to go 'to the Kimberley gold mining districts on a tour of inspection' (Northern Territory times and gazette, 29 October 1887, p. 2).

it seems to be a fairly goodseason in the Interior & we may hope that not more than the usual amount of difficulties may present themselves during the trip