The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: ¶ I am sorry that Mr Lindsay does not express himself more enthusiastic about the Leichhardt-Search. ¶ I am only anxious about the ¶ welfare of our branch ¶ . Kindly tell Mr Scarr and Mr Panton, th...

Document information

Physical location:

A38, Papers of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia (Victorian Branch), Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney. 88.10.00

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Alexander Macdonald, 1888-10. 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/1880-9/1888/88-10-00-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026

The manuscript is a fragment in M's hand located among letters to Macdonald and is assumed to have been written to him. It is dated to October 1888 based on its content, which implies that it followed the October meeting of the Council of the Victorian Branch of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia; see notes below. It is possible that it was written in early November.

I am sorry that Mr Lindsay does not express himself more enthusiastic about the Leichhardt-Search.

At the meeting of the Council of the Victorian Branch of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia on 30 October 1888, a telegram and follow-up letter from David Lindsay in Alice Springs, both dated 25 September 1888, were read, in which Lindsay reported finding 'an old gum tree … branded with an old L', that he thought might be one of Leichhardt's marks. A telegram sent by Macdonald, the secretary, in reply, urging Lindsay to follow this up at the Council's expense, was also read, together with Lindsay's response, dated 24 October, saying that he had to return to Adelaide (see Transactions and proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia (Victorian Branch), vol. 6, part 2, January 1889, pp. 10-12).

I am only anxious about the welfare of our branch . Kindly tell Mr Scarr and Mr Panton, that I had no pronounced opinion about Mr Lindts wish from the commencement but liked to show him every courtesy. Still it was not much he asked, and perhaps he would accept ½.

The very fact that Sir Will Macgregor add[ed] discoveries to discoveries, shows the undesirability of our withdrawing from New Guinea work, which will make far more show than any now left to be done in Central Australia

See Annual report on British New Guinea from 1 September 1888, to 30th June, 1889. Queensland Parliament, C.A. 13-1890 (1890). M worked up botanical specimens from MacGregor's expeditions in the highlands; see especially B89.13.11.