The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: 7/4/91. ¶ ¶ Two days ago, dear Mr Magarey, I sent to the worthy President of the S.A. Branch of the R.G.S.A. ¶ Sir Samuel Davenport. ¶ ¶ a copy of suggestions, which on request of your branch I had ...

7/4/91.

Two days ago, dear Mr Magarey, I sent to the worthy President of the S.A. Branch of the R.G.S.A.

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Sir Samuel Davenport.

a copy of suggestions, which on request of your branch I had written, to aid from here in the elaboration of instructions for Sir Th. Elder's Expedition;

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Elder Scientific Exploring Expedition, 1891-2. M's paper sent to Davenport not found.

but I had then not formally communicated with the Subcommittee of the Victorian Council on this subject, altho' I had over and over expressed my own views in general council here on what I considered the main-intentions of this new exploration. To save time I sent off my remarks on Monday, stating that I would forward any notes, which I might receive from members of the Subcommittee, a promise, which I now redeem by transmitting to you memoranda from Mr Panton received through Mr Macdonald last evening .

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Memoranda not found.

In offering some remarks on this communication it must

1, be a subject, on which we should all be clear, what the real objects of the Expedition ought to be, so that general instructions can be given accordingly. I therefore telegraphed on Saturday to Sir Samuel Davenport,

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M to S. Davenport, 4 April 1891 (in this edition as 91-04-04a).

kindly to ascertain Sir Thomas Elders final wishes on this subject.

2, My own ideas throughout have been, to get tracks through the two great spaces, still vacant on the chart with as good a show as possible without incurring any great dangers, and to endeavour clearing up after 40 years the fate of the Leichhardt-party, all other subjects to be subordinate. But perhaps Sir Th. Elder, altho' approving of these propositions, may have other additional orders to give, and whatever this Maecenas wishes to be carried out, should of course implicitly be adhered to.

3, As a matter of course the Leader of the party should not be hampered by too stringent instructions, given by our branches of the Society; but nevertheless he should precisely know the two main objects of the Expedition.

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Marginal note by M, crossed through: 'It is gratifying that Mr Lindsay will have so sturdy a Lieutenant as Mr Leech under him, both being before connected in exploring work.'

4, As regards the first half of the journey it is necessarily left to the discretion of the Leader according to the lay of the as yet unknown country, whether he will or can keep generally a midway-course. N o one would expect the party to go straight west over sand-hills or dense scrubs, if by moderate deviations this can be avoided; but the Caravane should not be thrown out of the direct course unnecessarily What it is to do at Victoria-Spring is difficult to see, even if that hidden water in our present state of knowledge could easily be found from the north. I can neither see, why the party should go to occupied squatting country, long ago explored at Termination-Lake

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Now Lake Gregory, WA.

and Elseys Creek

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NT.

.

5, As in Latitude about 25° S. a line of waters exist, should between 27° and 28° S no water exist extensively, the party can reach always known waters within about 100 miles easily, particularly in the cool season, by turning northward, a distance over and over accomplished by the early explorers with horses only.

6, Whether it is preferable to engage at the outset an aboriginal or only after starting for the second part of the journey, your Council will be best able to decide. To me it appears however, that one

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of the crossed out.

young semicivilized natives, if also in the party during the first half of the expedition, would be of very great use in many things which hardly any European is capable of doing. Who can tell, whether Leichhardt did perhaps penetrate to Mt Weld, to which on my own urging Mr J. Forrest was sent in 1869, because then rumours came that a party of travellers from the east perished in that direction on a large Lake, interrogations of the natives being desirable anywhere. Such early engagement does not hinder to pick up a second autochthon, speaking another language, when the party arrives at any of the sources of the De Grey's R.

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WA.

7, It seems to me more likely, than unlikely, that waters, also sufficient for a number of dromedaries will be found between 27° & 28° S., altho' perhaps at great distances. An aboriginal could greatly help finding such and particularly in communicating with native tribes also there.

8, The second part of the expedition in its midway-course may certainly prove during its earlier part very difficult for want of water. But Mr McPhee has heard positively of natives living far south of Warburtons track, while Mr Carr-Boyd and some others have visited fresh waters to the south of Termination-Lake or heard of such.

9, As I trust timely arrangements for refitting and reprovisioning will be made at sources of De Grey's River, or if necessary some earlier supplies can be obtained in about that longitude much farther south, I do not share Mr Panton's view, that the Expedition need be loaded at starting with 12 months provision! If the progress of the party however became delayed by not urgent deviations or by frequent prolonged halts , such a difficulty as my friend Mr Panton apprehends might arise. In the worst case one or more Dromedaries would require to be sacrificed for food.

10, It will be a matter of consideration yet, whether the Expedition should carry some light A pparatus to bore for water .

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Pencilled annotation: 'ordered already'.

11, If the party was to make the survey-line of Mr Carruthers west of the Musgrave's Range

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John Carruthers, who began the triangulation of the area around the Musgrave and Tomkinson Ranges and Deering Hills, SA, to the WA border in 1888, that was not completed until 1892.

carrying only to the boundary of S.A. a base-line of operations, it would loose far too much time going to and fro for effecting any conspicuous exploration within fair time, thus defeating its objects and the party would likely require the whole year for only getting through half the Expedition, and thus the final cost would be doubled without adequate advantages. Right- and left-explorations from the new straight track can be done in subsequent years by pasturalists and miners The spring, mentioned by Mr P., could be resorted to in case of great need, but otherwise it would be too far out of the way of the real road of the Expedition, which was not planed for minor sub-expeditions "as for such no large costly party is needed"

12, In flat country a traveller can see ahead or aside only to about 20 miles and even to see high ranges needs 50 miles while the width of the southern unexplored area is 200-300 miles and that of the northern even more! So no one can tell much about it as yet. so there is ample space in the two great areas for the existence of Hills even of some magnitude. Some boldness , tempered with caution, must be displayed in any great historic enterprise .

With regardful remembrance

your

Ferd. von Mueller

Postscript. Mr Macdonald just sent your note of the 4th. I thought Mr Leech was conversant with Surveying. Mr Goyder will best be able to make selection

Suggestions

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A new page commences at this point, with a marginal note by M: 'A copy of this was sent to Sir Samuel Davenport on Monday last (6 Apr.)'.

in reference to instructions for the honorable Sir Thomas Elder's forthcoming expedition.

1. Route : To start for the first large unmapped place on a course as much as possible midway between Gosse's track of 1873 and Forrest's track of 1874 at the north, and Giles's

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Ernest Giles.

track of 1875 at the south, to turn at about 123° East. Long. northerly to the sources of the De Grey's River, for replenishing the outfit and provisions there from awaiting supplies, and to traverse then the second large unmapped area easterly, thus to come out as nearly as possible midway between Termination-Lake and Lake Macdonald.

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WA.

2, Leichhardt-Search : To institute during the second part of the expedition assiduous and persevering enquiries about traces and traditions of the Leichhardt-party among any approachable aboriginal tribes especially in the desert S.E. of Johanna's Spring,

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Joanna Spring, WA?

as information was gained by Mr McPhee from natives near that spring that among a tribe 10 days journey farther S.E. yet articles (a hatchet for instance) exist, which belonged to a party of 3 Europeans and one aboriginal, who came many years ago on horses from the east-ward, and perished from thirst while searching but not finding some water in rock-holes in that region.

3, Geography main object : To keep the geographic plan throughout the Expedition prominently in view, except where chances exist to clear up the fate of Dr Leichhardt and of such of his companions as may have reached with him so far westerly. To these two leading objects all others should be subordinated, so that no serious delays in the carrying out of the geographic objects can arise.

4, Safety of the party by deviation or retreat : Whatever the daily arrangements at any time may be in proceeding, no movement should be made, by which the retreat of the party to the last water be cut off, unless other waters, clearly indicated on already existing charts, are safely within reach.

5, Professional diaries : Each officer is to be instructed, to keep daily notes of observations in that branch of science, entrusted to his investigations, such diaries as well as any sketches, photograms &c to be delivered through the Leader after the close of the Expedition to the hon. Sir Th. Elder.

6, Gathering and preserving specimens : For guidance in this respect the Professors of the Adelaide-University should be asked to prepare detail-instructions of the mode to be adopted in each branch of knowledge, represented by them.

7, Delivery of Collections formed : Also these, immediately after the return of the Expedition should be delivered through the Leader to the honor. Sir Th. Elder or to any such institution, as he may direct, to deal with the specimens.

8, Sowing of utilitarian plants Seeds of such, particularly of those yielding an early return, ought to be sown at any convenient camp or at any other favorable place, so far as this can be done without delay to the party.

9, Cases of extreme difficulty : In cases of great distress or much perplexity, the Leader should call to a council his officers for their opinions, without necessarily being required to act on any advise thus tendered.

10, Religious observance . Each Sunday a chapter from the Bible and a prayer should be read, for which religious service [if possible] all the members of the party should be [...]

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Marginal text cut off. For reply, see A. Margery to M, 8 April 1891.

The correspondence of

Ferdinand von Mueller

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