Mamsburry1
29 January 1860
Dr Mueller Esqr
Dear Sir
I take the liberty of writing to you concerning this expedition2 that that is about to start from Melbourne please to let me know who the person is that is to be [the] leader and when it is to start as I would like to gow with them and will doe all that lyes in my power als[o] there is a young man along with me whom I know for a length of time his temper is good and he Knows the bush well and he would wish to gow also his name is Jason Hassard
Dear Sir I hoop your health is much improved since I last saw you when you write Please direct your letter to R. Bowman Mamsburry Post Office to be Kept untill called for I am Sir yours ever truley
Robert Bowman
PS
Dear Sir
you acted as a friend to me when I last saw you but I am sorry to say that I am non able at this present time to refund to you the five pounds which you very kindly gave to me I will send it to you with many thanks as soon as possible.
R Bowman3
Malmsbury, Vic.
The expedition of which Robert O'Hara Burke was appointed leader on 30 June and which became known as the Burke & Wills Exploring Expedition, 1860-1.
MS annotation by M: 'Memo from one of Mr Gregorys best men. | Ferd Mueller'. Bowman would have been known to M from the North Australian Exploring Expedition, and he also accompanied Gregory on his later Leichhardt search expedition (see Gregory (1858) and Gregory (1858a)). Neither Bowman nor Hassard was appointed by Burke to the expedition party. See M et al. to the Royal Society of Victoria, December 1860 (in this edition as 60-12-00).
Please cite as “FVM-60-01-29,” in Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, edited by R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora†, J.H. Voigt† and Monika Wells accessed on