To John Macadam¹    12 July 1860

Melbourne botanic & zoolog. Garden,

12 July 1860.

Sir

I have the honor of returning to you the schedule of estimates prepared for the outfit of the Victorian exploring expedition and submitted for my opinion, and I beg in accordance with the wishes of the Exploration Committee to submit the following suggestions.

It might be advisable to substitute a quantity of Salt pork for Bacon, the former having proved on previous journeys the more wholesome of the two.² The bones of either might be removed for the sake of saving transport weight.

I cannot recommend to provide butter for any great length of time, unless it should be absolutely needed for the Indian Camel drivers.

Perhaps a small flock of sheep might be purchased on the Darling and driven to the Depot on Coopers Creek.

On the quantities of the provisions, as enumerated in the schedule, I cannot offer any opinion; since I am neither acquainted with the number of the party nor the scale of rations adopted.

A less purified kind of sugar is more readily packed and injures less the pack bags than lump sugar; a very small quantity of molasses contained in cruder kind of sugar seemed often rather advantageous.

For the sake of variety of food a few Ctw³ of sago might be substituted for some of the rice.

If bisquits were to be provided, it would be preferable to have meat-bisquits purposely made. The best compostion for this purpose would be equal parts of flour and of the preserved boneless meat and bouillon, such as in 6 lb canisters is supplied to the Royal Navy; the dough formed of this mixture is by baking reduced to 1/4 of its weight. Thus 3 lb of these bisquits would be equal to 4 lb of boiled beef and flour collectively, whilst pork and bacon in packbags during hot weather will very largely loose of their weight by melting of the fat and will also become rancid. The meat bisquits offer moreover a ready food to the travelling party in wet weather, or under other circumstances, when baking cannot readily be carried out.

I would further recommend to provide for the exploring party a few Ctw. of dried apples raisins currants or other fruit, which will prove particularly wholesome to any of the party hereafter affected with scorbut.⁴ For the same purpose a small quantity of dried potatoes might be secured.

For limejuice citric acid and a few ounces essential oil of lemon might be advantageously substituted, it being a point of importance to avoid the transport of fluids in hard vessels on pack animals, the pressure of large hard substances (irrespective of the danger of breakage) causing so easily sores to the animals of burden.

The horses shoes should exactly fit to each particular horse and be numbered accordingly.

The strongest canvass for the repair of packbags, which greatly suffer by travelling through scrubs, should be available in sufficient quantity.

It is much to be doubted, whether the employment of wheeled vehicles is advantageous, particularly as stores can be brought pr. steamer up the Murray and Darling river.

A boat is easier constructed, if even ever required, than conveyed into a distant part of the interior by land.

It seems no socks are provided, they are most essential as often for the sake of relieving the saddle horses much foot marching is necessary.

A waterproof coat is required for each man, also some oilcloath for certain packages.

The number of horses seems to me not sufficient, in as much as bullocks cannot be relied on for performing as pack-animals those rapid journeys, necessary in a scantily watered country, and as the adaption of the Camels for travels in Central Australia, however likely it may appear, is yet to be proved. Thus the former must principly be regarded as furnishing beef at the depôts, whilst in reference to Camels we have yet to learn, whether they are likely to escape destruction from poisonous herbs, the presence of which in many parts of the interior being a well ascertained fact. The number of the bullocks might be decreased in proportion to the augmented number of the horses.

At least three reams of papers and a dosend of past⁵ boards and a few square feet of stout leather are needed for securing botanical collections.

Of saddle-straps it will be advisable to secure a large number.

I percieve no item provided for instruments and other material of the Geologist, whose researches next to those of the geographer are clearly the most important in the scientific part of the expedition, bearing immediately on the agricultural pastoral and mineral resources of the country to be explored. — Yet the geological supplies are perhaps provided from the respective public Department. There is also no estimate of the material needed for the artist.

Strong ropes for extricating horses and oxen out of bogs, for suspending fresh beef for drying, for occasional teathers &c should be provided.

A pair of scales and a spring-ballance is requisite for issueing rations, balancing loads &c; further bells to be attached to those animals inclined to stray.

Spurs seem omitted in the list. Spare saddle girths are most essential. A few lb sperm candles should be available for emergencies, in cases of nightly accidents &c.

A large quantity of the strongest canvass bags purposely made and numbered in paint, and well fitting to the saddle bags should be held in readiness for packing provisions, stores &c.

I would recommend to provide some spare nipples &c for firearms, also fishing hooks and lines and tobacco-pipes. Two large united iron letters V.E. (Victorian Expedition) might be provided for burning marks into the trees on any camp.

Seeds of culinary vegetable and other useful plants adopted to the hotter zone, including a large quantity of melon seeds for dissemination through the interior will be provided by this department.

I have the honor to be

Sir

your most obedient servant

Ferd. Mueller.⁶

The Hon. Secretary of the Exploration Committee

Articles required for the Equipment and provisioning of the twenty men for twelve months⁷