Melbourne bot. & zool. Garden,
15 Aug. 1861
Sir
I have the honor to inform you, that I have been instructed by the Committee of the zoological Garden at a meeting held yesterday to bring under your Honors notice, that two of the Dromedaries, placed under the Committees supervision by your order, 1 have been shipped to Adelaide for the purpose of strengthening the means at the Command of the South Australian Expedition sent out to relieve, if possible, Mr Burke's party.2
I have the honor to be,
Sir,
your most obedient and humble servant.
Ferd. Mueller.
Hon. Secr. to the zool. Committee
The honorable the Chief Secretary.
&c &c &c
On 19 August 1861, the Under Secretary, J. Moore, minuted the file: 'Would Dr Mueller have the goodness to state so far as he is aware the present distribution of the camels'. M minuted a reply on 28 August: 'The number of Dromedaries introduced by Mr Landells for the Government consisted of 24. One was born since their introduction. An additional young Animal was brought by Mr Landells on his private account and this was subsequently purchased by the Council of the Acclimatisation Society. The Exploration Committee purchased other 7 Dromedaries at Cremorne. — Of these 33 animals 27 were taken on in the Victorian Expedition. Of the present location of these, partly on the Darling, partly in the interior, partly in South Australia, it is not possible to give with accuracy account. — Of the six Camels, remaining in Melbourne after the Departure of the Exploring Expedition under Mr Bourke, two were recently sent to South Australia, leaving four under the control of the zoological Committee at the Royal Park.'
The expedition under John McKinlay, sent by the SA Government to search for traces of the Burke and Wills Exploring Expedition, 1860-61.
Please cite as “FVM-61-08-15,” 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