February 1st [186]51
Dear Dr Mueller
The Council have requested me to enquire whether you think it will be long before the camels reserved for the assistance of the Party who may go out in search of Leichardt2 will be removed from Mr Wilson's station. The Council are exceedingly anxious to relieve Mr Wilson of the charge more especially as he has several times requested that he might be so relieved and if it would not be in opposition to your wishes they would propose that permission be asked of the Chief Secretary to locate these animals at [one]3 of the Police Stations until you were ready to receive them. The Council have thought it better to defer any action related to the animals asked for by Mr Wilson4 until they are in receipt of definite information from the Pastoral Company to which they are under offer.
I am
Yours faithfully
editorial addition.
M was urging that a new search expedition be mounted, to follow up traces supposed to be of Leichhardt that had been found by Duncan McIntyre; this eventually resulted in the Ladies' Leichhardt Search Expedition, 1865-6. He had alerted the Council of the Acclimatisation Society at its meeting of 10 January that 'it was possible that within a short time a party would be organised to go out in search of Leichhardt, … Should this party be formed, they would request the Government to allow them to take a portion of the camels on the expedition.' (Argus, 12 January 1865, pp. 4-5).
some?
The camels were held at a property of Wilson Brothers (Samuel (1832-1895) with Alexander, Charles and John) in the Wimmera (ADB), probably at "Longerenong" ('Victoria's Country Towns … Horsham district', Weekly times (Melbourne), 12 May 1928, p. 5, col. d).
While the file copy is unsigned, it is in Sprigg's handwriting.
Please cite as “FVM-65-02-01,” 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