Private
12/4/65.
My dear and venerable friend.
I must in candor confess, that I am left in incertainty by my memory, whether or not I solicited your kind cooperation with the Ladies of the Leichhardts Committee in the cause of your poor friend. It is an object to raise the needful fund soon, throughout these colonies, in order that Mr Macintyres services1 may not be lost. Hence any aid of noble hearted people will be of advantage to the contemplated enterprise. Your honored name has an immense influence in N.S.W. & perhaps you will exercise it in the good cause. I think the hon. E. D. Thomson is willing to take a prominent part in the movement for Leichhardt there & in Mr Aldis2 you have a powerful friend.
The fair members of the Committee have adressed Lady Young3 & her Ladyship will undoubtedly be willing to see some excellent organisation formed for carrying out an extensive collecting for the expedition fund in N.S.W. Here the Schoolchildren, the Volunteers, the Medical men, are collecting. The Squatters are all adressed & we hope by shilling contributions to realize much from the Miners. The rest of the people are as far as known to us as generous directly adressed by the zealous Ladies It is a grand undertaking, one which I feel will be a historic one & which will perhaps accomplish what poor Leichhardt intended. So pray do what you can. I write these hurried lines tired at a late hour but will gladly maintain a communication with you on a subject to both of us of so profound interest.
Ever your attached friend
Ferd. Mueller
An article of yours in the papers would do an immensity of good4
Duncan McIntyre.
Willam Henry Aldis; see 'Leichhardt's last home correspondence', Sydney morninhg herald, 9 September 1865, p. 4).
Lady Adelaide Annabella Young, wife of Sir John Young, Governor of NSW, 1861-7.
A long letter from Clarke to the Editor was published in the Sydney morning herald, 1 July 1865, p. 6, under the heading ‘Leichhardt’.
MS inserted in a copy of B65.13.06 inscribed by M: 'To a venerable and dear friend of Dr Leichhardt, the Rev W. B. Clarke, M.A. F.G.S., F.R.G.S. [MLS] & & — in veneration & friendship the author.' The file also includes a copy of B65.13.05, inscribed by M: 'Rev. W. B. Clarke with the authors most friendly regards'.
Please cite as “FVM-65-04-12,” 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