Monday
29/5/65.
Allow me, honorable and dear Sir, to remind you of your kind promise to bring the application of the Ladies of the Leichhardt search Committee this day before your colleagues. The Ladies are summoned to hear your decision to morrow and I will do myself the honor of waiting on you before their meeting to learn your views. I sincerely trust, that you will kindly grant the modest sum of £500 - - asked for the furtherance of the enterprise. Your generosity would strengthen the claims of the Ladies on the other Governments and as the other colonies have been called upon already to contribute a telegram will be sent immediately on learning of your having granted the Ladies request to secure a distinct sum from the other Governments, in order that Mr M'Intyres services and the season may not be lost.1 You may rest assured, that the most scrupulous care will be used in the expedition, and that this will be the only call on your aid for the enterprise.
On your favorable decision of this day it will depend, whether the search party can be at once organised. Unquestionably it would be finally done by private means solely, but to obtain them will burden an immensity of additional toil on the Ladies, though under any circumstances they will continue to collect.
Trusting that you will not send me with a disheartening message to morrow to the Ladies I remain, dear Mr M'Culloch, your deeply regardful
Ferd. Mueller
Please cite as “FVM-65-05-29,” 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