COPY2
Melbourne Botan: Garden
23rd July 1866
Sir,
It devolves on me the doleful duty to submit on behalf of the Ladies, who sent out an Expedition in search of Dr Leichardt, to your Excellency the Offical record, received this day of the death of Duncan McIntyre, the youthful, energetic and talented Commander of their Expedition.
The Victorian Government having not merely supported the enterprise by a Monetary Subsidy but having also furnished the Dromedaries for facilitation of the search, I feel it incumbent on me to place before Your Excellency as the Head of the Government all documents of importance concerning this universally Australian Exploit.
Moreover Her Majesty has condescended to grace and elevate the Ladies' philanthropic measures by a munificent contribution to the Expedition Fund3 while also the Right Honorable the Minister for the Colonies of the British Empire was pleased to give active support to the search.4 Thus Your Excellency in the exalted position of the Representative of our Gracious Sovereign and Governor of this Colonial Territory will, I trust allow me to submit these documents without hesitation. These will be followed by others, in which the measures next to be decided on by the Ladies will be detailed
In Mr McIntyre, geography a science so much in need to be fostered in this great Continent for the benfit of the British Nation, is now deprived of a man of sterling abilities and rare experience who cannot be replaced. Much is it also to be feared, that the depressing and disheartening influence, which the mournful intelligence of his5 early demise of this promising explorer is likely to exercise on the public mind will much discourage future travelling operations, be it in the cause of humanity, of National objects or of Science.
Nevertheless I cannot suppress a persuasion that from the eight or nine Millions of sterling yielded at present by the annual State revenues of these Australian Colonies well one thousand pounds might be spared yearly for completing in outlines the map of this great Continent, even if renewed travels did not require to be carried out in obeyance to the Cause of National benignity.
I also cannot but contend, that the million and a half of inhabitants of the Caucasian race now already in all probability outnumbering ten fold the original nomadic occupants of the soil, should seek while under the aegis of British Sovereignty they are enjoying peace and prosperity, in transplanting sound national vigor and the intelligence of civilization into this part of the globe, an honor also in aiding the united efforts of the Governments of Australia by maintaining for the next decennium uninterruptedly an exploring party in the field in order that not only the fate of a great investigator of this Country may be rendered known, but that also the probably vast extent of treasures of material wealth may be ascertained which nature must have strewed likewise over a broad expanse of the still untraversed portion of this great British Continent, treasures of which we cannot even form the remotest approximate estimation, until the eye of educated intelligence has glanced over every square mile of the great interior.
I have &c
(sd) F. Mueller
His Excellency General Carey, CB.
Governor of Her Majesty's Victorian Territory &c
Please cite as “FVM-66-07-23,” 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 29 March 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/66-07-23