The ladies of the Leichhardt Search Committee held a meeting today, and begged of me to convey to the Government of Western Australia their grateful appreciation of the aid and sympathy which prompted you and your hon. colleagues to send out the last expedition; and the ladies further wish to express to Mr. Forrest1 and the members of his party their best thanks for the courage and zeal displayed in the enterprise.
I believe, if the sum asked to send Mr. Forrest out again from the sources of the River Murchison towards Carpentaria, from March till September, 1870, was not too large, I hope to be able to raise it. Some collateral facilities, involving no direct expense, for fitting out a light party, would doubtless be afforded by your generous government. How important it would be to Western Australia if your settlement could be connected with an easy route to Carpentaria, as an immense extent of country of your colony would at once be stocked by the eastern squatters. The new search-line would, however, if possible be to the waters south of the dividing country of Carpentaria.
Please cite as “FVM-69-09-07,” 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