Melbourne bot. Garden,
6/11/70.
There seems to be some prospect, dear Sir Roderick, that my proposition to cross from the sources of the Murchison-River1 to Carpentaria2 will be carried out in 1871, altho' Mr Forrest3 is anxious to take in preference the line from Lake Barlee to Termination Lake4. Considering that he would be without Camels, I fear he may find himself surrounded by a waterless country, when he advances beyond Lake Barlee, whereas the line of the Murchison River would afford him a number of safe positions, carry him far inland and bring him near to the origin of the rivers Gascoyne & Fortescue5 in the event of serious difficulties. It seems strange that the origin of the River, bearing your illustrious name should have never yet been traced. This intended exploration of either line may give us also further clues of Leichhardt; new traces of the infortunate man having been noticed west of the (S.) Thomson River,6 namely a flask with Leichhardt's name on it also a number.7 I intend to awaken again some public interest in the new enterprise.
I hope you will kindly exercise your powerful influence in securing a reward from her Majesty for Capt Roe's very lengthened services in W. Australia. He is a sterling man.8
Your cousin Capt Murchison I see occasionally; he is uniform kind and good, but his worldly affairs seem not the brightest.
Always with deep regard
Ferd. von Mueller
Just like on some shores of New Zealand, so now also in the North Part of N. S. Wales near Ballina and below the Clarence River gold is washed very lucratively from the very beach at low tides. each flood bringing up new washing stuff! to the depth of four feet.
WA.
Gulf of Carpentaria, Qld.
John Forrest; for the recommendation that Forrest undertake this journey, see M to J. Roe, 6 September 1869 (in this edition as 69-09-06d).
Now Lake Gregory, WA.
Both rivers in WA.
Qld.
See E. Schneider to M, September 1870 (in this edition as 70-09-00a).
Neither the Australian Dictionary of Biography nor the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography mentions any honour being bestowed on Roe.
Please cite as “FVM-70-11-06b,” 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