To Charles Birch   10 November 1871

Melbourne bot Garden

10/11/71

I was much pleased, dear Mr Birch, to receive your interesting letter of 2 Oct.,¹ which gives me a fuller insight into your views concerning the search after Leichhardt from the Thomson River.² The heavy demand made for all charities particularly lately the orphans and widows of the fallen warriors,³ render the collecting for any new search Expedition in Leichhardts interest almost a hopeless task.

I will however give a lecture before my countrymen in first instance, and if twenty or thirty pounds Sterling are of any use to you for commencing a preliminary search and for trying to get hold of the apparently insane white man,⁴ you can draw to that extent upon me through a bank or in any other way.

With Sir Will Denison I continue to interchange letters when I next write I will remember you to him. I would advise you to get the local aid of a few squatters – and to start before the water of this very rainy year is dried up. A splendid Bushman like yourself need only for a short trip a few blackfellows and horses. So make a preliminary search with such means as you have and if any prospects arise, to do good by continuing the enterprise I will endeavour to get some fund together.

I am not at all a man of property; otherwise I would at once send you from my private means what you require. But my health is infirm and I am poorer, then when I came 23 years ago to Australia! If you should discover a new stream or a new mountain, I should be grateful, if you would name it after Fieldmarshal Baron Jochmus, now on a visit to Australia⁵ and send me a tracing of the map showing the locality.

Your regardful

Ferd. von Mueller