Melbourne bot. Garden
7/1/73.
Allow me as a comparative stranger to ask you, dear Mr M'Kinnon, whether you will be one of 25 Gentlemen, who by subscribing each ten pounds would enable Mr Giles, now in Central Australia, to resume his geographic expedition from the overland telegraph line to the river Murchison on the West coast.1 Mr Giles has already discovered one third of the way across, and requires £250 to refit. Each subscriber shall be honored by his name being given to some new geographic locality. It would be a pity if the poor man was compelled at this stage to relinquish his noble enterprise for want of some slender means.
With regardful salutation
Ferd. von Mueller.
Perhaps you may know a generous friend, who would likewise afford his aid.
Please cite as “FVM-73-01-07,” 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 26 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/73-01-07