[A telegram has been received by Baron von Mueller, dated Charlotte Waters, July, giving information from Mr. Giles of the progress of the expedition under his command, to explore the country between South and Western Australia. He reports that Gibson, one of the men of his party, had died, and that nine horses had succumbed from thirst. The natives had proved very treacherous, and several attacks on the camp had been defeated. There are other particulars in the telegram, which are unintelligible to the general public.]1
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The construction put upon it by Baron von Mueller is that Gibson went astray in the desert, which might easily occur, and that thereby a delay arose in reaching the nearest watering-place. The fate which befell Gibson is not without parallel in the expeditions of Eyre and M'Intyre, and cannot be ascribed to any negligence on the part of the brave leader. The expense of the expedition is undertaken by the Victorian and the South Australian Governments.
See also M to A. Petermann, July 1874 (in this edition as 74-07-00).
Telegram not found. The text given here is from Daily telegraph (Melbourne), 14 July 1874, p. 3. It was reprinted in Ballarat courier, 15 July 1874, p. 2. Giles arrived at the Charlotte Waters Telegraph Station about midday on 13 June 1874 (Giles (1889), vol. 2, p. 68); he must have sent the telegram the same day for it to be printed in Melbourne on 14 July.
Please cite as “FVM-74-07-13a,” 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