To George Bowen   5 September 1874

Melbourne

5/9/74¹

To his Excellency Sir G.² Bowen, G.C.M.G., Governor of Victoria &c &c

Sir

1. I have the honor to acquaint your Excellency that, in accordance with your preliminary sanction, the Victorian Explorer³ Ernest Giles, who has just returned from his second expedition, has, on⁴ my request, bestowed the names of H. R. H. Prince Alfred⁵ and her Imperial Highness, the Princess Marie, on two important mountains discovered during this Central Australian journey.⁶ By this act of homage we were anxious to establish an imperishable geographic monument in her Majesty's territory to commemorate the auspicious nuptial union, which was celebrated about the time, when the discovery of these high ranges was accomplished.⁷

2. Mr. Giles has only recently arrived in Adelaide, and as most of the discoveries of his last expedition occurred within the boundaries of South Australia, it was deemed by us desirable, that his journal and map should be published in Adelaide; ⁸ copies of these I shall however probably not be able to submit to your Excellency prior to the departure of this month's mail for Europe. I beg, however, to attach to this letter a short account from the Melbourne "Daily telegraph", published about two weeks ago, giving a few data of this meritorious exploit.⁹

3. At present it remains for me only to add a few words on the origin and objects of this and Mr. Giles's previous expedition. They were suggested, and, to some extent, planned by myself with a view of connecting the far inland pastoral stations of Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia by a traversable overland route, with the good harbours on the tropical and subtropical west coast; thus to enable the pioneer settlers to bring the surplus of their horses cattle and sheep on to the yet widely unoccupied pastural lands within near or moderate distances of safe shipping places. For these exploratory reconnoitrings across the breadth of our continent the comparatively recently established positions along the Australian transcontinental telegraph-line¹⁰ afforded favorable starting points, and new facilities for retreat under adversities; — and of these also Colonel Warburton, Mr Gosse and Mr Ross¹¹ availed themselves, after Mr Giles had entered the field.

4. In advocating this line of march, I also cherished the hope of our gaining tidings of the fate of the long missing Dr Leichhardt and his unfortunate companions. And further I deemed it my duty as an explorer, to encourage also on this occasion as I have done during more than a quarter of a century's stay¹² in the Queen's Australian dominions (so far as I could,) scientific territorial investigations in this great continent; particularly for the completion of its map, and the examination of the productions of its natural wealth.

5. The first slender expedition of Mr Giles¹³ was mainly fitted out at his own and my private expense. The second journey for continuing the surveys west of Lake Amadeus (discovered during the first expedition) was supported by a reward from the South Australian Government for his prior discoveries; and by monetary contributions from a number of Victorian Gentlemen, whose generous interest I enlisted for the furtherance of these geographic field-services of so brave and experienced a man.¹⁴

6. The results obtained by these two expeditions will prove of very high importance to subsequent territorial occupation and transcontinental Australian commerce, in as much as the now ascertained position of permanent waters and of extensive oases show not merely, that the Australian Central regions ought not to be viewed as almost hopeless and inhospitable, like the Sahara and Lybian desert; but also that Central Australia is likely to yield in its mountain-systems much of metallic treasures; that it affords in many fine pastural tracts space yet for very numerous settlements; and that it yields, even in its most cheerless portions, convenient halting-places for caravans; and more than all this, — by the dissemination of nutritious perennial grasses and fodderherbs, and by the formation of dams for rainwater even all, what now is regarded as desert-land, will become everywhere inhabitable for prosperous abodes of the next and following generations.

I have the honor to be,

Your Excellency's

very obedient

Ferd. von Mueller.¹⁵