From Ferdinand Wehl¹    26 June 1885

Ehrenbreitstein, Millicent²

26th June 1885

My dear Uncle

As your birthday is approaching I write to wish you "Many happy returns of the the day" and that good health may be yours. I am now at home again having finished my survey work at Mt Gambier & am busy reading up to enable me to pass my examination for a License under the Real Property Act without which a Surveyor can only obtain limited employment here

I notice a newspaper report is current that a white man has lately been seen with³ the blacks at the MacArthur River in the Northern Territory if this is true it is quite possible that he is a survivor of the ill fated Leichardt's party, I am happy to note that enquiries are to be made & if there is any truth in the report I presume a search party will be at once sent out. I should very much like to accompany such a party; I enclose a clipping giving details.⁴

We are having a very wet & cold winter here this year with severe frosts which cut off any herbage of a tender nature; the Buffalo Grass which you sent us some time ago is doing very well & seems to be very hardy. We are beginning to suffer now from the rabbit plague, the bunnies have been increasing very fast and I believe we shall have great difficulty in getting rid of them here in consequence of the numerous Wombat holes in which they shelter; Bisulphide of Carbon will have to be employed & that will entail considerable expense.

Bertha is now in Sydney Geo Harris having obtained an appointment in the Survey Department there,⁵ our family is gradually getting scattered far and wide. I wish we were nearer Melbourne so that be⁶ could see more of you, when we get the Railway through I suppose we shall be able to go & see you occasionally as the journey then will not take so much time.

Hoping to hear from you soon

I am, dear Uncle

Your affectionate nephew

F. E. Wehl.