Exploratory party returned to Thursday Island1 on the 20th inst. All well. One death only—a Malay. Collections fair, and in excellent condition. Bonito at Cooktown2 She proceeds in an hour to Brisbane. Please have the false reports contradicted,3 and relieve anxiety of relatives of Victorian members of the Expedition. H. C. Everill.
Torres Strait.
Qld.
There had been reports of a massacre of the expedition while it was on the Fly River, Papua. See note to W. Armit to M, 12 November 1885 (in this edition as 85-11-12a).
Letter not found. The text given here is from 'Exploration in New Guinea. Telegram to the Melbourne Branch of the Society', Herald (Melbourne) , 24 November 1885, p. 3. The text is introduced by: 'This morning Baron Von Mueller as representative of the Victorian branch of the Geographical Society, received the following telegram from Captain Everill at Cooktown:—'.
Please cite as “FVM-85-11-24a,” 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