Yorick Club Melbourne, 1.X.1886
My dear Baron
I see by a Melbourne Paper that you have had recently some correspondence with Captain R. R. Armstrong R.N. relative to a settlement on the Auckland Islands, with ulterior views regarding further Antarctic exploration.1
It occurs to me that perhaps it may assist Captn. Armstrong if he were made acquainted with the remarkable Narrative of the wreck of the schooner "Grafton" on that Island in 1864
I met Captn. Musgrave the master of the schooner in New Zealand on his astonishing escape from the place after 20 months' terrible suffering. I took his Journal (which was written in Seals' blood) & edited it here & also published it in England.2 The Times there said it was as interesting as 'Robinson Crusoe' with the difference that it was true!
Some time since when the papers were urging Admiral Tryon to send a ship to search these Islands for some missing merchant ship I sent the Admiral a copy of "Castaway on the Auckland Isles" & he wrote me that he had read it with very great interest.
But the little book may not have fallen in Captain Armstrong's way; so I have dug out another copy (they are very scarce) and send it to you herewith for your friend
You know how much I regard it as my duty to you as my Geographical Godfather to assist you in all your [...] plans — This may in some small way help in the good cause.
The worthy Musgrave is now the Lighthouse keeper at the Otway.3
I regret I have seen so little of you lately but hope to meet you on Monday evening at the meeting.4
Yours ever & always,
John J. Shillinglaw
Sir Ferdinand von Mueller FRS
See B86.09.07, a reprint of an article originally published in Sydney, B86.09.06, and also M to R. Armstrong, 27 August 1886 (in this edition as 86-08-27b).
Musgrave (1865). The book was also published in London in 1866.
Cape Otway, Vic.
Meeting not identified.
MS letterhead, crossed out: 'Royal Commission on Vegetable Products. (CROWN LANDS DEPARTMENT.)'.
Please cite as “FVM-86-10-01,” 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