From David Lindsay   27 April 1892

Hutt Street, Adelaide

27th April 1892

Baron Von Mueller K.C.M.G. Ph D MD. &c &c &c &c

Melbourne

 

Dear Sir,

I have intended writing you for sometime past, and have really had so much writing to do that I have put it off from time to time until I feel that now an apology is due to you for want of courtesy shown you.

I hope ere long to have an opportunity of chatting with you on the subject of the breakup of the Elder Expedition,1 a result which I know has caused you a great deal of pain, and disappointment — to me it has been the severest blow I ever experienced — and I hope you clearly understand it is no fault of Sir Tho Elder — he has not changed his mind or regretted the expenditure, nothing of the sort. I do not care to write what I could tell you, but I hope what you have heard from Mr MacDonald2 will have given you a fair idea of the trouble.

When you have the whole of the evidence before you, you will see the almost impossible part I had to fill, and what bad material my party was composed of. I am extremely glad to be able to say that Mr Helms3 collections of botanic specimens could not have been eclipsed by any one for he was an indefatigable worker — his whole heart was in the work but dear me what a fearful temper he has, the least thing would send him off into a frightful passion. Still that could be dealt with better than the underhand sneaking actions of Leech4 and the Dr.5

Had we been permitted to continue our work, 18 months more would have completed the grandest exploration ever made in Australia.

You sir must be terribly disappointed as I know your dearest wish has been to discover some relics of Leichardt, and MacPhee's6 account renders it probable enough that something might have been found between the Oakover7 and Lake MacDonald.8 I too would have given much to have settled the mysterious and interesting question as to what became of that brave but unfortunate explorer.

The winding up of the expedition was carried out with such indecent haste that there was no opportunity of altering the decision. We have travelled about 2250 miles in new country and mapped down about 80,000 square miles so that the results of the expedition are by no means insignificant.

Hoping that you are still blest with good health and sympathising with you in the worry caused by the impecuniosity of the Victorian Govt

I am faithfully yours

David Lindsay

1
The Elder Scientific Exploring Expedition, 1891-2, broke up in disarray near Geraldton, WA, in January 1892 when all but one of the scientific members of the party resigned. See Lindsay (1893) and Feeken, Feeken & Spate (1970), pp. 200-2.
2
A. C. Macdonald?
3
Richard Helms, surveyor and third in charge on the expedition. See also R. Helms to M, 4 October 1891.
4
F. W. Leech, second in command on the expedition.
5
Presumably F. J. Elliott, medical doctor and photographer on the expedition.
6
Alexander McPhee reported meeting Aborigines at Lagrange on the NW coast of Australia who told him of a party of white men who had perished one by one in the sandy wastes, some days' walk SE of Joanna Spring. See D. Lewis (2006).
7
Oakover River, WA.
8
WA.

Please cite as “FVM-92-04-27,” 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 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/92-04-27