(Copy)
St George, Queensland
10 Sept. 1881.
The Hon. the Chief Secretary of Victoria
Melbourne
Sir —
I beg to report to you my return here from the Western Country, and to inform you that I have possession of the following relics of the Leichardt1-Expedition. Leichardt's and Classan's2 journals, a telescope and a compass. Will you appoint a competent agent to take delivery of them on the following terms?
A binding agreement to be entered into between us securing me the payment of £6000 on delivery of the articles named, and protecting me against all claims which may be made against me by any persons interested in the ownership of them. I bind myself to deliver them in St George and to place my services at the disposal of your Government, if required, for the space of six months, without further payment, and to point out all localities connected with the discovery, the grave containing Classan's remains, and give every information and assistance to whoever you think fit to appoint.
Your obedient Servant
J. R. Skuthorpe3
i.e. Leichhaardt.
Classen?
A cutting from the Argus, 20 September 1881, p. 6, of a very similar letter from Skuthorpe to the Prime Minister of NSW, Sir Henry Parkes, signed ‘John Richard Skuthorpe’, is filed with the MS. See also M to E. Behm, 12 October 1881.
Skuthorpe's letter was presumably sent to Gotha by M.
Please cite as “FVM-M81-09-10,” 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