[von] MUELLER, PhD, MD, Ferdinand

Report on the Plants Collected During Mr. Babbage's Expedition into the North-Western Interior of South Australia 1858

Melbourne: John Ferres, 1859. South Seas Exploration. First Edition. String-bound Printed Wraps. Narrow 4to. Pp. 21. String bound self wraps. In superlative condition. Fine. Item #1096

Mueller is the decorated botanist whose enthusiasm for Australia and the South Pacific helped foster countless expeditions. By the mid-1860s, his optimism for the fate of Ludwig Leichhardt was such that encouraged fundraising for the search for the long-lost explorer optimism, it was borne out, that was eventually substantiated.

Babbage's expedition, which was for a thorough survey of the region west of Lake Torrens, was provisioned for 18 months. However, they got off to a slow start when, departing Port Augusta, the expedition came across two survivors of an exploratory party, William Scott and Henry Brooks, and began searching for a third. Due to the continued slow pace, Babbage was eventually replaced by Warburton. But not before efforts of the work at hand were collected and analyzed. A fascinating artifact from the era of Australia's self-discovery, presented here in handsome condition.

Price: $90.00