Letter to Leichhardt’s brother-in-law, C. Schmalfuß, written at Camden/Sydney (20 October 1847) MacArthur residence.

It was this letter that prompted Frederick Mann to respond twice in a 40 year period.

My dear brother-in-law,

Here I am, back once again from a journey of exploration, but not in the least like a conqueror marching in with banners flying to the jubilation of the multitude. On the contrary, I've been compelled to return worn out by illness and with disgruntled companions whom I've had to lead back to the fleshpots of Egypt before I had even set foot in unexplored country. The probable reasons why I failed are these: the young men I took with me were from Sydney; they were accustomed not to the hard life in the bush but to the soft, easy going life in town; in both mind and body they lacked that resilience which enables one to recover quickly even from illness; and in disposition they lacked the calmness and pliancy that help one to keep his eyes fixed on present considerations instead of gazing hopefully into the distance or regrete fully back towards the pleasures of the old life in town. Their interests were mundane and mercenary, nothing more. They expected govern ment appointments and public testimonials in money when the journey was over. They had witnessed the reception we were given in Sydney on our return from the Port Essington expedition, and they thought that they too could easily gain such laurels as those awarded to us. But as soon as we encountered difficulties their resolution was shaken, and, forgetting their former professions of thanks, they came to look upon me as a hard taskmaster whom it was fair to bring down by scheming and trickery

On my first journey I had only bullocks, which I used both for transporting our baggage and for slanger wnen we needed their meat.

From the beginning, our daily rations were strictly limited, and we lived almost exclusively on dried beef. The result was that we had extremely good appetite and healthy digestion. On the last journey I had mules to carry the baggage, and 38 bullocks for slaughter, besides 290 goats and 108 sheep which I intended to slaughter before I began on the bullocks.

The sheep were very fat. We killed one nearly every day, and g men consumed it. We ate very little farinaceous food and had no vegetables to balance the fresh meat. This diet of fresh, fat mutton often upset our digestion, and so, weakened our resistance towards infectious illness.

When the rainy season set in, and we travelled for a long time along rivers that were bank-full and had to sleep night after night on damp ground, we were eventually compelled, by a river in flood that we had to cross, to spend three whole weeks at one place. Now, the previous year had been a wet one all over the colony, and tertian fever had broken out in places where it had hardly been known before. By the time we were at last able to cross the Mackenzie illness had so reduced my companions that I was obliged to remain for 3 weeks longer on the farther bank.

Finally, with great effort, I attempted an advance by which we gained about 7o miles more. But now there was disaffection amongst my companions, who did not want to risk the slightest exertion in helping me and one of my blacks; or if they did, they did it badly and were less help than hindrance. So first we lost our goats, then our bullocks, and finally some of our horses and mules. Our only salvation lay in quick retreat. I had not suffered so badly from fever [myself], but on the way back I had the most acute rheumatism in my fingers, hands, elbows, back and knees, and became so helpless that I could hardly mount or dismount from the saddle. However, after spending a fortnight at Mr Russell's station on the Darling Downs, I felt that I was strong enough to attempt another journey of some 5-600 miles, to determine the course of a river (the Condamine) and to examine the country between my own track and Sir Thomas Mitchell's. I completed this journey in about 6 weeks, and in doing so I completely recovered my healc by exposing the affected parts of my body to the burning radiance of the Australian sunshine. This treatment had the same effect as blistering, and it put an end to the pain I had been suffering even fromthe slightest movement. I then went to back Sydney to make the necessary arrangements for a new expedition. Before I left the Darling Downs I had the further satisfaction of learning that s of the mules that had strayed from my column had found their way back over a distance of about 6oo miles. This has saved me a good deal of money. It will cost me about £20o to rerequip myself. My original outlay amounted to about f65o, so that the total cost of the last, unfortunate journey and the next venture will be f8go. This would be a lot of money in Germany, and is no small sum even here; but my life, my whole being, resides in my projects, and I leave it to God to care for the future. You've given me sound advice in your good letter, but it's against my nature, so I can't take it. My passion for the study of my environment here, and my ambition to solve the riddles of this continent, are boundless and beyond control. And if only I could muster a good team to go with me, I'd set off through the Australian bush as happy as the son of an Irish king.

But properly qualified companions are very hard to find. Most of the young men who offer themselves are worldly, not very intelligent, morally lax, and don't know what else to do with themselves. On my first expedition, with two exceptions, they were mere boys, which meant that I could exact obedience when they played up. On my next journey I shall have Mr Classen,a a very well educated young man who has been crossing the seas to most parts of the world for 12 years. His experience has prepared him well for a journey such as mine.

My kind host Mr Lynd is under orders to proceed from Sydney to New Zealand, where the natives are making the presence of strong military forces necessary. This means that I have to find a new home; and, although I can easily find friendly shelter for myself, I have to find a place for my growing collections where they will not only be protected from the weather and from insects, but shall also be easily accessible when I have time to study them.

What you had to tell me about the Princess Pückler's gracious intercession is very welcome news.? I would be glad to be at peace with the government at home, and to be free from the risk of being thrown into a dungeon on my return. I want to see mother and the rest of you once more, but there's no hope of that until I have crossed this continent, which will probably take me 2 or 3 years.—I shall hardly recogniseGermany for the transformation the railways must have brought about.

Wherever is this new discovery for deadening pain by inhaling ether going to take us? Won't it turn us into delicate, painsshy creatures in, capable of bearing the least hurt with manly patience? And suppose that a barbarous, warlike invader moves in from Asia; we might witness times like those when effeminate Rome succumbed to the uncorrupted savages from the North. I think that retrograde principles are also stealing into education. It's all becoming visual. Diagrams and text figures facilitate understanding, so that, instead of racking our brains by reading and study, as we used to do, the eyes grasp the meaning just by looking at pictures. But can't this be carried too far? Won't people be frightened of earnest study and try to evade it? To combine the two would be admirable; but our inherent human laziness would soon induce us to skip the hard part of the work.

You've no doubt heard from William that Boone, a publisher of high standing, has accepted my journal. He has offered me half shares in the returns. But I'm sorry to say that I doubt that even this proportion will bring me very much. Had I had the time, I would have written the book in German, but it would have taken more time than I had, for me to recover my command of acceptable German. Had I received a lump sum for the book I would have tried to do something to help Adolph, after deducting what I owe to William, as l've really enough to live on now. For the present, however, I can promise no more than good intentions. I hope that our dear mother is free from trouble, and that God preserves her and grants that we shall see each other again.

Good bye, my dear brother in-law. Kiss my sister and your children, give my love to mother,? and don't forget

Your affectionate friend and brother in-law,

Ludwig Leichhardt.