Ferdinand von Mueller

He'd also brought back a native narcotic called Peturi, which he said allowed the Aboriginal men to chew and swallow tobacco juice with impunity.

Dr Murray was sending these specimens to eminent gentlemen, including Dr Ferdinand von Mueller, Victoria's botanist, Royal Society bigwig, and best friend to another missing explorer, Ludwig Leichhardt.

Once Dr Mueller and other experts had weighed in, Dr Murray hoped to include their information in a journal he'd publish about the expedition to find and retrieve the remains of Burke and Wells.

Given how quickly he'd established himself in Melbourne, it's strange that Dr Murray left the city so soon after returning from the desert.