Volume II Part 41 (2/2)

Powlett, Commissioner of Crown Lands at Melbourne, had kindly furnishedthem to afford me every assistance in my conte its position

DR BARKER

One of the close to the Cape, Dr

Barker, to whoer to welcome me to his station, and in the most liberal manner placed at my disposal, his horses and his services

ARTHUR'S SEAT

Early the following , a well et a few angles from its summit, and to show to Captain Bunbury, RN, Superintendent of Water Police at Melbourne, the banks at the eastern entrance of the South Channel Dr Barker had brought his dogs over with him, to show us some sport on our way to Cape Shanck They for them were two bloodhounds of a celebrated Duke's breed at home Their deep rich notes as they wound round the foot of Arthur's Seat, after a kangaroo, were quite cheering to the heart; but the ground was too hilly for the fast dogs, and too dry for the scent to lie

I was disappointed in not seeing Port Western from Arthur's Seat, which had one of those unsatisfactory woody suhest part We passed a spring of water near the south-eastern foot, and in a level beyond were sooons

Our course was now bent towards Cape Shanck, lying eight miles to the south The first part lay over a level open woodland country; low hills thenmore numerous as we neared our destination At their coaroo; a herd was soon found; but all, after a sharp burst of a few ot away fros had regained their ent to better ground, and caeto protect the does under his care, was singled out by the fastest dog; and a splendid run ensued; the country, however, being rather woody, and streith fallen tirass, only those who risked the pace over it enjoyed the sport The dogs stuck well to their garound, the fleetest began to close with the Old Man, as covering an i reached the kangaroo's quarters, and burying his teeth in the at his pursuer, who kept out of reach, with his hind feet, and then turning round and endeavouring to escape But the saain taken with his haunches he was once ht to bay The rest of the pack now came up, and a fine half-bloodhound rushed in and seized the kangaroo by the throat; whilst the latter, in return, fiercely clutched the dog round the neck; a violent struggle ensued, each trying to choke the other Although the dog that had first reached the Old Man was biting his quarters, the danger that the gaaroo's hind feet, determined Dr Barker andup behind a tree to assist in the struggle We accordingly did so, and ed to seize the ani a strain on it he was prevented fro, as if he had we should have pulled hih these anie ht to bay I know an instance of a gentle one of the his clothes severed in front and the skin of his body just scratched by a cut froaroo, his boould have been torn open Thenail, enable thes It is seldos never do, but have a very clever way of throwing the s)

The dogs, thus protected froreat beast, weighing nearly two hundred pounds, was soon stretched on the ground

CAPE SHANCK

Having secured the tail and hind feet we continued our road to Dr

Barker's station, situated in one of the rich valleys I have spoken of, in an early part of the work, as lying a mile and a half to the North-East of Cape Shanck

On account of the state of the weather ere obliged to tax this gentlehts, both the early parts of which were passed on Cape Shanck, watching between the clouds for observations

This cape is a narrow projection of calcareous for close off it About a h, which has been selected for the site of a lighthouse for showing vessels their position off the entrance of Port Phillip Being so distant, however, it is of more service for Port Western

Fro the Aborigines It appears that there is great hostility between the Port Phillip and Gipps' Land natives, who occasionally visit each other's territory for the purposes of war So great is the feeling of enmity between them, that they will frequently take a piece of the flesh of their foes and pass it through the skin of their thighs or arms, where they leave it until it withers

SOUTH CHANNEL

Returning to the shi+p we placed a buoy on the five-fathom bar at the eastern entrance of the South Channel, the bearings frorees West, and Arthur's Seat South 79 degrees East; Points Nepean and Lonsdale being a little open Passing through this channel, we spent an afternoon within the heads for the purpose of visiting the lighthouse just built on Shortland's Bluff This I found to be 108 feet high; the lantern, to contain a fixed light, had not been established The position of this light being so far within the entrance it is only visible between South-West 1/2 West, and South 1/4 West; and a light placed at the extree off Point Nepean would be of infinitelyvessels the entrance of the port

(Footnote Another buoy at the east extremity of the bank on the north side of the channel, which is very steep to, and one at the west end of the bank on the south side, would render the navigation free from difficulty, as the banks on either side can be readilyby this line-of-battle shi+p channel are as follows After passing Point Nepean steer for Arthur's Seat, keeping Point Flinders open south of Lonsdale Point until the last cliffy projection is passed and bears South 1/4 West Then steer half a point to the left of Arthur's Seat, shutting in Point Flinders with Point Nepean, and keeping Point Lonsdale a little open of the latter The buoy at the eastern entrance will now soon be made out, and should be kept in line with Arthur's Seat Pass on the north side of the buoy and then haul up South-East until the water shoals to five fathoms, or until Whale Head bears South-West by West; then steer North-East by East for Mount Martha, the next hill north of Arthur's Seat, until the latter bears South-East, when a course may be shaped for Hobson's Bay)

(Footnote The patch of dark bushes, breaking the sand beach to the northward, and for marks in, had been so thinned that it was very indistinct Mr LaTrobe, however, was going to re a beacon on that spot)

Whilst ere at Port Phillip this time, a schooner left in a somewhat mysterious manner, on board of which was the Honourable Mr Murray, who fell afterwards in a conflict with the pirates at Borneo The particulars of this gallant affair must be fresh in the recollection ofPort Phillip, we returned to Port Western to pick up the party we had left there Mr Fitzmaurice found Cape Patterson, of which I have before spoken, to lie fourteen miles South-West by West 1/2 West from the eastern entrance of Port Western, and twenty-one rees West from Cape Liptrap, the next headland to the eastward

(Footnote The result of the tidal observations ives 12 hours 20 e days The sireat sheet of water during our stay, gave the tih-water later as follows: