CORIO HARBOUR. 287 



up by a bar, which from its soft muddy nature 

 may be easily removed. The deepest water we 

 found on it at high tide was nine feet. Having com- 

 pleted our operations, we next morning, January 

 1st, 1839, departed for Corio Harbour, situated at 

 the head of a deep inlet midway on the western 

 shore of Port Phillip. We found our progress im- 

 peded as we beat up it by a long spit, extending two 

 thirds of the way across from a low projecting point 

 lyingmidway on the north shore. On theopposite side, 

 the land is of moderate elevation, and has in many 

 places a most inviting rich park-like appearance, 

 swelling on all sides into grassy downs, with patches 

 of open woodland interspersed. In the afternoon 

 we anchored in three fathoms, about a quarter of a 

 mile from the south point of Corio Harbour. This 

 is a level expanse of land named Point Henry, from 

 which a long spit extends, leaving only a shoal 

 channel between it and the northern shore. Thus, 

 though the harbour has apparently a broad open 

 mouth, it is impossible for a large vessel to enter it. 

 January 2. — After breakfast a party of us went 

 to visit Captain Fyans, the police magistrate of 

 the district, for the purpose of arranging a trip to 

 Station Peak. We landed on the S.W. corner of 

 Corio Harbour, where we found four fathoms close 

 to the beach, immediately over which is the north 

 end of the township of Geelong. A kind of store 

 and two other wooden buildings pointed out its 

 locality. Captain Fyans was living in a log-hut on 

 the banks of the Marabul River. Our road thither 



