20 A HISTORY OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



ever sailed through the Heads into Port Phillip. Governor King 

 was urgent in his recommendations to the British Government 

 that a settlement should be made at Western Port, and pending 

 the receipt of formal authority to take that step, he sent Lieut. 

 Murray again to the coast to continue and complete its examina- 

 tion. The Lady Nelson left Port Jackson on the 12th of November, 

 1801, and on the 6th of the following month was once more at 

 anchor in the shelter of Western Port Bay, where a whole month 

 was passed in a thorough investigation of the surroundings, and 

 the gathering of the necessary supplies of fuel and water. The 

 weather was exceptionally boisterous and unfavourable for ex- 

 ploration, and repeated attempts were unsuccessful. At length, 

 on the 5th of January, 1802, Murray succeeded in once more gaining 

 an offing, and running close along the shore past Cape Schanck, 

 discovered an opening in the land that had the appearance of a 

 harbour. When within a mile and a half of this entrance he be- 

 came alarmed at the prevalence of broken water, which appeared 

 to indicate a line of reef quite across the opening, though from the 

 mast-head he saw beyond " a fine sheet of smooth water of great 

 extent ". 



The lead indicated a rapid shoaling, night was coming on, and 

 the wind, which was rising, was dead on the shore, so he wisely 

 hauled off, " but with a determination to overhaul it by-and-by, as 

 no doubt it has a channel into it, and is apparently a fine harbour 

 of large extent ". In the morning the wind had got into an easterly 

 quarter, with a very high sea running, and found the Lady Nelson 

 running towards Cape Otway. The tempestuous weather that had 

 hitherto baffled his investigations still pursued him, and he was 

 buffeted about in the vicinity of King's Island for some weeks 

 with a very indistinct notion of his whereabouts, finally reaching 

 Western Port on the evening of the 31st of January. Eager to verify 

 his opinion of the important harbour he failed to enter, he despatched 

 his launch at daybreak next morning, in charge of Mr. Bowen, his 

 chief officer, with five armed men and fourteen days' provisions. 

 Their instructions were to examine the supposed entrance, and to 

 report upon its practicability for vessels. To this officer, whose 

 name, strange to say, is almost unknown in our annals, and which 



