THE SETTLEMENT OF 1803 37 



report was, " the soil bad, the trees very small and but little water; 

 nor could they get any nsh ". Tuckey in his narrative never com- 

 mits himself to any details of dates or distances, and it is quite 

 certain that the so-called exploration did not cover anything like 

 "ninety miles round the bay," as that would have embraced the 

 coast line from Arthur's Seat right round to the Indented Heads, 

 and must have resulted in some discovery worth recording. On 

 the following morning, Saturday, the 22nd of October, they started off 

 again to survey the N.W. corner of the bay, apparently landing on 

 the beach which fronts the level plains to the west of Point Wilson 

 in Corio Bay. The locality of Tuckey's landing is very indefinite, 

 both from his own description and Knopwood's diary, but in the 

 log of the Calcutta there is a passage speaking of Tuckey's survey 

 of the reported opening in the " N.W. at the head of the harbour," 

 which says, " in the head of this arm Lieutenant Tuckey fell in 

 with a large party of natives," etc. Here on the next day, Sun- 

 day, they got into their first serious difficulty with the natives, who 

 attacked a portion of the party encamped with Mr. Harris on the 

 shore, during the absence of Lieutenant Tuckey, who with the 

 other boat's crew was doing a little independent survey. On his 

 return at two P.M., he observed a great tumult on the beach, the tent 

 surrounded by a swaying crowd, and the master's mate, pinioned 

 by a stalwart native, calling upon him to fire. A couple of muskets 

 fired in the air only produced a momentary pause, and reluctantly 

 the Lieutenant ordered a volley of buck-shot to be fired into the 

 thickest of the crowd, which created a general panic and precipitate 

 flight. 



Orders were immediately given to strike the tent and get every- 

 thing into the boats, with a view to seeking a quieter spot for 

 their midday meal ; but before this could be accomplished, a large 

 compact body of natives, all armed with spears, was seen approach- 

 ing, who halted in line of battle within a hundred yards of the 

 camp. Then the chief, with only one attendant, came down close 

 up to the white men, and delivered a vehement harangue, which 

 would probably have been very convincing had it been intelligible. 

 Notwithstanding that his brandished spear appeared every moment 

 as if on the point of quitting his hand, and that his countenance 



