THE SETTLEMENT OF 1803 39 



It is probable that they jumped to conclusions that they knew 

 would harmonise with the Governor's views. It is easy to imagine 

 that the fright they received from the demonstration by the natives 

 made them content with such a survey as they could take from the 

 shelter of their boats, at a safe distance. 



If anything had been required to confirm Governor Collins in 

 his adverse decision regarding the settlement, the reports of Tuckey 

 and Harris provided it. With amiable self-complacency the former 

 officer says in his narrative that "the unfavourable account given 

 of Port Phillip by the First Lieutenant of the Calcutta, immediately 

 presented the necessity of removing the colony to a more eligible 

 situation ". But before this step could be taken Collins was bound 

 by his official instructions to obtain the concurrence of the Governor 

 . of New South Wales, and to that end he now directed his efforts. 

 There were difficulties, however, in the way of prompt communi- 

 cation with his superior officer, who up to this time was ignorant 

 of the arrival of Collins and his party in Port Phillip. The Ocean 

 transport was being rapidly unloaded, and would be discharged in 

 a few days, but the captain made a pretence of being in a hurry to 

 get to China, and objected to being delayed by delivering a mail in 

 Sydney. At this juncture Mr. William Collins, already referred to 

 as the companion of Tuckey and Harris in their trip on the bay, 

 volunteered to make the journey by sea in an open boat, making 

 light of the Governor's expressed anxiety about the danger of the 

 voyage. The boat was fitted out and prepared under the personal 

 direction of Mr. Collins, who was an experienced seaman; was 

 provisioned for a month, and manned by a volunteer crew of six 

 men from the ranks of the convicts, the stimulus in their case being 

 the prospect of liberty on reaching Sydney, if favourably reported 

 on. To this intrepid messenger was entrusted the despatch, already 

 quoted from, which was addressed by David Collins to Governor 

 King, under date 5th November, 1803, setting forth all that had 

 been done up to date, and soliciting his Excellency's commands as 

 to his future proceedings. Lest the discouraging report on the 

 locality then occupied should only lead to Governor King suggest- 

 ing a trial of the district around the freshwater river at the head of 

 the bay, as recommended by Grimes, a fresh difficulty was raised 



