94 A HISTORY OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



easy work, and the route taken crossed the Pyrenees, near Lexton, 

 and passing over the sites of Newstead and Castlemaine brought 

 him to the foot of Mount Alexander, which he ascended and named 

 Mount Byng. From this point of vantage he saw long patches of open 

 plain to the north-east giving promise of easy travelling for some 

 fifty miles. But away about thirty miles to the south was a lofty 

 mountain mass, which he rightly divined must, in fine weather, 

 command a glimpse of the waters of Port Phillip. He longed to 

 connect his survey with a known point, but hardly dared to spare 

 the extra couple of days it would take. An accident decided him, 

 for the boat carriage broke down, and an enforced day's halt was 

 necessary. A prompt start and a hard gallop brought them to the 

 foot of the range early in the afternoon. By carefully following 

 the ridge they were able to reach the summit without quitting the 

 saddles. At first the tree ferns, brush and lofty timber prevented 

 them getting any intelligible view of the plains to the south ; 

 but finally, from one rocky eminence, the Major with his glass made 

 out the general outline of the bay, and recognised its distinct 

 feature in the Indented Head and the eastern coast line. He 

 estimated the distance to be at least fifty miles, and says : " At that 

 vast distance I could trace no signs of life about the harbour. No 

 stockyards, cattle nor even smoke, although at the higher northern 

 point of the bay I saw a mass of white objects, which might have 

 been either tents or vessels." It is evident from this allusion that 

 he was aware that a settlement had been formed there, having 

 probably received the information from Mr. Edward Henty. With 

 rather an inconsequential reference to Port Phillip he named the 

 peak Mount Macedon, though he admits that the native name 

 Geboor, which he learned afterwards, is a much better one. 



Hurrying back to the scene of the breakdown, he pushed on over 

 comparatively easy country to the Goulburn, which was crossed 

 close to Nagambie, and bearing north-east over lightly timbered 

 plains free from any mountain complications, he kept almost 

 the identical course of the old main Sydney road and the North- 

 Eastern Railway, and finally reached the Murray at Howlong, on 

 the 16th of October. It took them two days to find a suitable cross- 

 ing-place and to effect the passage, and four of the men, having 



