THE FOUNDING OF MELBOURNE 109 



The other deed conveyed the tract of country known as In- 

 dented Head, " extending across from Geelong Harbour, about due 

 south for ten miles more or less, to the Head of Port Phillip, taking 

 in the whole neck or tract of land, and containing about 100,000 

 acres". 



The definition of the latter grant is comparatively easy owing 

 to the tract of country ceded being nearly surrounded by water, 

 but that of the former is generously vague. A line drawn from 

 the starting-point extending forty miles in a true north-east 

 direction would cross the Dividing Range in one of its most 

 forbidding ridges, and terminate in the rugged county of Anglesey, 

 near Mount Despair. Projected due west from here for another 

 forty miles it would recross the ranges near Mount Disappointment, 

 and terminate at the foot of Mount Macedon. Thence a direct line 

 to Geelong, intersecting the You Yangs, would be fifty-two miles 

 in length, and the land enclosed within those lines would represent 

 what is to-day the richest and most valuable portion of the whole 

 colony of Victoria. 



Notwithstanding the precise verbiage of the conveyance, it can 

 hardly be supposed that anything like exactitude was contemplated 

 by Batman, and the statement in the subsequent report to Governor 

 Arthur that "on the next day the chiefs proceeded with me to 

 the boundaries, and they marked with their own native marks the 

 trees which were at the corners of the boundaries," is not only 

 quite incredible, but is at variance with Batman's journal, purport- 

 ing to be written on the spot. In this he says that, after all 

 the formularies were completed, a tree was marked four ways to 

 know the corner boundary, and he returned next morning to his 

 ship. In any case, however, he probably felt that his title was as 

 good as he was likely to make it, and would hardly be improved 

 by beating the bounds ; and as the quasi- vendors were equally 

 satisfied with the business results, the whole camp gave themselves 

 up to a merry evening, and much hilarious feasting was crowned 

 by a grand corroboree, performed by the Sydney natives for the 

 delectation of their newly found friends. The next day was Sunday, 

 but the affairs of state forbade its proper observance. Triplicates 

 of the celebrated deeds had to be filled in, and the balance of the 



