120 A HISTORY OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



of the port were private property, on which no trespassing would 

 be tolerated. Although Mr. Fawkner was wont to make merry 

 over the impertinent presumption of this notification, it does not 

 appear that the recipients of the warning were very much sur- 

 prised. At any rate, it led to no ill-feeling, for the boat party 

 furnished the Enterprise with a liberal supply of fine fish, and the 

 commander, Captain Hunter, in accordance with Fawkner's own 

 instructions, hauled over to the South Channel, and proceeded to 

 try the land about the foot of Arthur's Seat and the east coast 

 generally. For five days the little schooner was kept moving in 

 short stages northwards along the shore, landing an exploring 

 party each day, and examining the country for a few miles inland. 

 In this way the district now lively with the suburban townships of 

 Dromana, Schnapper Point, Frankston, Mordialloc, Brighton and St. 

 Kilda were in turn visited and rejected as all falling short of the 

 intending settlers' requirements, until sunset of the 20th of August 

 found them anchored in Hobson's Bay, with their haven still un- 

 discovered. Next morning a boat was manned by Captain Lancey, 

 William Jackson, George Evans, R H. Marr and the two servants, 

 and started forth to look at " the river at the head of the Port," 

 about which so much had been predicted and so little was really 

 known. When they got over the mud-bank near Williamstown, 

 they rejoiced to find a fine tidal stream, coming from the north, fairly 

 clear of obstructions. The ti-tree scrub which lined its banks was 

 high and dense, particularly near its junction with the Yarra, and 

 thus they passed without observing that tributary. When they 

 had gone some ten miles farther up, they began to meet with 

 serious obstructions from the quantity of fallen timber, huge 

 barriers of entangled tree trunks, through or over which they 

 forced their way with infinite labour and difficulty. Expecting to 

 reach a point beyond the tidal influence, they had brought no fresh 

 water with them, and suffered even more from thirst than fatigue. 

 They landed a while and tried to follow the course of the river 

 afoot, but it was still too salt to drink ; and baffled and dispirited 

 they took to their boat once more, regaining their ship at nightfall 

 in a prostrate condition. On their way back they noticed the 

 junction of the Yarra, and determined to explore that next day, 



