THE FOUNDING OF MELBOURNE 121 



taking the precaution to supply themselves with a keg of fresh 

 water lest the same difficulties should be repeated. Their enter- 

 prise was rewarded in a few hours by the discovery of the ample 

 basin of the Yarra, a bright shimmering lake-like pool into which, 

 over a ledge of rocks, plunged a never-failing supply of pure fresh 

 water, the one great desideratum which they had failed to find 

 elsewhere in anything like abundance. 



They did not know that Batman had been there before them, 

 had indeed cut down a tree close to the margin of the falls as a 

 sort of "taking possession," but probably if they had they would 

 not have cared much. Bound about the neighbourhood of the 

 basin the river banks were like an English field in May. A lightly 

 timbered grassy slope spread upwards as far as Collins Street, 

 and beyond that, away to the site of the Eoyal Park, the forest 

 asserted itself. A tiny rivulet flowed down the course of the 

 future Elizabeth Street, and across it the towering gum-trees 

 marked the pleasant outline of the Eastern Hill. Wild flowers 

 carpeted the site to be devoted hereafter to the erection of busy 

 wharves, the perfume of the wattle filled the air, bright-coloured 

 parrots flitted amongst the trees, the kangaroo gambolled over the 

 verdant sward, and flocks of startled wild-fowl rose from the water 

 in noisy protest against the invasion of their sanctuary by the 

 exploring whale-boat. A few hours' ramble in this sunny elysium, 

 a survey of the locality from the summit of the once important 

 landmark which they called "Pleasant Hill," but which was 

 afterwards known as Batman's Hill, a highly optimistic forecast 

 of the future, and it was time to seek the Enterprise once more, 

 and to make their plans for bringing the schooner to the haven 

 of rest which they had so fortunately hit upon. It was late at 

 night when they got back on board with their exhilarating story, 

 and Captain Hunter, who so far had been somewhat incredulous 

 as to the prospects of a permanent settlement, gave himself 

 vigorously to the work of sounding the channel, and marking the 

 various flats and mud-banks by primitive beacons. The soundings 

 and preliminary arrangements took a long time, and it was the 

 30th of August before the Enterprise was safely moored alongside 

 the banks of the Yarra, opposite the place where the Custom 



