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the head of Corio Bay and the Moorabool Biver, was allotted to Mr. 

 Connolly. The Kobertson brothers, afterwards well known in con- 

 nection with their splendid Colac estates, took up No. 16, between the 

 site of Geelong and the Barwon River, and the final allotment, No. 

 17, situated on the Bellarine Peninsula, was taken by Mr. Sinclair. 



But while the country was thus parcelled out into such spacious 

 holdings, and landed estates were being created on paper, destined 

 to have no more permanent foundation, other adventurous spirits, 

 who owned no allegiance either to the Association or to Fawkner, 

 were finding their way across to spy out the land, the rumours of 

 its beauty and fertility having turned the heads of the Tasmanian 

 settlers, and depreciated the value of property in that island nearly 

 50 per cent. The first of the outside contingent to arrive were 

 John Aitken, James Evans and William Jackson, the last named 

 on his second voyage, he having originally crossed with Fawkner's 

 first party. They chartered a small sloop from Launceston called 

 the Endeavour, and followed the Enterprise across the Strait, much 

 to the disgust of Fawkner, who was wont to say that they sneaked 

 into the country on his track. Their present object was only to 

 make an exploration of the surroundings of the settlement, and all 

 heedless of Wedge's surveyed subdivisions, they soon decided upon 

 the country they intended to occupy, and shortly returned to Tas- 

 mania for stock. Before they left on their return voyage, however, 

 the first material instalment of the flocks and herds on which the 

 prosperity of the new land was to be built had arrived in the Norval, 

 a barque of some 300 tons burthen, the largest ship that had yet 

 reached the mouth of the Yarra, too large indeed to find her way 

 up to the settlement. From her capacious hold were carefully 

 hoisted out 500 sheep and fifty head of Hereford cattle, and, a boat- 

 load at a time, they were laboriously landed on the scrubby shore 

 now occupied by the substantial piers and docks of Williamstown. 

 By this vessel, which arrived on 26th October, John Batman came 

 over again to superintend the transit and disposal of the stock, 

 and with him were Dr. Cotter, who was to remain as manager-in- 

 charge for the Association, and Messrs. Cowie, Stead, Steiglitz and 

 Fergusson, together with a few extra hands engaged as shepherds. 



Although doubtless disconcerted to find Fawkner evidently bent 



