144 A HISTOKY OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



was truly an affecting sight, and proved the affection which these 

 people entertained for Buckley. Amongst the number were a 

 little old man and an old woman, one of his wives. Buckley told 

 me this was his old friend with whom he had lived and associated 

 for thirty years. I was surprised to find that this old man had not 

 a blanket, and was much concerned to learn that no blankets had 

 been given him because he did not leave that part of the country 

 and proceed to Dutigalla for it. I could ill spare my blankets for 

 him, but I could not refrain from giving one of them to Buckley 

 in order that he might give it to his friend, with an assurance 

 that he should have further clothing after our return. . . . We 

 gave them a few presents and then left them to proceed on our 

 journey." 



They made their way down to the mouth of the Barwon, and 

 following up its course camped for the night on the banks of Lake 

 Connewarre, continuing on the next day to the Buckley Falls and 

 over the Barrabool Hills. This they considered the best sheep 

 country they had yet seen. Another night was passed on the 

 banks of the Yallock Creek, a tributary of the Barwon, and on the 

 following day they started across the plains for the Anakie Hills. 

 From the summit of the highest hill they commanded a most 

 charming prospect of undulating lightly timbered country, abun- 

 dantly watered by the Exe. They descended on the north side of 

 the hills and worked their way round to the shepherds' hut on 

 Captain Swanston's selection by nightfall. From here they made 

 a hurried inspection of the lands allotted to Messrs. Cotterill and 

 Collicott, and on the following afternoon regained the settlement on 

 the Yarra. What they thought of the country traversed may be 

 gleaned from the following extract from a letter written by Gelli- 

 brand to a friend in Van Diemen's Land : 



" I have been for three weeks surveying every section of the 

 Company's land. The whole country is of the most beautiful 

 description and the lands of the best quality ; in fact, every point of 



Batman's account is correct. M 's I have been over, and you 



may inform him that it is in my judgment the finest of the whole ; 

 it is well watered, and there is a vale, which I have named 

 Mercer's Vale, of about 15,000 acres of the finest and richest 



