THE FIRST ATTEMPT AT GOVERNMENT 167 



decided to reserve block three, bounded by William, Collins, Queen 

 and Flinders Streets, for Government purposes, including a custom 

 house. The Surveyor was instructed to divide five of the blocks 

 into twenty half-acre allotments each, and those selected were as 

 follows : Block two bounded by King, Collins, William and 

 Flinders Streets ; block four by Queen, Collins, Elizabeth and 

 Flinders Streets; and three blocks on the north side of Collins 

 Street, extending from Swanston to William Streets, numbered 

 twelve, thirteen and fourteen. 



Having thus given evidence of his energetic qualities, the Gover- 

 nor considered himself entitled to a little recreation, and determined 

 tc see something of the surrounding country. Accompanied by 

 Captain King, Captain Hunter, Mr. Hoddle, and a small retinue, 

 under the guidance of the surly half-savage Buckley, His Excellency 

 started on horseback across the plains for Geelong. The dray 

 which carried their camp equipage broke down at the crossing of 

 the Salt Water Eiver, and precluded fast travelling, so they made 

 one night's halt on the banks of the Exe, now called the Werri- 

 bee. Thence a pleasant canter over the sun-browned plains brought 

 them to the Barwon, where they were met by Dr. Thomson and 

 other settlers with the usual formal address of welcome. They en- 

 countered a few straggling parties of natives on their journey, and 

 in every case the Governor took care to have them informed by 

 Buckley that if they conducted themselves peaceably they would 

 always receive generous treatment when they visited the settle- 

 ments. They devoted a few days to exploring the Bellarine Penin- 

 sula and visiting the stations in course of formation on the Barwon 

 and the Leigh. Then bearing north they ascended the latter river 

 towards Mount Buninyong, and trending eastwards skirted the 

 Dividing Range, until they reached the stately pile which Mitchell 

 had named Mount Macedon. This with toilsome labour they as- 

 cended, and from its rocky peak there opened up to them a vista 

 of an interminable sea of foliage, interspersed here and there with 

 open plains, while on the southern horizon the waters of Port Phillip 

 Bay glinted in the westering sunlight. Sanguine as were Bourke's 

 anticipations of the future of the district, it certainly never entered 

 into his imagination that a generation later the forest solitude in 



