320 A HISTORY OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



on the 12th of May, a forlorn and ragged troop, and were ready 

 enough to admit that some of them at least owed their lives to the 

 Goulburn native who was of the party, whose resources in wood- 

 craft had ensured them such food as they had. The Count renamed 

 several of the rivers he crossed, which had already been dealt with 

 by McMillan, but as a rule his christenings were not adopted. He 

 gave the name of Lake King to the most eastern lake, and he was 

 also the sponsor for the Latrobe Eiver, which McMillan had called 

 the Glengarry. But his greatest triumph was in substituting Gipps 

 Land for Caledonia Australis. 



It will thus be seen that so far as the penetration into the heart 

 of Gipps Land is concerned McMillan was first (see Appendix, p. 396). 

 In traversing its entire length from east to west the Polish Count 

 and his party can claim precedence. But the cautious Highlander 

 had combined profit with adventure, and while he endured much 

 hardship and discomfort, he was rewarded by available benefits for 

 himself and his employers, and the use of a good port for shipment 

 for all who followed him. Strzelecki's discoveries, interesting to 

 some extent on scientific grounds, cost a large sum of money; 

 involved the abandonment of his pack horses, stores and surveying 

 instruments in the ranges, and left a discouraging opinion of the 

 character of the country for a considerable time. 



But even while these inland ventures were proceeding there 

 was an attempt made by sea to find a practicable entry. On the 30th 

 of December, 1840, the steamer Clonmel left Sydney for Melbourne, 

 and in attempting to cut off Wilson's Promontory found herself 

 on the beach at the entrance to Corner Inlet. There were ninety 

 passengers on board, but no lives were lost, their plight being 

 fortunately discovered by a Government cutter in which the harbour- 

 master of Port Phillip was taking a cruise. But the steamer 

 remained on the sands, and several small vessels were despatched 

 from Melbourne with a view to salvage. The reports received 

 through this medium of the promising character of the surrounding 

 country induced the formation of a company to settle the district. 

 The barque Singapore was despatched with some horses and cattle 

 and a number of pioneers interested in the venture, and reached 

 Corner Inlet on the 13th of February, 1841. The adventurers 



