THE NEW COLONY 321 



could not discover a suitable landing-place, and after a fortnight's 

 exploration of the adjoining coasts they found a river, which they 

 called the Albert, in honour of the Prince Consort. In a report 

 addressed to Mr. Latrobe on 27th April, and by him forwarded to 

 the Eoyal Geographical Society, they recommended the establish- 

 ment of a township to be called Alberton. They landed their stock 

 on the river bank, built a storehouse and a few huts for the men 

 whom they left in charge, and most of them decided to have a look 

 at the surrounding country, and then explore their way back to 

 Melbourne overland. They started north, up the Tarra rivulet, 

 and soon struck the blazed line which McMillan had made only 

 about three weeks previously. This they followed to the Latrobe 

 Eiver, and waxed highly enthusiastic over what the report calls 

 " a Pisgah view of the vast and fertile plains forming the interior 

 of Gipps Land ". They penetrated as far as Lake Wellington, 

 and then struck a westerly course for Melbourne. By keeping 

 farther north than Strzelecki they avoided many of his difficulties, 

 but they had to cut their way through dense scrub for some 

 thirty miles, and finally reached Western Port on the llth of 

 April without any catastrophe, after an interesting journey of 

 nineteen days. 



From these dates it will be noticed that when McMillan was at 

 Port Albert on 14th February, 1841, it was an unknown wilderness, 

 and when he returned with his dray, three months later, he found 

 a small active settlement there, as the heralds of the coming in- 

 vasion. 



Many of the earlier colonists who survived the changes wrought 

 by the invasion of the gold seekers, have averred that in its social 

 aspect Melbourne was a more agreeable place of residence from 

 1845 to 1851 than at any other time. The financial distresses of 

 1843 had been surmounted, and the lesson had been taken to heart. 

 The sordid struggle to make rapid fortunes by speculation, too 

 often based upon those invariable qualities of a so-called "boom," 

 sharp dealing on one side and greedy cupidity on the other, had 

 ceased to vex the souls of men. Business of all kinds was progres- 

 sive and profitable ; the professions were by no means overcrowded. 



The cost of the necessaries of life was not more than half what it 

 VOL. i. 21 



