BY JAMES BACKHOUSE WALKER. 71 



enthusiastic in describing Risdon. " The land at the Collins, ii., 

 head of Risdon Creek, on the east side," he remarks, P- 185. 

 " seems preferable to any other on the banks of the 

 Derwent. The creek runs winding between two steep 

 hills, and ends in a chain of ponds that extends into a 

 fertile valley of great beauty. For half-a-mile above the 

 head of the creek the valley is contracted and narrow, 

 but the soil is extremely rich, and the fields are well 

 covered with grass. Beyond this it suddenly expands 

 and becomes broad and flat at the bottom, Avhence arise 

 long grassy slopes, that by a gentle but increasing ascent 

 continue to mount the hills on each side, until they are 

 hidden from the view by woods of large timber which 



overhang their summits The soil along the 



bottom, and to some distance up the slopes, is a rich 

 vegetable mould, apparently hardened by a small mixtui'e 

 of clay, which grows a large quantity of thick juicy 

 grass and some few patches of close underwood." 



Flinders was, however, disappointed with Hayes' Flinders. 

 Risdon River, and notices the insignificance of the little Intro., pp. 

 creek, which even his boat could not enter, and at which ^°^> ^°^' 

 he could barely manage to fill his water casks. Among 

 " the many local advantages of the Derwent " to which King to 

 King alludes in his despatch to Lord Hobart, and which Hobart, 9th 

 determined him to choose that place for a settlement, ^^^V' 1803. 

 there is no doubt that Bass's glowing description of the 

 beauty and fertility of Risdon filled a large place, and 

 induced him to direct Bowen to choose its neighbour- 

 hood for the new colony. 



2. The Risdon Settlement. 



It is now time for us to return to Lieut. Bowen and 

 his little colony, whom we left on the 12th September, 

 1803, in the Albion and JOachj Nelson at anchor in 

 Risdon Cove. A week later Bowen writes to Governor Bowen to 

 King by the Albmi, reporting his ai'rival, and his Kinf«-, 20th 

 definite selection of Risdon as the site of the new ^^P*^™'^''^"' 

 settlement. He seems to have accepted Risdon as a 

 foregone conclusion, for although he tells the Governor 

 that he had explored the river to a point rather higher 

 than Flinders went, it does not appear that he made any 

 sufficient examination of the western bank. If he had 

 done so he could hardly have written to King — " There 

 are so many fine spots on the borders of the river that I 

 was a little puzzled to fix upon the best place ; but there 

 being a much better stream of fresh water falling into 

 Risdon Cove than into any of the others, and very extensive 

 valleys lying at the back of it, I judged it the most 



