214 EXPEDITION UNDER LIEUT.-GOV. COLLINS. 



On the day of their arrival the Lieut.-Governor and Capt. 

 Woodriff went on shore. They returned in the erening, 

 having found no water, and reported that the soil was 

 very bad. The next morning they set off again to look 

 for a good spot for the settlement. They examined the 

 eastern shore for some miles as far as Arthur's Mount, 

 and although they found a small stream of fresh water, 

 the soil was so poor and sandy, and the shoal water made 

 approach to the shore so difficult that they returned 

 to the ship much discouraged. The next two days were 

 spent in exploring the west side of the Bay for a distance 

 of many miles, but with no better result. The soil 

 was rather better, but there was no fresh water. In 

 the words of the Chaplain — "Along the shore we 

 returned by no means satisfied with the country." 

 From this time Collins made up his mind that Port 

 Phillip was unsuited for settlement, and that his 

 stay could be only temporary, until some more- favour- 

 able locality was found elsewhere to which he could 

 remove his people. For the present, however, the 

 necessity of immediately unloading his ships was im- 

 perative. Capt. Woodriff had instructions to proceed 

 at once to Port Jackson to take in a cargo of timber ; 

 the Ocean was bound for China, and could not be 

 detained without considerable expense. He therefore 

 gave up further search for a good locality, and on the 

 fourth day after his arrival fixed on a spot about eight 

 miles to the eastward of the Heads — near the present 

 township of Sorrento — where very good water had been 

 got by sinking half a dozen, casks in. the sand, and here 

 on a small flat of some 5 acres in extent he resolved to 

 pitch his tents and encamp his people and stores. The 

 ships were moved opposite to the selected spot, the convicts 

 and military put on shore, the ground cleared, and the 

 landing of the stores begun. This was a task of some 

 difficulty, as the men had to go up to their middle 

 through the water to carry in the goods from the boats. 

 The bulk of the stores was piled in the open air, and 

 the more valuable and perishable were placed in three 

 large tents, a guard of ten marines being posted to 

 Tuckey's protect them. This done, Lieut. Tuckey, accompanied 



Voyage, j^y -^j. Surveyor Harris and Mr. Wm. Collins, was sent 



in the Calcutta's launch to survey the upper part of the 

 harbour. They proceeded to the north west, and after 

 two attempts reached the head of the Western Arm of 

 Corio Bay, near to where Gee long now stands. The 

 report brought back was not encouraging. The soil was 

 mostly sandy, and, except a few acres at the head of 



