Shore Formation of Corio Bay, near Geelong. 37 



•upheaval of the land ; but I have been led to reject this 

 idea, and to ascribe the appearance of this elevated shore 

 line to an alteration in the level of the waters of the bay, 

 and their subsidence caused by the outbreak of the waters 

 through the great gap in the coast line, now existing between 

 Point Lonsdale and Point Nepean. 



" There is every sign of the violent disruption of this part 

 of the enclosing barrier, and that one might be led to suppose 

 within a very limited geological period. 



" No one who has remarked the phenomena of the rvp r ple^ 

 and of the continuous line of foam (it might almost be 

 said ' breakers ') which extends from Point Nepean to Point 

 Lonsdale at times, when the wind and tide coincide in 

 causing an extraordinary rush of the Port Phillip waters, or 

 returning tide through the opening, can doubt that the 

 foundations are still existing, and that they present proofs 

 of a disturbance of no ordinary character. 



" Although the soundings ordinarily given at Port Phillip 

 Heads and the entrance of the bay show no very great 

 variation of depth, being generally from 9 to 16 fathoms 

 inside the bay, I would not only refer to the discovery since 

 my time of isolated pinnacles of rock rising here and there 

 much nearer the surface, and only detected by accident, but 

 also to the positive existence of cavities marking a most 

 extraordinary disturbance of the sea bottom. 



" The survey of the ' Rattlesnake ' in 1836, points out the 

 existence of such a hole just inside the ripple, towards the 

 Point Lonsdale side, the depth being 24 to 28 fathoms, 

 adjacent to soundings showing from 6 to 10 fathoms only. 



" In the year 1854, in the month of February, I was with 

 the late Captain Ferguson upon the 'Pacific/ crossing from 

 Shortland's BlufT towards Point Nepean, making for the 

 Quarantine Station, or Capel Sound. The tide was running 

 out with great violence, and the wind failing us as we 

 approached the Point Nepean side, we found that we could 

 not with safety continue our course, and that it was abso- 

 lutely necessary for us to cast anchor where we were until 

 the turn of the tide, or the south wind would allow us to 

 proceed. 



The anchor was let go in what we supposed to be about 

 10 fathoms, but to our great amazement the cable ran out, 

 and did not take the ground until it marked a depth of 35 

 fathoms. We found that we in fact must have cast anchor 

 in the middle of an enormous depression, like a crater of, as 



