116 The Past and Present of the Port of Melbourne, 



only a question that must arise sooner or later to any dock 

 pier or harbour constructed in Hobson's Bay, it being only 

 a question of time when Hobson's Bay and Port Phillip 

 Gulf itself will no longer exist, so surely is the process 

 going on by which this inland sea will be converted into dry 

 land, as former seas and lakes have been before, from the 

 date of creation up to the present day." Such was the 

 language of myself and the gentleman acting with me in 

 these matters at that time, but we never for a moment 

 supposed that natural agencies would receive such an impetus 

 by the construction of the stone walls at the river mouth, 

 and timber piers in front of Williamstown. 



Whilst availing myself of the very valuable series of 

 results of the recent survey of the bay, as given by Com- 

 mander Stanley, I must demur entirely to the prudence of 

 the remedial measures as set forth in his direct canal scheme, 

 and in a more modified form to his proposed extension of the 

 Sandridge Lagoon into a blind canal or long dock. To cut 

 a direct canal from the Queen's basin to the bay, anywhere 

 near to the Railway Pier or Baths, would be most disastrous 

 in its results in every way, whilst its alleged advantages are 

 wholly mythical. A diversion of the river through the 

 short canal would of necessity weaken the scouring power, 

 as it exists at the present entrance, where the waters of the 

 Moonee Ponds and Saltwater Rivers, with those of Stony 

 Creek, are all concentrated with those of the River Yarra, 

 and are available, in so far as such a power under the 

 especial circumstances of a low rise and fall of tide are 

 useful ; and in the next place an entrance at such point 

 would ensure the very worst results of precipitation in 

 forming a bar, and hastening the silting up of the bay. 

 There is no scheme which could be more disastrous, and I am 

 happy to find that Mr. Gordon has arrived independently at 

 the same opinion on this point 



The difference in length between the direct canal and the 

 longer one by way of the present embouchure is an advan- 

 tage in favour of the longer line, because every yard of quay 

 room on the longer line is valuable for trade purposes, and 

 every cubic yard of material excavated is valuable for raising 

 and reclaiming land which is now liable to flood, whilst the 

 trifling difference in time of transit is an unimportant item 

 to shipping. The blind canal or long dock would, in 

 my opinion, be found seriously to inconvenience trade in 

 another way, and be excessive in providing for the require- 



