74' Mr. Gellibrand's Memoranda of 



bring him home by the fording place. About ten o'olock at 

 night the man returned home with the horse, and stated that 

 he could not find Linfield anywhere, and as I felt very uneasy 

 about him, I desired Mr. Batman to send the boat at daylight 

 the next morning in search of him. 



Feb. 2. — The boat returned this morning about seven 

 o'clock with Linfield, who, finding he had lost us, proceeded 

 to the Salt Water Creek, where he had been landed, and 

 being, as I imagine, very much afraid of the natives, sat up in 

 a tree all night, and seeing the boat come down the river he 

 cooeyed to them. 



Mr. Fawkner's vessel arrived this morning from George- 

 town, and I considered it advisable to send assistance to Mr. 

 Mudie in the removal of the women, stores, and rams from 

 Western Port, and I therefore engaged the vessel for one trip 

 upon Captain Swanston's account. In consequence of Mr. 

 Fawkner's people being engaged with the vessel, we were 

 unable to obtain the horses for our journey until about four 

 o'clock in the afternoon, when we started (seven in number), 

 intending to reach Captain Swanston's station, on the River 

 Exe, that night. The journey from the settlement to the 

 ford on the Saltwater River is most beautiful, and some of 

 the spots quite enchanting ; the grass had been burnt about a 

 month previously and it was then quite green and beautiful. 

 The land is very rich, and consists of a succession of gentle 

 hills and dales, and the first view of the Saltwater River and 

 its windings is beautiful beyond description. We reached the 

 ford about half-past six, and found the country quite changed. 

 When we crossed the ford the land was quite flat and rather 

 rocky, and from the ford to the station on the Exe, a distance 

 of fourteen miles, and in fact up to Geelong harbour, consisted 

 of open plains with a thin coating of grass, and exposed to 

 the cold winds. We did not reach the station till half-past 

 ten at night, and were compelled for the last seven miles to 

 follow a cart-track, which we were fortunately enabled to do 

 as it was a starlight night. 



Feb. 3. — As Mr. Furgesson had not found the sheep, and we 

 were proceeding in the direction where they had been lost, 

 he proposed to accompany us in our visit to Geelong, and we 

 started this morning about seven o'clock. 



At noon we came upon a chain of ponds which appeared to 

 come from the Debackarite, and which I accordingly noted 

 in my chart. We halted at this chain of ponds and dined, and 

 towards evening we came upon some native wells near the 



