171 



noted was the presence on board of a dragon-fly, or "horse- 

 stinger." ( 2) 



At 8 o'clock on the morning of December 3, Grant got 

 his first sight of New Holland, "the part that was right 

 ahead appearing like unconnected islands, being four in num- 

 ber, distant six or seven leagues." These turned out to be 

 two capes and two high mountains a considerable distance 

 inshore. "One of them is very like the Table Hill at the 

 Cape of Good Hope, the other stands farther in the country. 

 Both are covered with large trees, as is also the land, which 

 is low and flat as far as the eye can reach. I named the 

 first of these mountains after Captain Schank/ 3 ) and the 

 other Gambler's ( 4 ) Mountain." On Grant's map the two 

 volcanic hills are drawn in outline (not merely marked in 

 position), and are shown as covered with timber. They are 

 quite recognizable from the drawings, and are named 

 "Schank's Mountain" and "Gambier's Mountain." On the 

 centenary of Grant's discovery a substantial "Centenary 

 Tower" of red dolomite was erected on the highest point of 

 the Mount. 



Regarding the spelling of the name of Mount Schank, 

 it may be noted that Lieut. Grant consistently uses the spell- 

 ing "Schank," which has been adopted by all South Aus- 

 tralian cartographers and surveyors. The Rev. J. E. T. 

 Woods, throughout his "Geological Observations in South 

 Australia" uses the spelling "Shanck." The Dictionary of 

 National Biography, however, gives the correct spelling as 

 "Schanck," as adopted in the name of Cape Schanck, Vict. 



As would be naturally expected from the geography of 

 the area, the Mount Gambier district was first settled from 

 the east. It would appear that Mr. S. G. Henty, of that 

 well-known pioneering family, was the first white man to 

 visit Mount Gambier. Stimulated by the great inducements 

 held out to selectors by the South Australian Government, he 

 set out from^Merino Downs (Vict.) towards the South Aus- 

 tralian border in June, 1839. ( 5 ) He was accompanied by 



(2) "The Narrative of a Voyage of Discovery performed by 

 Hk Majesty's vessel, the 'Lady Nelson,' of Sixty Tons burthen,'' 

 by James Grant. London, 1803. 



(3) Captain John Schank (174Q-1823), the "worthy and 

 esteemed friend" of Grant. He invented the patent sliding keel 

 with which the "Lady Nelson" was fitted. 



(4) Admiral James Gambier (1756-1833), a, well-known seaman, 

 later commanded the British Fleet at Copenhagen, 1807, and was 

 rewarded with a Peerage. 



(5) l 'Letters from Victorian Pioneers to Governor La Trobe." 

 Melbourne, 1899. 



