140 MELVILLE ISLAND SETTLEMENT. 



tary and convicts^ the latter chiefly mechanica. 

 On September 20th, they arrived at Port Essin^on, 

 when formal possession was taken of the whole of the 

 coast between the 139th and 185th meridians of east 

 longitude. A sufficiency of fresh water not being- 

 found at this place it was determined to proceed to 

 Melville Island, where they arrived on the 30th, and 

 commenced forming- the settlement of Fort Dundas 

 in Apsley Strait. This settlement, however, after 

 an existence of four years, was abandoned on March 

 31st, 1829, in consequence of the continued unfa- 

 vourable accounts transmitted to the Home Govern- 

 ment. Hostihties with the natives had early com- 

 menced, and several lives were lost on either side. 



Meanwhile in anticipation of the abandonment of 

 Melville Island, it had been resolved to found a 

 second settlement upon the north coast of Australia. 

 For this purpose, H.M.S. Success, Captain Stirling-, 

 with a convoy of three vessels conveying troops, 

 convicts, stores, and provisions, sailed from Sydney, 

 and arrived at Raffles' Bay on June 17th, 1827. 

 Next day the new settlement of Foi't Welling-ton 

 was formed. A g-rand error was made in the very 

 beginning-, for the site was chosen behind a mud-bank, 

 dry at low tides, in order to secure proximity to a 

 lag-oon of fresh water, which after all disappeared 

 towards the close of the dry season. At first the 

 natives committed many depredations, chiefly during- 

 the nig-ht. About a month after the founding of 

 the settlement, it was thought necessary to order 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



