Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1883 edition. Excerpt: ... entrance that of Point Nepean." King named it Port Phillip. It was Flinders who gave names to Indented Head and Station Peak. Though approving of the soil for agriculture, and the country for sheep, he had his doubts about the region after walking for twenty miles without finding water. He alludes, however, to the survey of the port by Mr. Grimes, saying, " No runs of fresh water were seen in my excursions; but Mr. Charles Grimes, Surveyor-General of New South Wales, afterwards found several, and in particular a small river (the Yarra) falling into the northern head of the port. Mr. Grimes was sent by Governor King, in 1803, to walk round and survey the harbour; and from his plan I have completed my chart of Port Phillip." On that chart we see the Yarra distinctly marked. Mr. Surveyor Grimes Round The Bay, 1803. The journal of this exploration round Port Phillip Bay was not kept by the surveyor, Mr. Grimes, but by Mr. James Fleming, whose special duty was to note the agricultural qualities of the country. The journal appeared with two other early records at the expense of the Victorian Government in 1879, under the editorship of Mr. Shillinglaw, F.R.G.S., whose notes of places are appended. The Cumberland left Sydney with the party on November 23rd, 1802, and cruised about the islands of Bass's Strait, in search of a place for a new colony, by orders of Governor King. The result of such examination of King's Island is thus noted: "The best place for a settlement is either in Elephant Bay, or opposite New Year's Island; but as we saw little of the interior there are perhaps better places. The shore is in every place difficult of access for vessels." But we extract from the journal only that portion relating to the visit of Port Phillip...
