Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/316

 PORT PHILLIP ENTERED. volley scattered them. Mr. Bo wen seized one of them, and three men assisted him. tbem all ; nor did the contents of the officer's piece bring him up, although one ball passed through hia arm, and the other In his side. He was traced bft good distance by his blood. The remaining pieces were by this time t fired, and our party gave chase to them alL. . ." The pursuers returned with spears and baskets dropped in the flight. Murray from the hrig saw the en counter, and **to increase their panic as they passed along I gave them a discharge of our guns loaded with round and grape, but am almost certain they did them no damage. Thus did this treacherous and unprovoked attack meet with its just punishment, and at the same time taught us a useful lesson to be more cautious in future.*' Thus early did the shores of Port Phillip echo to the 'angry discharge of cannon against its inhabitants, who were probably members of the tribe seen at Western Port, scared by Bo wen when the old man brandished his spear Ithere. A few days afterwards many of the articles given to 'the natives were found abandoned in the forest. Water was found (18th Feb,), "about two miles nearer the entrance than the foot of Arthur's Seat/' The fires of the natives were often seen, but there was no more inter- course with them. On the 9th March, in obedience to his orders, Murray hoisted His Majesty's colours on board and on shore, and " under a discharge of three volleys of small arms and artillery the port was taken possession of in the name of His Sacred Majesty, George the Third of Great Britain and Ireland, Ilng, kc, tl^c. ifec. Served double allowance of rog. Eegretting that he had explored the coast no further to the westward, and had not examined the spacious harbour itself, Murray added ; ** However, the little that is performed of the original orders is pretty acciu-ate, and I trust will give rthe Commander-in-Chief some satisfaction," Baudin, the commander of the French expedition, was on [the 9th March distracted from thoughts of intrusion. After visiting the Derwent the Geoffraphe and Naturalistc were cruishii:! on the 6th March ofl* Schouten Island. A boat landed
 * StnLnge to tell, he made such violent struggleg hs to get away from