Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/340

 under Captain Mertho, From the first moment Collins 8eems to have desired to transfer the settlement to Van Diemen^s Land, Many writers have wondered at the folly of Collins and his officers in leaving a district bo fertile as Port Phillip, which presented rich pastnre lands without any need for clearance of timber. It is proper to let Collins speak for himself, and to show that in addition to a han- kering to have his settlement close to the open sea, one of his motives was his fear that, if he should settle at the river discovered by Bobbins and Grimes, ho would not be able to protect himself from the natives. One or two quotations from the log of Captain Woodriff, and the published work of Lieut. Tuckey, of H.M.S. Calcntta, explain Collins' fears- On the 16th Oct., Tuckey was sent in the launch to «m*vey the upper part of the harbour. The log declared that Tuckey found no fresh water, but ** fell in with a large party of natives who were very troublesome, their numbers increasing from one hundi'ed; to two hundred. The lieu- tenant and party were obliged to fire upon them, vhich drove them offj but with loss of one of their companions who was shot.'* Tuckey's work enlarged upon the treachery and daring of the natives, ** upwards of two hundred having assembled round the surveying boats.'' Such having been the occurrences in Oct., Collins' despatch (to Governor King), dated 5th Nov. 1803, Sullivan's Bay, Port Phillip, becomes intelhgible. The intimation from Harris, the surveyor, that ''the nortiiern shore was more numerously inhabited than any other parts," condemned it in the eyes of Collins. He had seen Phillip speared at Port Jackson. The despatches from New South Wales, with the report of the discovery of the Yarra-Yarra river, had not been received in England when Collins sailed thence. King sent his report in May 1803, and Collins left England in April q( that year. Colhns wrote as follows :— bay, I received the first unfavourable impression of it, which I am truly concerned to observe a. more minute aur'ey thereof haa only tended to fitrengthen. Anxious to discover a place posaeasing the ndvantages of fresh water, timber for building, and soil for agricultural pursuitii where<ju I could laud my people, I determined to lose no time in examining the bay., , . where very good fresh water had beeti ojt&.med y^ ^rnkln^ caaka near the I
 * . * . From Mr, Mertho, who bad been examiniBg some part of the
 * J went on shore with Captain Wood riff to a bay on the east aide,