Page:Victoria, with a description of its principal cities, Melbourne and Geelong.djvu/43

 In consequence of its unfortunate situation, as the dependency of a dependency for the long period of fifteen years, the development and civilization of the district were grievously retarded. The Government at that period were, in fact, little better than a system of police. Scarcely anything was done to open up the country for settlement, and apparently the Government never even took steps to gain information respecting its physical features or natural resources. At all events, these are not described in any document to which we have had access, and at this moment no work exists in which such information is published.

Little did the purchasers in 1837 imagine that in fifteen years each of those building lots (a quarter of an acre in extent, and obtained at an upset price of £12) would be a fortune in itself, selling from £300 to £400 a foot. Such a change seems fabulous; it is, nevertheless, true, and by the last Gazette notifying the intended sale of some of the Government reserve, the upset price was £300 per foot. We cannot now enter into a particular account of the growth and present extent of the province, but must confine ourselves to the capital, &c. Our final chapter, however, will contain a general outline of the colony, with a geographical description, and latest accounts as to statistics and produce.

Ships bound to Port Philip, on entering Bass' Straits, coming from the westward, make Cape Otway to the left, or King's Island on the right, while