Discoveries in Australia, Volume 1.: With an Account of the Coasts and Rivers Explored and Surveyed During; The Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, in the Years 1837-38-39-40-41-42-43.; By Command of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. Also a Narrative; Of Captain Owen Stanley's Visits to the Islands in the Arafura Sea.Stokes, John Lort
History
Discoveries in Australia, Volume 1.: With an Account of the Coasts and Rivers Explored and Surveyed During; The Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, in the Years 1837-38-39-40-41-42-43.; By Command of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. Also a Narrative; Of Captain Owen Stanley's Visits to the Islands in the Arafura Sea.
Stokes, John Lort
Australia -- Description and travel; Australia -- Discovery and exploration; Natural history -- Australia
Having completed our operations, we next morning, January 1st, 1839,
departed for Corio Harbour, situated at the head of a deep inlet midway
on the western shore of Port Phillip. We found our progress impeded as we
beat up it by a long spit, extending two thirds of the way across from a
low projecting point lying midway on the north shore. On the opposite
side, the land is of moderate elevation, and has in many places a most
inviting rich park-like appearance, swelling on all sides into grassy
downs, with patches of open woodland interspersed. In the afternoon we
anchored in three fathoms, about a quarter of a mile from the south point
of Corio Harbour. This is a level expanse of land named Point Henry, from
which a long spit extends, leaving only a shoal channel between it and
the northern shore. Thus, though the harbour has apparently a broad open
mouth, it is impossible for a large vessel to enter it.
January 2.
After breakfast a party of us went to visit Captain Fyans, the police
magistrate of the district, for the purpose of arranging a trip to
Station Peak. We landed on the South-West corner of Corio Harbour, where
we found four fathoms close to the beach, immediately over which is the
north end of the township of Geelong. A kind of store and two other
wooden buildings pointed out its locality. Captain Fyans was living in a
log-hut on the banks of the Marabul River. Our road thither lay west
about three miles across a woody down.
RIVER BARWON.
The Marabul runs to the southward, and joins the Barwon flowing from the
west; after which the united streams take a south-easterly direction. The
course of the latter I was anxious to trace, having seen its mouth in
passing along the coast west from Port Phillip. Very opportunely I met
with Mr. Smith, belonging to the colonial surveying department, who being
employed in the neighbourhood, took me to a commanding station on some
low hills about three miles to the south, called by the natives Barabul.
We crossed the Barwon running to the south-east at the foot of them, near
where it fell some height over a rocky shelf forming a pretty waterfall.
Turning to the left from this roar of water, you find the stream
meandering silently between rich grassy flats. On one of these Mr.
Smith's tents were pitched, overlooked by a craggy height on the opposite
side of the river; and the blue stream of smoke that arose from the fire
of his party, helped to impart life and beauty to the scene. From the
Barabul hills I almost traced the Barwon to its confluence with the sea.
Five miles to the south-east from where we stood it communicated with a
large lagoon; after leaving which, I was informed there was only a depth
of three feet, and a width of one eighth of a mile. It is not, however,
this alone that renders the Barwon useless for water-carriage to the town
of Geelong; for the exposed situation of its mouth almost always prevents
boats from entering.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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