ns brightly, without
smoke, diffusing also a delicious aromatic smell.

HOBSON'S BAY.

On Christmas day, which we spent in Hobson's Bay, we experienced one of
those hot winds which occasionally occur coming off the land. During its
prevalence, everything assumes a strange appearance--objects are seen
with difficulty, and acquire a tremulous motion like that which is
imparted to everything seen through the air escaping from an over-heated
stove. The thermometer on a wall under the glare of the sun, stood at 135
degrees.

We surveyed Hobson's Bay during our stay, and connected it by
triangulation with Melbourne. Our observations were made at the inner end
of a small jetty. The mouth of the Yarra-yarra is closed up by a bar,
which from its soft muddy nature may be easily removed. The deepest water
we found on it at high tide was nine feet.

CORIO HARBOUR.

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 strea