Which we kept our wind till
noon to be certain of clearing the shoals and breakers lying off this end
of the island. At noon saw the looming of the western end of the island
bearing distant perhaps 12 miles, the direct distance from Mid Hummock of
that island to Cape Farewell is north 51 degrees west distance 56 miles
true but by compass north-west a little westerly."
CHAPTER 6.
THE DISCOVERY OF PORT PHILLIP.
On leaving King Island, Murray, on January 30th (civil time),* (* In this
chapter civil time is given in the author's observations. The time in the
logs throughout is according to nautical reckoning, i.e. the day
beginning at noon before the civil reckoning.) returned again to Western
Port and next day, at 4 A.M. he sent Mr. Bowen with 5 men in the launch
to examine the harbour to the westward which is now known as Port Phillip
and at the head of which stands the city of Melbourne. On Wednesday the
launch returned and the first mate reported that he had found a good
channel into the harbour which was "a most noble sheet of water." He also
reported that he saw no natives but only their huts. Shortly afterwards
Murray himself entered the newly discovered Port in the Lady Nelson.
Murray arrived there on February 14th and anchored at 3.30 P.M. in a
sandy cove off a point of the shore which lay distant a quarter of a mile
to the south-west. He named a high mountain Arthur's Seat; a cluster of
islands where black swans were plentiful Swan Isles; a bold rocky point
to the east-south-east Point Paterson and a long sandy point Point
Palmer.
The chart of Port Phillip (Illustration 11) is possibly a reproduction of
the track of the Lady Nelson's boat when the bay was explored for the
first time. Arthur's Seat and Watering Place apparently are the only
names placed on it by Murray* (* It is preserved at the Admiralty.) as
Swan Pond and "Point Repear" are in a different handwriting. At "Point
Repear" the long boat of the Lady Nelson may have been repaired or the
name may have been written in mistake for Point Nepean, also named by
Murray.
The following entries describe his coming to Port Phillip.
"Wednesday, January 27th. From noon till 8 P.M. variable winds, hot
sultry weather, dull fiery sky and so thick that we could not see above a
mile ahead; kept making for Cape Albany (Otway). At 8 short sail and hove
to...at 4 A.M. the wind settled into a westerly gale attended with heavy
squalls and rain. By 9 A.M. it turned into a clear gale and a very high
sea up which makes us labour a good deal.
