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About Google Book Search Google's mission is to organize the world's information and to make it universally accessible and useful. Google Book Search helps readers discover the world's books while helping authors and publishers reach new audiences. You can search through the full text of this book on the web at http : //books . google . com/ IIFE IN VICTORIA. / LIFE IN VICTORIA VICTORIA IN 1853, AND VICTORIA IN 1858 THE MARCH OF IMPROVEMENT MADE BT THE COLONY WITHIN THOSE PERIODS, IN TOWN AND COUNTRY, CITIES AND DIGGINGS. BY WILLIAM KELLY, ESQ., AUTHOR 09 M ACS0B8 THB ROCKY M0T7VTAIVS, GREAT SALT LAKB VALLEY, AMD GREAT SIERRA BBVADA," AMD M A STBOLL THROUGH THB DIGGIKGS 09 CALIFORNIA." IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. I. LONDON: CHAPMAN AND HALL, 193, PICCADILLY. 1859. PREFACE. I wrar to Port Phillip in the latter end of 1852 with the intention of making a rapid but observant tour of that colony, and giving the results to the public in the following year. But the glowing temptations to speculate, the rich visions of yellow nuggets, contrasted so alluringly with the stunted rewards of literary labour, that I soon abandoned the aspiration of flourishing on paper for the expectation of figuring more profitably in trading, land jobbing, or digging pursuits. I have endeavoured to narrate faithfully the chequered vicissitudes of my various avocations, because they tend in a great measure to illustrate the unprecedented progress of the colony in its social, political, commercial, and mining phases; and though many of the details may be devoid of that stirring interest suited to the desultory reader, I trust they are so far imbued with truthful information as to redeem them from any general verdict of condemnation. Interest, it may be said, is a condiment capable of being manufactured specially to flavour literary ragouts; but as such an article only amalgamates genially with apocryphal information, I preferred telling my story without any such seasoning, rather than have the authenticity of the scattered crumbs of intelli­ gence it contains called in question. VI PBEFACE. I had the good fortune* during my homeward voyage of numbering amongst my fellow-passengers several expe­ rienced gentlemen, whose knowledge of commercial and dig­ ging matters enabled me to fill up many skeleton sketches, to prune down occasional exuberances, and to enumerate dogmatically certain opinions concerning the auriferous re­ sources of the colony, which I would not otherwise have ventured to whisper, clashing as they do with the grave pronunciations of a scientific commission. Some of my sketches may appear overdrawn to the home reader, as popular illustrations of Petticoat-lane scenes do to the antipodean denizens of Belgravia. But I can appeal to any candid dweller in Victoria, during the periods about which I write, if there is a tint or trait too highly coloured, or too broadly elaborated. To the colonial reader I will only make this prefatory observation. If at times he finds it difficult to detect the outlines of my pictures through the dull haze of description, he must at once refer it to my want of graphic power, and call to mind the plaintive avowal of a poetic prototype, who once upon a time sang in deprecation of cavil— I give thee all, I can no more, Though poor the offering be. In conclusion, I have to remark that long ere these volumes are encased in their covers, I shall be far away on my voyage towards the most modern of gold-fields—British Columbia—to face another campaign of houseless wander­ ings, through savage tribes and sterile wildernesses, and I therefore trust both critics and readers will extend to me a modicum of that proverbial immunity usually awarded to departed friends—an anticipative type of which charitable principle was formerly practised even by the Colonial Office, in supplementing the outfits of Sierra Leone officials, by PEEFACE. vii granting them liberal allowances towards their funeral ex­ penses. Besides, I must mention in confidence that I write "a shocking bad" hand, and I fear much that the gentle­ man who has kindly undertaken the task of correcting the proofs, will find it fraught with hieroglyphical difficulties alike beyond his anticipations and his capabilities. THE ATJTHOB. P.S.—I wish I could have launched my book under shelter of a respectful dedication, but as that solemn rite is never ventured on without a " kind permission," I must content myself by stating that, had I the authority, I would have enthroned as its patriarchal patron the Honourable John Pascoe Fawkner, M.L.C., who, " take him for all in all," is indubitably the foremost man in the colony of Victoria. It was his bold enterprise that first broke the long sleep of primeval nature in that favoured land, and beckoned thither Christian light as well as British energy, and he now enjoys the rare felicity of seeing the savage desert of 1835 invested with all the exalted functions of a nascent empire, beating throughout its remotest extremities with the strong, healthy pulse of civilisation, attracting commerce and settlers from every quarter of the globe, and feeding the mills and mints of the universe with her staple products. Mr, Fawkner found the site of Melbourne an aboriginal wilderness, and he will leave on it the queen city of the southern hemisphere. CONTENTS 02 VOL. I. CHAPTER I. PAGE Physical Effects of Wild Travel—A strange Ship's Crew—Curions Conditions of Passage—Leave San Francisco for the Sandwich Islands—A natural Picture—A dilapidated Digger—A Glance at his Life—His Ideas regarding Port Phillip—His Advice to go there —I leave him at Honolulu—Hear of the Australian Discoveriea on- reaching England—Determine on going there^-My $tart—Deal Boats and Boatmen—Curious Errand—Scene in Margate Beads^s Gales in the Channel—" Cheer, Boys, cheer'1—Madeira—Trinidad —Martin Bass Rocks—Waterspout—-Cape de Verds—Butter in the Tropics—Ship's Tarn—Scenes on the Line—Alarming Thunder? storm—Moral and Religious Reflections—Reasons for diverging to the Cape of Good Hope .....,./ 1 CHAPTER II. • Sight Table Mountain—Extraordinary Optical Illusion on entering Table Bay—Cape Town and Neighbourhood—Society there—Trade —Country Excursion—Visit Scyoli, the captive Cafire Chief, at Wynebergh—Leave the Cape of Good Hope—Great Excitement at Sea—An Expedition—Its Result—Our Consolation—Sight St. Paul's and Amsterdam—Description of those Islets—Mate Cape Otway Light—Scene on entering Port Phillip Heads—Shipwreck of the Sacramento—Port Phillip in 1799 and in 1853—Mrs. Hartley's. Letter of the former Date—Appearance of the Heads—Williams-, town—Sandridge—Shore Scenery—Shore Canvassers—Our Passage contrasted with the first Voyage of the Marco Polo—Tfte past Style of Navigation and tjie present 14 z CONTENTS. CHAPTER III. PAGE Batman's first Visit to Port Phillip—Its first terrestrial Christening— The first Deed of Conveyance—Its Character—The Consideration— First City Site chosen on Gellibrand's Point—Abandoned