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24 often deceptive. Expectations may be rashly formed, allusions hastily expressed, and judgment precipitate. However, a settlement was established under the commandant Captain Wright, consisting of some convicts and a few soldiers. Captain Hovel], the guide, failed to dis cover the El Dorado of Geelong. Pitching their tents on the eastern side of the Port, about a mile north of the Red Point, and not far from the site of the present township of Corinella, the new settlers attempted to bring the wilderness into a garden. They soon discovered the utter unsuitability of the place. The colonies in those days were like the colonies of the autocrat of Russia ; persons were taken to a spot, commanded to bring it into tillage, and, however objectionable, to remain there until orders came for removal. Luckily for the soldier officers and convict overseers, the Home Government disliked the in crease of locations, and recommended centralization. The party were, therefore, instantly to return to Sydney. They departed, leaving stacks of bricks ready for burning, and houses partially erected. All quitted the Port in December the same year, 1826, and the gloom and mystery of the Port Phillip district were greater than ever. Hovell had objected to his travelling companion accompanying him to the new settlement, and we are pretty certain that the other had no lamentations over the failure. Hume published his version of the overland story in the Sydney Herald of 1833. It was with no small pride he after wards referred to the result of that publication. “ My letters,” said he, “ attracted the attention of the Van Diemen’s Land settlers, who, acting upon it, went over, and, finding my statement of the nature of the country around Port Phillip correct, effected the first successful settle ment at Hobson’s Bay.” CAPTAIN STURT ON THE MURRAY. We now approach an important and interesting epoch of our history, —the discovery of the course and embouchure of the Murray river by Captain Charles Sturt, in 1830. That gentleman was attached to the 39th regiment in Sydney, when a season of long continued drought afforded an opportunity of determining the nature of that Inland Sea, supposed to have been seen by Mr. Oxley, the former Surveyor-General, in 1818, and into the reedy margin of which he had traced the Macqua rie. The reflecting officer ventured to douht the existence of that physical feature, and obtained permission from governor Darling to
