3-064 (Original)

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I arrived in Port Philip towards the end of the year 1838, and about six weeks afterwards proceeded to Cape Schanck, accompanied by William Ryrie, Esq., to look at a tract of country which had just been taken up, with a herd of 800 head of cattle from Maneroo, by an overseer in the employ of Charles Campbell, Esq., Sydney.
By the advice of Mr. Ryrie (the stock and run being for sale) I proceeded to Sydney overland, completed the purchase, and took possession from the 1st of January 1839. The boundaries of the run were very indefinite, as I was the only settler on the coast side of Arthur's Seat, and all the country from Point Nepean to Cape Schanck, now comparatively so thickly populated, was then in undisputed possession of the kangaroo, emu, and native dog, the first of these running literally in large herds. [90]
Between my run and Melbourne, a distance of about 70 miles, there was but one settler, Mr. Edward Hobson, located at Kangerong, at the base of Arthur's Seat.
About the month of July 1839, Messrs. Hobson, Desailly, and myself, accompanied by three aboriginal natives, carted a whaleboat from Kangerong to Western Port, for the purpose of exploring the country in the neighbourhood of that bay. The result of the expedition was my taking possession of the run at the head of Western Port, known afterwards as Yalloak, and moving my stock there, with the exception of about 150 head of cattle, which, with my right to the Cape Schanck run, I sold to Messrs. Willoughby and Thomson. Mr. Thomson afterwards sold to the present occupant, John Barker, Esq.
For a considerable period after occupying Yalloak, the only settlers beyond me were Messrs. Anderson and Massie, who had an agricultural establishment on the Bass River, and sent their produce to market by water, employing for that purpose small vessels of from 20 to 30 tons burthen. I retained possession of Yalloak Station till the year 1845, when I sold out to Henry Moor, Esq.
In the beginning of 1839 there were very few settlers on the south side of the Yarra. Messrs. Ryrie were the highest up the river; between them, and near to town, were Messrs. Wood and one or two others. On the road to Western Port was the Dandenong Station, superintended by A. Langhorne, Esq., and beyond it there were, I think, only Ruffy's and O'Connor's stations, while lastly, on what is now the Point Nepean road, was the solitary station of Mr. Hobson.
The tribe of aboriginal natives, known as the Western Port blacks, numbered, I should imagine, when I knew them first, upwards of 300; but, on this point, Mr. Assistant Protector Thomas would be an authority. [91] 
During the seven years of my residence in the bush I saw a great deal of the natives, and invariably found them quiet, inoffensive, and willing, in their way, to be useful. They never did me any harm intentionally, and on many occasions really helped me; although any attempt to induce one or more of them to settle to any steady work, however light, even for a single day, was utterly vain. I believe I may safely say that the settlers south of the Yarra were invariably kind to the natives, and there are, I believe, few if any instances of ingratitude in return on record.
I was not, however, so fortunate with the aboriginal natives of Gippsland, who, before the occupation of that district by white men, came to attack the Western Port tribe, and, making my station, did a considerable amount of damage; but fortunately, no lives were lost.
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