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POUT PHILLIP NEWS.
DENMARK HILL.-The arrival of this vessel has
been an era, if we may be allowed the expression,
in the history of this (to be) colony. We believe
she is intended finally for a floating store at Williams'
Town, for the reception of the goods of such shipping
as from their drought of water, are unable to proceed
to di el bourne; and is the first vessel registered from
this port. The Denmark Hill has brought a steam
boat, the Fire-fly, to ply up and down the Yarra
Yarra, which will be the means of affording a facility
of communication and conveyance between Mel
bourne and the Point, the want of which has long
been felt. She has also conveyed to this shore, the
Kev. J. C. Grylls. formerly of Trinity College,
Dublin, and of Jesus College, Cambridge, who has
been licensed by the Lord Bishop of Australia,
Episcopalian Minister, and Surrogate of Melbourne,
which latter appointment gives him the power of
granting marriage licenses-there seems to us to be
a desperate want though of marriageable ladies ;
and lastly, the said vessel has had the extreme
honor of bringing hither the proprietors and materials
of this establishment.-Port Phillip Gazette, Octo
ber 21th.
- Two building allotments, together covering a
space of ground equal to eighty-seven feet deep with
sixty-six feet frontage to Bourke-street, were sold
by Mr. Hill, on Wednesday last, for the sum of -
£108 ! !-Ibid.
AUCTIONS. - The ninety thousand bricks sold
by Mr. Hdl, last Monday, averaged at the rate of
twenty-six shillings and sixpence; they sold very
fast, and mostly in lots ot ten, fifteen, or twenty
thousand.- Ibid.
AUSTRALIA FELIX.—We have received the ac-
count of an expedition into the interior, by a party of
our enterprising gentlemen settlers, in search of the
Australia Felix of Major Mitchell. There have
been many and contradictory reports concerning this
wonderful tract of land, said to be in all its natural
appearances, a perfect paradise ; the mystery that
hung around it was increased by the report of an
oath having been administered to Mr. Stapleton, the
attendent surveyor, never to reveal its true site—and
that the discoverer himself bad gone to England to
obtain a grant of either the whole or some extensive
portion of it. Some have said the settlers at Port-
land Bay were well acquainted with it—others that
those gentlemen located to the northward and west-
ward of Mount Macedon, were actually on it—and
Mr. Walker in his work entitled " A Month in the
Bush of Australia," describes himself as having gone
a day's journey into it, and yet on mounting a hill
adjacent to the track, that Mount Macedon bore
S. S. E. only twenty miles distant. The latter
gentleman must of course be mistaken as to the
place, or he is wrong in the figures, or there must be
general conspiracy to keep up this trifling and child-
ish mystery about a country which does not exist—
or being in very truth—ought to be made known.
It appears the party in question, set out au cheval,
taking lead horses, well armed and provisioned ;
were out twenty-four days, and guided by the Major's
map, reached the Australian Felix so long sought
for and talked of. They describe the herbage as
plentiful and most luxuriant ; the water however in
less abundance than was expected, but that can be
accounted for by the long succession of drought
since Major Mitchell's discovery. They found the
blacks numerous and troublesome, and returned after
having travelled over five hundred miles.—Ibid.
- Who says our barbour is a bad one? let him
come forward, and if he has any comprehension
for simple ideas, we will endeavour to point out
that it possesses all the advantages of a good and
safe anchorage and shelter for ships of almost
aoy burthen. We invite a comparison between
any port in England and the harbour of Port Phillip
A vessel stands in from the straits, shoots through
a fair and open passage, with the rocks or reef
on either side too conspicuous to raise a fear of the
consequence of proximity-meets a swell, if the ebb
is setting out, heavy and apparently dangerous, over,
which, however, she breasts it like a nautilus-and
once within the heads, can drop anchor with perfect
safety. If she stand on, she has a choice of two
passages, wide enough and deep enough to beat or
sail through with a flowing sheet ; past the shoals,
which do not extend inwards one-fourth of the
whole expanse, she has room to beat bank for
hank, or make boards away to either coast until she
doubles Gellibrand's Point,and handing al) sail comes
to abreast of Williams Town. This is plain sailing,
baring the traverse with a foul wind; and the only
objection that arises is, that from the low and muddy
position of the shores there are no distinguishing land
marks to point out the entrance and exit of western
passage;but this can easily be obviated by substituting
water marks -by mooring, as a nautical gentleman
pointed out to us, four buoys, two at the edges of the
sand banks on either side at the commencement of the
channel and two corresponding at the termination.
Nou> the necessary buoys are lying at Gellibrand's
Point, and the revenue cutter intended for the public
service, is lying idle in Hobson's Bay.
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