convicts—thirty as a street gang, and the residue assigned as servants in town and country. Three pilots were appointed in January to superintend the navigation of the Bay. T w o steam sawmills, put up in Flinders Street by the Mantons, and Alison and Knight, c o m m e n c e d work, and a Mr. Dight, recently arrived from Sydney, prepared to establish aflourmill at the Studley Park Falls, which thenceforth adopted his name. Owing probably to the insufficiency of the police force, the setting-in of the winter was marked by a series of nocturnal outrages, and robberies became so rife that the shopkeepers of Collins Street were compelled, pro aris et focis, to retain at their o w n cost the services of two private watchmen for night duty ; but very poor value did these worthies return for the m a n y easily earned (or rather unearned) shillings they pocketed, for the incumbents were generally discarded constables or expirees—lazy, dissipated, bullying rascals, m u c h more disposed to go halves with a thief in his plunder than to attempt to apprehend him. T h e town kept gradually pushing its way into the bush ; brick houses and cottages or cots kept popping up, trade and traffic increased, and the wonder was h o w such progress could be m a d e in the teeth of the worse than apathetic neglect shown at head-quarters. T h e Superintendent did all he could to satisfy, or stave off, public requirements ; but this was little more than nothing, for no matter what might be his will to do good, he was rendered impotent by stronger than red-tape obstacles, for he had the " iron-hand " of Sir George Gipps firmly closed to every popular demand, no matter h o w urgent or reasonable. A n d so the year 1841 passed away amidst constant discontent, and repeated protestations against absentee misrule, until public feeling assumed such a threatening attitude, that, probably in consequence of the urgent representations of Mr. Latrobe, Sir George Gipps signified an intention to visit Port Phillip and see and judge for himself. There can be no better index of the neglect and injustice with which the young colony had been treated than a recapitulation of the " Bill of Wants " prepared for the Governor on his arrival, as published in the newspapers of the time. According to this, Melbourne needed a river m a d e navigable, the harbour properly buoyed, traversable streets, a bridge and breakwater for the Yarra, a road to the beach (Sandridge), effective Police, and a Police, Survey, and Sheriff's Offices, a T o w n Surveyor, Health Officer and Hospital, a Barracks and code of signals to advise the arrival and sailing of ships, extended jurisdiction of the Court of Requests, an enlargement of the powers of the Superintendent, and an annual visit by the Governor of the colony. Sir George came, saw, and departed, chary in promises, and more chary in the performance of them. Nevertheless, exaggerated notions were entertained as to the miracles his visit would effect, and the ardent minds of the colonists conjured a brilliant phantasm of what the future had in store for them, little dreaming howr all this airy architecture would be shivered into atoms by contact with the reality during the next couple of years. T h e population of the district increased by December to 20,416, of w h o m 14,391 were males, and 6025 females, the births 618, deaths 319, and H y m e n had 406 hypothecated as his share. KITE-FLYING.
Almost from the commencement of commercial operations over-trading had set in, and over-credit ensued. M e n began wholesale and retail businesses with little or no capital, and, starting on paper, rattled away until their houses of cards tumbled down about them. Small beginnings rapidly increased, and in 1842, bills and promissory notes, renewals, assignments, and re-assignments, presented such a complicated reticulation of what was known as "kite-flying" in the commercial system of Melbourne, as almost defied unravelment. H o w things got into such a maze of entanglement is a marvel to the uninitiated, but there was a general trading upon nothing, and every Jack, Bill and Harry gave and received accommodation bills ad libitum. T o thisfinancialembroglio a mania for land speculation contributed a powerful ingredient; and, as prior to the opening of the Supreme Court, the process of sueing was a risky and expensive experiment for the creditor, the debtor had the odds vastly in his favour, and a pleasant "from hand to m o u t h " time of it. But n o w the Supreme Court was in working order, and the judge officiated pro tern, as Commissioner of Insolvency. T h e consequence was a pouring in of plaints for the recovery of claims, with verdicts for the plaintiffs, sheriff's sales, and sequestrations of so-called " Estates" by the score. T h e newspapers teemed with notices of compulsory auction sales, fore-closures of mortgages, assignments and insolvencies ; and as is always the case when depression is at its worst, the banks applied the break, restricted discounts, screwed up defaulting customers, and so completed the universal embarrassment.
