Eobbins, after examining King's Island, entered Port Phillip in January. Tlie Surveyor-CTeneral on shore, with ^assistants, worked upon the east coast, returning to the W^umherJund when necessary. Robbing and the gardener ^^Kvere often on shore* The schooner was moved from place ^Ho i)lace so as to be available for the land-party to return to ^pier at night. Five times the natives were seen, some of them close to the present site of Melbourne. Biscuits were on two » occasions given to them, and no ill-usage on either side was recorded- Once Mr. Grimes returned to the ship to obtain a stronger guard, as eleven natives met the party on landing. They were peaceful, and accepted biscuit, fish, and a toma- "lawk* The mouth of the Yarra Yarra was discovered, and jthe Saltwater and Yarra Yarra rivers were ascended. The land-party, consisting of Eobbins, Grimes, the gardener, hwith as many of seven sailors as may have left the boat [(4th Feb. 1803), stood upon Batman's Hill, long known as picturesque spot in Melbom-ne, but lovulled in later years give place to a railway station. On the following day water-casks were taken up the Yarra farra, and the Cumberland was supplied from what the zardener styled in his journal *' the great river/* For several 'Says afterwards Mr. Grimes was surveying on the banks of the Ibarra, and the gardener sowed seeds. On one occasion the latter, when alone, saw seven natives, but they did not molest him. Grimes surveyed the course of the Ibarra for many miles above the present site of Melbourne. The result of the expedition was not what might have been looked for from such explorers. Neither Grimes nor Eobbuis ^praised the soil they saw, although they reported that small ^Rportions were fit for cultivation.^^ The value of the natural ^fcrasses in yielding pasture for fine-wooUed sheep was not ^Rhen known. The previous reports of Murray and Flinders, chiming in as they did with the Governor's desires, had, however, been so favoiu^able that the English government, without waithig for further information, determined to occupy Port Phillip.
- It is only fair to Robbins to state thai when sent in 1804 to examine
Weatem Port he declared — *' I have not seen any part of Western Port in my opinion ao eligible for a aettlement &a the fi'eshwater river at the head of that port" (PbUlip). u2
