I was much more astonished when he soon after came to tell me of the fresh tracks of cattle that he had found on the shore, and the shoemarks of a white man.  He also brought me portions of tobacco-pipes and a glass bottle without a neck.  That whaling vessels occasionally touched there I was aware, as was indeed obvious from the carcasses and bones of whales on the beach; but how cattle could have been brought there I did not understand.  Proceeding round the bay with the intention of examining the head of an inlet and continuing along shore as far as Cape Bridgewater, I was struck with the resemblance to houses that some supposed grey rocks under the grassy cliffs presented; and while I directed my glass towards them my servant Brown said he saw a brig at anchor; a fact of which I was soon convinced and also that the grey rocks were in reality wooden houses.  The most northern part of the shore of this bay was comparatively low, but the western consisted of bold cliffs rising to the height of 180 feet.

We ascended these cliffs near the wooden houses which proved to be some deserted sheds of the whalers.  One shot was heard as we drew near them and another on our ascending the rocks.  I then became somewhat apprehensive that the parties might either be, or suppose us to be, bushrangers and, to prevent if possible some such awkward mistake, I ordered a man to fire a gun and the bugle to be sounded; but on reaching the higher ground we discovered not only a beaten path but the track of two carts, and while we were following the latter a man came towards us from the face of the cliffs.  He informed me in answer to my questions that the vessel at anchor was the Elizabeth of Launceston; and that just round the point there was a considerable farming establishment belonging to Messrs. Henty, who were then at the house.  It then occurred to me that I might there procure a small additional supply of provisions, especially of flour, as my men were on very reduced rations.  I therefore approached the house and was kindly received and entertained by the Messrs. Henty who as I learnt had been established there during upwards of two years.  It was very obvious indeed from the magnitude and extent of the buildings and the substantial fencing erected that both time and labour had been expended in their construction.  A good garden stocked with abundance of vegetables already smiled on Portland Bay; the soil was very rich on the overhanging cliffs, and the potatoes and turnips produced there surpassed in magnitude and quality any I had ever seen elsewhere.

WHALE FISHERY.

I learnt that the bay was much resorted to by vessels engaged in the whale fishery and that upwards of 700 tons of oil had been shipped that season.  I was likewise informed that only a few days before my arrival five vessels lay at anchor together in that bay, and that a communication was regularly kept up with Van Diemen’s Land by means of vessels from Launceston.  Messrs. Henty were importing sheep and cattle as fast as vessels could be found to bring them over, and the numerous whalers touching at or fishing on the coast were found to be good customers for farm produce and whatever else could be spared from the establishment.