And the squatters, in order to keep a foothold in the country, had to seek markets for their stock over the sea.  The first to export cattle was James McFarlane of Heyfield.  He chartered the schooner ‘Waterwitch’ for 100 pounds a month for six months, and found her in everything.  She arrived on March 2nd, 1842, but could not come up to the Port being too sharp in the bottom, and drawing (when loaded with cattle) thirteen feet six inches, so she lay down at the Oyster Beds.  McFarlane borrowed the square punt from the ‘Clonmel’ wreckers, a weak stockyard of tea tree was erected, and the punt was moored alongside.  A block was made fast to the bottom of the punt, and a rope rove through it to a bullock’s head, and the men hauled on the rope.  Sometimes a beast would not jump, and had to be levered and bundled into the punt neck and crop.  Then the men got into a boat, and reached over to make the rope fast from the head of the bullock to one of the eyebolts which were fixed round the punt, and even then the bullock would sometimes go overboard.  It took a week to load twenty fat bullocks and twenty cows with their calves.  The schooner set sail for New Zealand on April 2nd, 1842, and at Port Nicholson the bullocks were sold for fifteen and the cows for twelve pounds each, cash.  The ‘Waterwitch’ returned to Port Albert on April 29th, and took in another cargo of breeding cattle, which had to be sold on bills, the cash at Port Nicholson being exhausted.  McFarlane next sought for a market at Hobarton, which was then supplied with beef from Twofold Bay.  Forty bullocks were put on board the ‘Waterwitch’ in five days, and in forty-eight hours they were offered for sale in Hobarton, and fetched fourteen pounds ten shillings a head—­all but one, a snail-horned brute, which was very wild.  When he landed, a number of soldiers were at drill in the paddock, and he charged the redcoats at once.  They prepared to receive cavalry, but he broke through the ranks, scattered the citizens the whole length of Liverpool Street, and reached the open country.  Guisden, the auctioneer, sold the chance of him for eleven pounds.

At this time, nobody in Hobarton had heard of such a place as Gippsland; but the fat cattle, which were far superior to those imported from Twofold Bay, soon made the new territory well known, and many enterprising men of various characters found their way to it from the island.

McFarlane sent over another cargo of forty bullocks, thirty-seven of which averaged fourteen pounds; one was lost, and two belonging to Macalister, heavy weights, were sold for forty pounds ten shillings.