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An advertisement in the first number of Fawkner's manuscript newspaper (Melbourne Advertiser), ist January, 1838, announced the projected departure in the following month of the fine fast-sailing ship, " Hartley," 400 tons, for London ; but this intention was not carried out. T h e same publication (15th January) records that on the 21st December, 1837, during a heavy gale, the " Thistle," from Launceston, parted both her chains at Port Fairy, but that " the presence of mind so inherent in our brave seamen was possessed by Captain Mills," w h o succeeded in getting sail on the vessel, and ran his ship so high on the beach as to save everything on board. T h e "Eudora." from V a n Diemen's land, arrived ioth November, bringing as visitors two worthy Quaker missionaries, viz., George Washington Walker and James Backhouse, who, during a short stay, exerted themselves laudably to render the few residents God-fearing and temperate, but they did not succeed quite so m u c h as they deserved. In April, 1838, H.M.F. " C o n w a y " (Captain Bedon) arrived from Sydney, with Bishop Broughton as a passenger. T h e frigate remained some days in the Bay, and was visited by most of the townspeople, w h o were m u c h pleased with the courtesy shown them. It is reported that the ladies were especially smitten " b y the very kind andflatteringbehaviour of the officers." O n the 18th the captain entertained the two or three Government officers of position in town at dinner, and next day started off with the Bishop for Hobart Town. I was recently interviewed by an "old salt," w h o supplied m e with a variety of curious information, from which I select the following for present publication :—His n a m e is David Fermaner, a native of Lewisham, in Kent, was bred to a seafaring life, and on 17th March, 1833, he arrived in Sydney, as one of the crew of the ship " Lady Nugent," with convicts. In June he passed on to Launceston, and whilst in V a n Diemen's Land, knew Batman, Fawkner, and other ancient historical personages. In 1834, being employed on a whaling cruise, the vessel in which he served put into Portland, and he was there in November when the Henty party landed. During the subsequent years he was engaged in the Intercolonial trade, with an occasional turn at whaling, and on 24th December, 1837, whilst on board the "Thistle," schooner (the vessel in which the senior Henty voyaged from Swan River), she was wrecked in a gale at Port Fairy. T h e skipper (J. B. Mills), not being m u c h of a sailor, Fermaner, w h o was mate, did the best he could, but the craft had to be abandoned, whilst the captain, mate, and two seamen named Ferris and Jennings, struck out in a whaleboat for Hobson's Bay, where they arrived in safety. Fermaner was thefirstlicensed waterman at Williamstown, and in 1842 was appointed by Governor Gipps, pilot at Port Albert. A s such, and as Acting HarbourMaster, he continued in the Public Service until 1876, when he was superannuated on the plea of old age, though n o w (1888) over 70 years of age, he is smart, wiry, active, and apparently as capable of work as if twenty years younger. H e assures m e that the " James Watt," referred to in the shipping chapter, a good sized paddle-boat, was the first steamer that traded between Melbourne and Launceston so early as 1838. Previously engaged between the Clyde and London, the vessel was despatched to Australia to ply between Sydney, Launceston, and Melbourne, but there was not sufficient business, and after making two or three trips to Melbourne, the "Watt" was sent on to China. Captain Fermaner also relates the following circumstances : — A whaling captain named S (name forgotten), whose brother n o w resides in the neighbourhood of Mount Macedon, wishing to transfer his family with some bullock-drays and stores from Sydney to Melbourne, chartered the schooner "Sarah" (then at Williamstown), for the purpose. W h e n sailing for her destination the "Sarah's" long-boat was forgotten at Williamstown, and the craft herself went her way and was never after heard of. A brie named the "Britannia," was soon after driven ashore near Frankston, but being got afloat, was brought up the Yarra and refitted for service. A s she had no long-boat, the one belonging to the "Sarah" was procured and placed on board. T h e "Britannia," with a cargo of wool, was despatched to Sydney but instead of going there she came to grief on the way and disappeared. T h e long-boat was picked up at sea by a revenue-cutter sent from Sydney in search of the "Sarah" and "Britannia," 'th of which vessels was ever after seen or heard of. T h e "Sarah" and the "Britannia" were two of the five vessels mentioned in Chapter 43 as having been wrecked in or near Bass's Straits in and in one or other of which was the white woman, afterwards detained by the Gippsland