lives form part of the history of this new country ; others of them ran to seed as swindlers and bolters, whilst two of them attained the grey hair stage in the seclusion of Pentridge. lrade was rapidly increasing, and in the early part of 1840 twenty vessels used to be seen at one time in the harbour ; but m u c h inconvenience was felt through the want of an accredited pilot, and ship signalling stations at Melbourne and Williamstown. O n 6th January the brig " Caroline," 200 tons, from Sydney, m a d e her way to the Melbourne wharf, and as she was the largest vessel that had up to that time ventured so far, she fired a salute to commemorate an event so notable. O n the 26th June, 1840, a notification was issued from the Harbour-Master's office, signifying that "after the 1st August, 1840, a plain stationary light would be shown from sunset to sunrise from a lighthouse erected on the extremity of Gellibrand's Point, Williamstown, Hobson's Bay, visible five leagues in clear weather from any safe position to the southward."
THE FLAGSTAFF.
One of the eminences which enabled a not unerring peerer into futurity to predict that the Melbourne of no distant date would be a seven-hilled city, is the area n o w known as the Flagstaff Gardens at West Melbourne. Originally it was known as Burial Hill, from the establishment there of a small cemetery wherein half-a-dozen individuals were provided with a last earthly resting-place. It was a bleak, shelterless hillock, away in the country, and absolutely treeless. It was for a time difficult to decide as to the best position for a signal-station. Batman's Hill was suggested, but it was too low, and the timber-growth between it and the beach was then such as to impede the view to Williamstown, where a responding signal-station was to be founded. T h e site of the n o w N e w L a w Courts was also mentioned, but the elevation was thought to be insufficient, and so finally the north-western Hill was selected. In September, 184c, was c o m m e n c e d what was regarded as an important public work. T h e staff was raised and rigged in form like the mainmast of a ship, and on the 13th it appeared in full dress, with the ensigns of various nations flaunting in the breeze from truck and yardarms, and ribbons in profusion coiling round and fluttering from the upper cordage It was a fine Sunday, so the whole town turned out to look at and admire all the finery, dancing in wild confusion between earth and sky. Ere the end of the month it was officially intimated "that from and after the n t h October, the time would be indicated by the hoisting of a black ball, and dropping it at noon." But the elaborate, semaphoric, and chronometrical arrangements contemplated, were speedily disarranged by an amusing miscalculation of the required staff altitude; and when the signalling test was submitted to practical application, the spars were found to be too low for the Bay signalling. Matters, therefore, had to remain in abeyance until loftier timbers were obtained. T h e unshipped materials were transhipped to Williamstown, where they were raised, and did theflag-flyingwork tolerably well for a while. T h e code of signals by which the Melbourne establishment was worked, is n o w to be found only in some three or four old Directories in the colony. They were ten in number, and though difficult enough to be remembered, the old inhabitants were, as a rule, well versed in such nautical lore, as everyone then felt a keen interest in shipping arrivals, especially those from British and European ports, for by such means only was intelligence from the fondly cherished Home-country to be obtained. A ship in sight was proclaimed to the townspeople by a chequered flag raised to the masthead. W h e n the class of vessel was ascertained theflagwas struck and a ball hoisted on the yard, and its position east or west told the rig of the approaching visitor For' a Queen's ship the Union Jack was flown in addition to the ball over the indicating flag ° and for an emigrant vessel (most prized arrival of all) there was a chequered flag added to the 'when a vessel anchored during the night, or arrived too late to be signalled in the evening, the ball was lowered; the flag remained on the yard two hours afterwards; and the flags were hoisted as soon as the particulars could be ascertained in the morning, and remained in suspension for two hours.
