1 ( n )
deep that it came u p to his c h in ; and as he was taller than any-
of us$we/w^#pnder - the- ne^§§ity o f lea^pg :our .clothes - behind,
and making two «trips, in orderto difeep our fire-arms from
the wet, which was not aueasy matter, being- 'Ofrligefl^b-. carry
them overour heads.; The- bottom of-the river was veiyfrugged
with sharp-pointed-roeks, which m^de"<tiststumble and ciit our
feet ^-however we got oyer; The poor creatufe'gave himself up
to- me without-condition, confessing he was one*of the party
who ranaway with- the Norfolk. At• thiamoment he presented
a. most-pitiablehsight, being literally; almost starved-, and'had -ho
got across the N arrow bine, he -never would, hav^ been able to
reach Sydney. - As to themusket, instead of being of any -"sen-/
vice to him, it was rather an incumbrance, as. it-'was totally
unfit for-^ulsety His comrades mid he had endured' the greatest-
misery and distress through hunger and-fatigue/ On b’eir/g informed
th'atvsome^Of them were1 taken and he*bure&-
into tears, and. said -he was .sure nothing could sav^trhim. * H e
had. a- wound in hfe leg, which he got from a ’species^oftfshatO
calfeclaSting Ray. In attempting to kill it in- a-sha-lldw- stream'
it had found its way into,- it threw- the sting, (which in largd-ones5
is^ometimes eight or nine inches in lehgth; indented like a saWj
tJ» p ^ h -,.fh o ^ ^< ^ ^ -Jfe g i' The fatigue of walking-, and ?thV
scratching of the bushes had inflamed it to a great Jdegfde‘f His-
feet were, also wounded and ulcerated from-rocks and stumps of
trees. In short,; he was so.wretched and--helpless,- that I directed
my two . companions; to support him between* them to-
Pittwater, where my boat; was to meet me. The little bread T
had reinainiitgbad as it was from the wet it had met; with,
was'devoured; by.yhlto with avidity; and this, with a Httle-spi-
rits;‘I had; left, - recruited him He-shewed me the place
whete he had lain all night,, on at few branches' spread under a
treei without -fire,., and exposed to: the heavy rain. On being
asked
asked where he had leftihis companions,1 he said, that himself
and1 twofotliers"'of the ' paftyf had left the remainder near Port*
Stephens wbibh is(|ojhie, considerable distaMce^tp the northward1
o£fi ifh'^.JBawkesbury ; that they had s'óünè intention^of forming
a^settiéhfeht there|-, until ^bmethin'gl sh^ffd turn up favourable'
fprdhem-; that-they 'had planted ‘a - few ^pumpkin ‘ and melori^
seéds, and^ëôichh Indian corn, whieh had cöriië|h"§'i, but was insufficient
for thé, suppok.of seven oiteight^persdns*. The' ring-'
leader,-who-swas tfie ^ lh ad determined return** This main
had- been very: ill with an inter-nutting, fever,- which indeed’, had
been experienced more/pbless-,bÿ all and’it’was his in--
tention,- andi;tbpt?of! two others, who left%hçplace;, tè/fetUm and*
give themselves Up/; but-^nfeiof them beihg/yefy ill, he q u itté^
him and his-companion,.whochose.to remain with the sick many
on the other1 side ofPittwater. Theyffiad suffered much ffo'm hunger,
living principally on the cabbage-ftrëe; and he affirmed, that-
when they fe'Ii-in*with'the natives,- they behaved very ill to them ; '
that indped'from-’söthe "they 'geira fis'fr'dh two but that others,'
instead- of-assisting/ them, took away; what ra'gs of btothihg they
ha^teff.-.- -This last oîrêhmstance is, in m f ôpinieny■ rather-inw
probable,'rfdr/iMèSsif-be à blanket,’ I have '-phyeS1 - known any^
of the natives-express, even* a wish for any article ^ Clothing.
On being asked how hé %Ot over ‘Pittwater,- be'informed mei
tjhat meeting with onef-of the.natives-, then on the banks, whom'
he. knew, he. partly/through that acquaintance; • and partly i
through .the offer - of a shirt, prevailed with him te pût him/
across“in his.canoei; but that heihad much/ado afterwards-ste®
prevent some o f them from spearing him, as theyft'all asked him
far bread, which thöj^ supposed ;he--’must JraVfe/ Whether this!
was true ormoh.with respect,to his a’dyehtures, it idl.aifact that
all the .natives ! about -the Settlement, -dr at a distance,- who haves
tasted bread, are very fond of it,..and always ask for it'. No-
1 doubt