162
1788. the murder had been: committed, in hopes, by fome means
. or other, to be able to find out, either-the a&ual perpetrators,
or thofe concerned. As moft o f -their clothes, and
a l l .their ; working tools were carried <ofly‘- we.expedted that
thefe might furnifh us with fome clu e ; .but in this'iwC were
difappointed,. We could not obferve a -fingle trace o f the
natives ever having been there. We. then eroded the
country to; Botany Bay, ftill flattering ourfelves Ithat^Wff
might be able to difeover, among a tribe ‘ at that - place,
ibme ptdo£,-that they r had been concerned * as the governor
was refolyed, on whomfoever he, I found any. o f thee tools
or clothing, . to . fhew them his difpleafure, „ and, \ by
every- means in his .power, v endeavour to convin cethem -
©£ his motives for fuch a procedure. In our: routed we
faw feveral kangaroos, and flhot a very fine. teal. -A little
before funr-det, after a long and fatiguing . march,- we
arrived at Bbtany Bay.' When- we approached the bay, _
we faw eleven canoes, . with two perfons in each, fifliing j
moft o f them had a fire in their canoe,! a convenience;
which they feldom go without at any time, or feafon, '.but
particularly, at this, as the weather was very cold. Here
we pitched our tents, for,, (as-I have-before'obferyed) -.we
never
neveri; travel without • them, and Kindled large fires'both
m front and'.rear; - ftill, however, the cold was fo very
intepfe that we could-fcarcely clofé our eyes'during thé
night.- In .the morning the grafs was quite white with
.a hoar froft, ?fo ' as -to 'crackle: under our. jfeet. After
-breakfaft we vifited the’ grave ;-;of. the French’ abbé, who
died yyhdft the- Coupt de Peÿroufewas- here. It was truly
fumble indeed,, .being, diftihguiftied;-only-by a, common
head-ftone, ftuek flightly into the loofedearth which
covered i t .A g a in f t j - a tree, ju f t. above, it, was nailed a
board, with the following infeription orr
, ivHIC JACET ;
LE^ÊCEVEOR
EX, F. F. MINÔRIBüI I g ALLIA S^ÇERDOS .
THt'SICUS ;ÎN ClkCOTlPl;VlGA^O®l: Àiujujl’ ^
DUCE D. Dpt LA PEYrI hjSE.
OBI-IT DIE, 17th FEBR.' ANNO 1788. Ë
As the painting on the board could not be permanent, Governor
Phillip had the infeription engraved on a plate pf
copper, and nailed ,to the tfame tree ;\an d at fome future
day he intends to have a handfome head-ftone placed;at
Y 2 . S|f . y ■: the