je a n t s , tw o corp orals, one d rum m e r , and fo r ty p r iv a te s , attended b y
tw o fu rg e o n s , fet o f f w ith th re e d a y s ’ provisions fo r th e p u rp o fe ab ov e -
m entioned .
T h e r e w a s little p ro b a b ility th a t fu ch a p a r ty w o u ld be able fo u n e
x p e c te d ly to fa ll in w i th th e p eop le th e y w e r e fen t to p u n ilh , as to
fu rp r ife th em , w ith o u t w h ic h ch an ce , th e y m ig h t h u n t them in th e
w o o d s fo r e v e r ; and as th e d ifferent tr ibes ( fo r w e h ad th o u g h t fit to
clafs th em in to tr ibes) w e r e no t to be d iftin gu ifh ed from each other
b u t b y b e in g fo u n d in h a b itin g particular -refidences, th e re w o u ld be
fom e d ifficu lty in d e te rm in in g , i f a n y nativ es ffiould fall in th e ir w a y ,
w h e th e r th e y w e r e th e ob je cts o f th e ir e xp ed ition , o r fom e un o ffen d in
g fam ily w h o l ly u n co n n e c ted w i th them. T h e v e r y circumftance
h ow e v e r , o f a p a r ty b e in g armed and d etached p u rp o fe ly to p uniffi the
m an and h is com p an ion s w h o w o u n d e d M T n t ir e , was lik e ly to h a v e
a g o o d effeCt, as it w a s w e l l k n o w n to Several nativ e s, w h o w e r e at
th is tim e in th e tow n o f S y d n e y , th a t this w a s th e in ten tion w i th
w h ic h th e y w e r e fen t out.
O n th e th ird d a y a fte r th e ir departure th e y re turn ed , w ith o u t h a v in g
w o u n d e d o r h u r t a n a tiv e , o r made a prifoner . T h e y faw fome at the
h ead o f B o t a n y B a y , and fired at th em , bu t w ith o u t d o in g th em a n y
in ju r y . W h e n e v e r th e p a r ty w a s feen b y th e nativ e s, th e y fled w i th
in c red ib le fw iftn e fs '; n o r h ad a fe con d attemp t, w h ic h the g o v e rn o r d i-
reCted, a n y b e tte r fuccefs.
T h e g o v e rn o r n o w d e te rm in in g to a v a il h im fe lf as m u ch as p offib le
o f th e h e a lth and Strength o f th e w o r k in g co n v ic ts , w h ile b y the en jo y m
en t o f a fu ll,r a tio n th e y w e r e capable; o f e x e r tio n , re fo lv ed to p roce ed
w i th fu ch p u b lic b u ild in g s as he ju d g e d to be n e ce ffa ry fo r th e co n v e n
ien ce o f th e different fettlements. A c c o rd in g ly , d u r in g this m on th , the
fo u n d a tion o f an o th e r fto reh oufe w a s laid, equal in d imenfions and in a
lin e w i th th a t a lre ad y ereCted on the eaft fide o f th e co v e at S y d n e y .
, O n th e 1 7 th th e D u tc h fn ow the W a a k fam h e y d anchored in th e
co v e from B a ta v ia , from w h ich place ffie failed o n th e 20th d a y o f
la ft Sep tem b e r , m e e tin g on h e r paffage w i th co n tra ry w in d s . Sh e was
m an n ed p r in c ip a lly w ith M a la y s , Sixteen o f w h om the buried d u r in g
th e paffage. M r . O rm fb y th e mid fhipman ar r iv ed a liv in g p ic tu re o f
th e ra va ges made in a g o od co n ft itu t io n b y a B a ta v ian fe v e r . H e w a s
2 in
in fu ch a debilitated fta te , th a t it w a s w i th grea t d ifficu lty h e Supported
h im fe lf from th e w h a r f o n w h ic h h e landed to the g o v e rn o r ’ s h ou fe .
T h e m a ile r p rod u c ed a p a ck e t from th e fabandhaar (his ow n e r ) at
B a ta v ia , in c lo fin g tw o letters to the g o v e rn o r , one w r itten in v e r y g o o d
Jtpgliffi, co n ta in in g fu ch particulars refp eCting th e v e ffe l as h e ju d g e d
i t fo r his in te re ll to com m u n ic a te ; th e o th e r , d e fign ed to c o n v e y fu ch
in fo rm a tion as h e w a s poffeffed o f refp eCting E u ro p e an p o litic s , b e in g
w r itten in D u tc h , u n fo r tu n a te ly p ro v e d u n in te llig ib le ; and we - cou ld
o n ly ga th e r from M r . O rm lb y and th e m a ile r , (w h o fp ok e bad E n g lilh ,)
th a t a m ifu n d e r llan d in g fubfifted b e tw e en G r e a t B r ita in and S p a in ; b u t
on w h a t a c cou n t cou ld n o t be d iftinCtly collected.
O n th e f ir ll w o r k in g d a y a fte r h e r a r r iv al the p eop le w e r e em p lo y ed
in d e liv e r in g th e ca rgo from th e fn ow . T h e q u a n tity o f ric e b ro u g h t
in h e r w a s foun d to be Ihort o f th a t p u rch a fed and p aid fo r b y L ie u te n
an t B a ll 4 2 ,90 0 w e ig h t , and th e g o v e rn o r con fen ted to re c e iv e in lieu
a ce rta in p rop o r tion o f butter * , th e m a ile r h a y in g a q u a n tity o f that
ar tic le o n board v e r y g o od . T h is d e fic ien c y w a s afcertained b y w e ig h in
g all the p rov ifion s w h ic h w e r e la n d e d ; a p ro c e ed in g w h ic h the
m a ile r acquiefced in w i th m u ch re luctance and fom e imper tinence.
T h e numbers w h o died b y ficknefs in th e y e a r 1 7 9 0 , w e r e tw o Seam
en , one fold ier, one hun d red and tw en ty - th r e e male co n v ic t s , fe v en
females, and ten c h ild r e n ; in a ll, o p e h u n d red and fo r ty - th re e p erfons.
In th e ab ov e tim e fo u r male co n v ic ts w e r e ex e cu ted ; one m id ffiip -
man* tw o foldiers, and f ix m a le co n v ic ts w e r e d r ow n e d ; one male con vict
p e r ilh ed in th e w o o d s , and tw o ab fcond ed f r om th e c o lo n y , fu p -
pofed to be Secreted on board a tr a n fp o r t ; m a k in g a total o f decreafe
on e h und red and fifty -n in e perfons.
* One pound of butter to eighteen pounds of rice.
U