I t w a s matter o f grea t fa lis fa c iio n to learn, th a t the S ir iu s ’s p e o p le ,
u n d e r the d ire c tion o f C ap tain H u n te r , h ad been moll: u fe fu lly and
fu c c e fs fu lly em p lo y ed in r em o v in g fe v e ra l ro ck s w h ic h o b lt ru d e d the
p afia ge th ro u g h th e r e e f ; and that a co r r e c t fu r v e y o f th e illan d h ad
be en made b y L ie u ten an t B r a d le y , b y w h ic h fe v e ra l dangers had been
d ife o v e r ed , w h ic h un til th en h ad be en u n k n ow n .
T h e lie u ten an t -g o v e rn o r h ad , ftnee ta k in g u p on h im th e com m an d
o f th e fe ttlem en t, caufed one h u n d red and fou r te en acres o f lan d to be
c le a r e d ; and th e late crops o f m aize and w h e a t, it w a s fu p p o fed ,
w o u ld h a v e p ro v e d v e r y p rod u c tiv e h ad th e y n o t be en fow n fom ew h a t
to o la te , and no t o n ly retarded b y to o d r y a feafon but in fe lle d b y
m y iia d s o f g ru b s and ca terpillars, w h ic h d e ftro y ed e v e r y th in g b efore
th em , n p tw ith fta n d in g th e g en e ra l ex e r tio n s w h ic h w e r e made fo r
th e ir e x tirp a t io n . T h e fe v e rm in w e r e o b fe rv ed to v ilit th e illan d
d u r in g th e fum m e r , b u t at n o f ix e d p e r iod o f th a t feafon.
T w o p ieces o f v e r y coa rfe can va s m an u fa ftu re d at N o r fo lk B la n d
w e r e fen t to th e g o v e r n o r ; b p t, unlefs be tte r could be p rod uced from
th e lo om s th an th e fe fp ecimens, little e x p e c ta tio n w a s to be fo rm ed
o f th is ar tic le e v e r an fw e r in g e v en th e com m on c u lin a r y p u rp o fe s to
w h ic h canva fs can be applied.
T h o f e officers w h o had p alled fom e tim e in both fettlements rem
a rk ed , th a t th e a ir o f N o r fo lk Illan d w a s fom ew h a t co o le r th an th a t
o f ours, he re at S y d n e y ; e v e r y b re e ze that b lew b e in g , from its in fu la r
fitu a tion , fe lt there.
M a r tia l la w con tin u ed in fo r c e u n til th e fupplies a r r iv e d ; and o f th e
gen e ra l d em e an o r o f th e co n v ic t s d u r in g th a t tim e rep or t fp ok e fav
o u ra b ly .
T h e L a d y J u lian a , p a llin g th e illan d in h e r w a y to C h in a , w a s th e
fir ft Ihip th a t w a s f e e n ; b u t, to th e in e xp re ffib le d ifap p ointm ent and
d iftrefs o f th o fe w h o faw he r , as w e ll as to th e fu rp r ife o f all w h o
h ea rd th e c ircum llan c e , th e m a ile r did n o t fend a boat on Ihore. N o r
w e r e th e y re lie ved from th e ir a n x ie t y u ntil tw o d a y s h ad p alled , w h en
th e o th e r Ihips ar rived.
T h is w a s th e fiib ltance o f th e in fo rm a tion re c e iv ed from N o r fo lk
I llan d . F rom an exaCt fu r v e y Which had be en made, it was com p
u te d , th a t n o t m ore th an be tw e en th re e and fo u r hund red families
1 could
cou ld be maintained from th e p rod uce o f the i l la n d ; and th a t e v e n
from th a t n um b e r in th e courfe o f tw e n ty y ea rs m a n y w o u ld be o b lig ed
to emigrate.
O n th e S u p p ly ’ s com in g to an an chor , the S ir iu s ’ s late Ihip’ s com p
a n y , w h o fe appearance bore te ltim o n y to th e miferable fare th e y h ad '
met w i th in N o r fo lk Illand fo r fe v e ra l m on th s, w e r e land ed , and
lo d g ed in th e m ilita ry o r p or tab le h o fp ita l, un til th e W a a k fam h e y d
D u tc h fn ow cou ld b e g o t re a d y to re c e iv e them'.
W illiam B r y a n t , w h o h ad b e en con tin u ed in th e d ire c tion o f th e
filh in g -b o a t after th e d ife o v e r y o f h is mal-praCtices, w a s , at th e latter
en d o f th e m on th , ove rh ea rd co n fu lt in g in his h u t after dark, w i th
fiv e o th e r co n v ic t s , o n th e p ra c tic a b ility o f c a r r y in g o f f the b oat in
w h ic h h e w a s em p lo y ed . T h i s c ir cum llan c e b e in g rep or ted to the
g o v e rn o r , it w a s d e termined th a t all h is p roce ed in gs Ihould be narr
o w ly w a tch ed , and a n y fchem e o f th a t nature coun te rac ted . T h e
d a y fo llow in g th is con fe ren c e , h ow e v e r , as h e w a s re tu rn in g from
f ilh in g w i th a boat-load o f f ilh , th e h o o k o f the fo re ta ck g iv in g w a y
in a fqua ll o f w in d , th e b o a t g o t H e rn -w a y , and filled , b y w h ic h th e
e x e cu t io n o f his p ro je c t w a s fo r th e p re fen t p re ven ted . In th e boat
w i th B r y a n t w a s B en n illo n g ’ s filte r and thre e ch ild ren , w h o a ll g o t
fafe on Ihore, th e w om an fw im m in g to th e neare lt p o in t w i th th e
y o u n g e lt ch ild u p on h e r Ihoulders. S e v e ra l o f th e na tiv e s, on p e r c
e iv in g th e ac c id ent, p ad d led o f f in th e ir canoes, and w e re o f grea t
fe rv ice in la v in g th e oars, m a lt, & c . and in to w in g th e boat u p to
th e co v e .
In ad d ition to o th e r w o rk s in h an d th is m o n th , th e lu r v e y o r w a s
em p lo y e d in clearin g and d e ep en ing th e ru n o f w a te r w h ic h fu p p lied
th e fettlement a t S y d n e y , a n d w h ic h , th ro u g h th e lo n g d ro u gh t, was
a t this tim e v e r y lo w , a lth o u gh Hill fuffic ient fo r the co n fum p tio n o f th e
place. F re lh w a te r w a s in d e ed e v e r y w h e r e 'v e r y fcarce, m o lt o f th e
llream s o r runs o f w a te r ab out th e co v e b e in g dried up.
A t R o fe H i l l th e h e a t on th e 10th and 1 i t h o f th e m o n th , on w h ic h
d a y s at S y d n e y th e th e rm om e te r Hood in th e lh ad e at 105°, was fo
e x c e ffiv e , (b e in g m uch increafed b y th e fire in th e ad jo in in g w o o d s ,)
th a t im m enfe numbers o f th e la rg e fo x b a t w e r e feen h a n g in g at th e
X boughs,