{hips m ig h t fin d ih cite r, T h o fe w h o w e r e on iho re faw th e fo otftep s
o f different k in d s o f animals, and traces o f nativ e s, fu ch as h u ts , fire s ,
b ro k en fp ears , and the. in ftrum en t w h ic h th e y ufe fo r th row in g th e
fp e ar. T h e y fp ok e o f th e fo il a,s fa n d y , and obfe rv ed that th e g ro u n d
w a s co v e red w ith fhrubs fu ch as w e r e to be fo u n d here.
T h e c o n v id s in th is {hip, on th e ir la n d in g , appeared to be aged and
in firm , th e ftate in w h ic h th e y w e r e faid to h a v e be en embarked. It
w a s no t th e re fo re to b e w o n d e red at, th a t th e y had buried tw e n ty - fiv e
o n th e p affa ge. O n e fo ld ie r alfo died. T w e n t y w e r e b ro u g h t in fic k ,
and w e r e im m ed ia te ly landed at th e hofpital.
I t w a s in ten d ed b y th e go.vernor that th is {hip fliou ld h a v e proceeded
im m e d ia te ly to N o r fo lk I llan d w i th th e grea te r p a r t o f the c o n v id s
{he h ad o n b o a rd , to g e th e r w i th all th e {lores and p r o v ifio n s ; b u t th e
m atte r , M r . M a t th ew W e a th e rh e ad , req u e ftin g th a t as th e {hip was
v e r y le a k y th e M a r y A n n m ig h t be p ermitted to p e r form the fe rv ice
re q u ir e d , inftead o f th e M a tild a , (b o th {hips b e lo n g in g - to th e fame
ow n e r s ,) and the M a r y A n n b e in g p e r f c d ly re a d y fo r Tea, th e g o v
e rn o r con fen ted to th is p r o p o fa l; and th a t {hip w a s hauled alon g fid e
th e M a tild a to re c e iv e h e r ca rgo . F ifty - fiv e o f the c o n v id s b ro u g h t'
in th is {hip, fe le d e d from th e others as farmers o r ar tificers, w e r e fent
u p to P a r ram a tta ; o f th e rem a in d e r , th o fe w h o fe h e alth w o u ld p e rm it
th em to g o w e r e p u t on b o ard th e M a r y A n n , to g e th e r w i th th ir ty -
tw o c o n v id s o f bad cha rac te r from am o n g th o fe w h o came out in th e
p r e c e d in g y e a r , and e le v en p r iva te s o f th e N e w S o u th W a le s corps.
O n th e M o n d a y fo llo w in g (the 8th) th e M a r y A n n failed, fo r N o r fo lk
I llan d .
A t Parramatta th e o n ly ac com m od a tion w h ic h th e Ihortnefs o f the
n o tic e admitted o f b e in g p ro v id ed fo r th e p eop le w h o w e r e on th e ir
p affa ge w a s g o t u p ; tw o ten t huts, one hu n d red fe e t lo n g , thatched w i th
g ra fs , w e r e e r e d e d ; a n d , ind ep end ent o f the r i lk w h ic h th e o ccupie rs
m ig h t ru n from fire , th e y w o u ld afford g o od and comfortable {helter
from th e w ea th e r .
T h e g o v e rn o r had n ow ch o fen fituations fo r his fettlers, and fix e d
th em o n th e ir different allo tments . T w e lv e c o n v id s , w h o fe terms o f
tran fp or tation had e x p ire d , h e p laced in a ran g e o f farms at th e fo o t
o f a h ill named P r o fp e d H i l l , ab out fo u r m ile s w e f t from P a r ram a tta ;
fifte en
fifte en others w e r e placed on allotments in a d if t r id named th e P o n d s ,
from a ran g e o f fre fli-w a te r ponds b e in g in th e ir v i c in i t y ; the fe w e r e
fituated tw o miles in a d ir e d io n north-eaft o f Parramatta. B e tw e e n
e v e r y a llo tm en t, a fpace had been referv ed equal to th e la rge ft g ra n t
o n eithe r fid e , purfuant to the, in ft ru d io n s w h ic h th e g o v e rn o r h ad
re c e ived ; but it w a s foon foun d th'at this d iftribution m ig h t be attend ed
w i th m uch difadvantage to th e fettler ; a th ic k w o o d o f at lea ft th ir ty
acres m u tt lie b e tw e en e v e r y a l lo tm e n t ; and a c ircum ftan ce hap pen ed
w h ic h {hewed, th e in c on v en ien ce co n feq u en t th e re o n , and d e te rmin ed
th e g o v e rn o r to d ev iate from the in f t ru d io n s , w h e n e v e r , b y ad h e r in g
to th em , th e fettlers w e r e lik e ly to be material fuffer'ers.
In th e b e g in n in g o f th e m on th in fo rm a tion w a s re c e iv ed , that a m u ch
la rg e r p a r ty o f th e n a t iv e s 'th an h ad y e t be en feen affembled-at a n y o n e
tim e had d e ftroy ed a h u t b e lo n g in g to a fe ttle r at P r o fp e d H i l l , w h o
w o u ld h a v e been murd ered b y th em , b u t fo r th e tim e ly and ac cid ental
appearance o f another fettler w i th a m u fqu e t. T h e r e w a s n o d ou b t o f
th e h u t h a v in g been d e ftro y ed , and b y nativ e s, th o u g h p e rhap s th e ir
numbers w e re m u ch e x a g g e r a te d ; th e g o v e rn o r , th e re fo re , d e termined
to p la te o th e r fettlers u p on th e allotments w h ic h had be en re fe rv ed fo r
th e c r o w n ; b y w h ic h means affiftance in fim ila r o r o th e r accidents
w o u ld be more read y .
A f te r the ar riv al o f the M a tild a , th e g o v e rn o r , ju d g in g th a t h is
fibres w o u ld admit o f in c re a fin g th e w e e k ly allow an ce o f flo u r , d i-
r e d e d th a t (inftead o f th re e ) fiv e p ou n d s o f th a t article fliou ld be iffued
to each m a n ; and to each w om a n an addition o f h a l f a p ou n d to th e
thre e w h ic h th e y b efore re c e ived . T h e other articles o f th e ra tion
remained as before.
T h e p latform w h ic h h ad be en c o n f t ru d in g on the W e f t P o in t ftn c e
June laft b e in g read y fo r the r e c ep tion o f the c an n on , th e y w e re m o v e d
th ith e r about th e middle o f th e m o n t h ; in d o in g w h ic h , a tr ian g le
w h ic h w a s 'm a d e ufe of, n o t b e in g p ro p e r ly fe cu red , flipped and fe ll
u p o n a c o n v id , (an ove rfe e r ,) b y w h ic h ac c id en t h is th ig h w a s d iflo -
cated, and his b o d y m u ch bruifed. H e w a s ta k en to th e ho fp ita l,
w h e r e , fo r tu n a te ly , M r . W h i t e im m ed ia te ly red u c ed th e luxation..
A b o u t n o on on Sa tu rd a y th e 20th, the A tla n tic tran fp or t anchored
in th e co v e from P lym o u th , w h en c e ihe failed w i th tw o o th e r t r a n s ports,,