in n um e ra b le flo ck s o f th o fe fo w l o f w h ic h th e y w e r e in fearch.
M r . B u r to n , in o rd e r to h a v e a be tte r v ie w o f th em , g o t u p on th e
flum p o f a tree, an d , re ft in g h is hand u p o n th e m u z z le o f his p ie ce ,
ra ifed h im fe lf b y its aififtance as h ig h as h e w a s able. T h e butt o f th e
p ie c e refted on th e g ro u n d , w h ic h w a s th ic k ly co v e red w i th lo n g grafs.,
Ihrubs; and weeds. N o one faw th e d an ge r o f fu ch a fituation in time
to p re v en t w h a t fo llow e d . B y fom e m otio n o f this un fo rtun a te y o u n g
m an th e p ie ce w e n t o if, and the contents, en te r in g at his w r ift, forced
th e ir w a y u p b e tw e en th e tw o bones o f his r ig h t arm, w h ic h w e re
m u ch ih atte red , to th e e lb ow . M r . B e c kw ith , b y a v e r y h a p p y prefen
c e o f m in d , a p p ly in g bandages to rn from a ih ir t , fucceeded in fto p -
p in g th e v a ft e ffu fion o f b lood w h ic h enfued , o r his patient m u ft fo on
h a v e bled to death. T h is ac cid ent hap pen ed at' fiv e in th e afte rn o on ,
an d it w a s n o t till ten o c lo c k at n ig h t o f the fo llo w in g d a y that
M r . B u r to n w a s b ro u g h t in to Parramatta. T h e confequence w a s , fu ch
a v io len t fe v e r and in flam ma tion had ta k en place that a n y attem p t to
fa v e life b y am p u ta tion w o u ld o n ly h a v e haftened his end. In th e
n ig h t o f th e 12 th th e m or tific a tion came o n , and h e died the fo llow in g
m o rn in g , le a v in g beh in d h im , w h a t h e u n iv e r fa lly en jo y e d w h ile
l iv in g , th e efteem and refpedt o f all w h o k n ew h im .
A p e r fon o f a' fa r d ifferent cha ra c te r and d e fcr iption m e t w ith an
a c cid ental death th e fo llo w in g d a y . H e had been em p lo y ed to take
fom e p ro v ifio n s to a- fe ttle r w h o o c cu p ied a farm on th e c re ek le ad in g
to P a rram a tta , and w a s k illed b y a b low , from th e lim b o f a tree, w h ic h
fe ll on h is head and fradtured his Ik u ll, w ith o u t h a v in g a llow ed h im
th a t tim e fo r rep entance o f w h ic h a fin fu l life flo o d fo m u ch in need.
H i s com p an ion s and fe llow p r ifone r s ( fo r h e w a s a co n v id t) declared
h im to h a v e been fo g rea t a rep ro bate , th a t h e w a s fc a r c e ly e v e r k n ow n
to fp e ak w i th o u t a n 'o a th , o r "w ith o u t c a llin g on his M a k e r a s a witnefs
to th e tru th o f th e lie h e w a s ab out to utter.
T h e w e a th e r had been fo r fom e d a y s e x t r em e ly bad , h e a v y ftorms
o f w in d and rain h a v in g ’ g en e r a lly p re va iled from M o n d a y th e 9 th
t i ll F r id a y th e 1 3 th , w h e n fa ir w e a th e r fuc ceed ed . A t Parramatta th e
g a le had d o ne m u ch d am a g e ; fe v e ra l h u ts w h ic h w e re b uilt in lo w
grou n d s w e r e rendered alm o ft ina cceflible, and th e g rea ter p a r t o f th e
w a t t le d h uts fuffered co n fid e ra b ly . A la rg e p ortion o f the cleared
g rou n d
IN N EW SO U T H WA LES . 207
g ro u n d w a s laid u n d e r w a te r , and fu ch co rn as had no t be en reap ed
w a s beaten d ow n . A t S y d n e y th e effedts o f th e fto rm , th o u g h it h ad
be en e q u a lly v io len t, w e r e no t fo fevere. M o lt o f th e h o u fe s w e r e
rendered d amp, and had leaks in different parts ; feeds w h ic h had be en
r e c en tly fow n w e r e w a ih ed out o f the g ro u n d , and th e b r id g e o v e r th e
ftream was fom ew h a t in ju re d ., In th e w o o d s it had ra ged w ith m u ch
v io le n c e ; th e p eop le em p lo y ed to k ill game rep or ted th a t it w a s dangerous
to w a lk in the fo r e f t s ; and th e g ro u n d , co v e red w i th h u g e lim b s
o r w h o le tru n k s o f trees, co n firm ed th e tru th o f th e ir rep or t.
T h e b r ick la y e rs w e r e im m ed ia te ly fen t up to Parramatta, to rep air
th e damages effected b y th e f t o rm ; and th e b r id g e at S y d n e y w a s n o t
o n ly rep aired, b u t co n fid e ra b ly w id en ed .
O n S a tu rd a y th e 1 3 th an altera tion tp o k p lace in the ra tion . T h r e e
p ou n d s o f flo u r , and tw o p oun d s o f m a iz e , w i th fo u r p ou n d s o f
p o r k , w e r e fe rv ed to each m an , and th re e p ou n d s o f flo u r , and
o n e p ou n d o f m a iz e , w i th fo u r p ou n d s o f p o r k , w e r e fe rv ed to
e ach w om a n in th e fettlement. T h e , ch ild ren re c e ived th e u fu a l
p rop o r tion . T o fu ch alterations th e fettlement had n o w fo r fom e
y e a rs be en h a b itu a te d ; and alth ou gh it w a s w e l l k n o w n th a t th e y
n e v e r w e r e impofed b u t w h en th e ftate o f th e ftores rendered th em
ab fo lu te ly n e ce ffa ry , it w a s im p o flib le to m eet th e d ed u c tio n w i th o u t
refledting, th a t the eftablilhed ra tion w o u ld h a v e be en adequate to e v e r y
w a n t ; th e p le a o f h u n g e r co u ld n o t h a v e b e en ad v anced as th e m o t iv e
and e x cu ie fo r thefts ; and difeaie w o u ld n o t h a v e m e t fo p ow e r fu l an
a l ly in its ra va ges am o n g th e debilitated and emaciated ob je c ts w h ic h
th e gaols had c row d ed in to tranfp orts, and th e tranfports h ad land ed
in thefe fettlements.
T h e w o rk s in h an d w e r e , b u ild in g b r ick h uts at S y d n e y fo r con v id ts ,
co n fiftin g o f tw o apar tments, each h u t b e in g tw e n ty - f ix fe e t in fro n t,
and fou r te en fe e t in w id th , and in ten d ed to con tain ten p e o p le , w i th
a fuitable a llotment o f ga rd en g r o u n d ; c om p le tin g tanks fo r w a t e r ;
w id e n in g the b r id g e , & c . O n e d a y in each w e e k w a s d edicated to
iffu in g p rov ifion s , and th e labou r o f th e o th e r fiv e (w i th in ter ruptions
from bad w e a th e r , and th e p le a o f th e red uced ra tion ) did n o t amount
in all to three g o od w o r k in g d ays.
A t