September.} IN N E W S O U T H W A L E S . 233
w e had the fa tis fa& io n to lea rn , th e large ca rgo w h ic h Ihe h ad on board
w a s landed in fa fe ty , alth ou gh at one time the fliip w a s in grea t d an g e r
o f ru n n in g a lhore at Cafcade B a y . W e n o w lea rned th a t the e x p e r t -
ations w h ic h had been formed o f the crops at N o r fo lk I llan d had been
to o la n g u in e ; but their fait p ro v ilion s lafted v e r y w e ll. G o v e rn o r
K in g , h ow e v e r , w ro te that the crops 'th en in the g ro u n d p rom ifed fa v
o u ra b ly , alth ough h e w o u ld n o t v en tu re to fp e a k d e c id e d ly , as th e y
w e r e v e r y m uch an n o y ed b y th e gru b . T h is w a s an en em y p rod uced
b y th e e x trem e r ich n e fs o f th e f o i l ; and it w a s rem ark ed , th a t as th e
land w a s opened and cleared , i t w a s fo u n d to be e xp o fed to th e b l ig h t in
g w in d s w h ic h in fe l l th e illan d .
T h e g rea t h a v o c and d e ftru ftio n w h ic h the reduced ra tio n h ad o c -
ca fioned am o n g th e birds' fre q u en t in g M o u n t P itt had fo th in n ed th e ir
n um be rs , th a t th e y w e r e n o lo n g e r to be depended u p on as a refource.
T h e con v id ts , fenfelefs and im p ro v id en t,' n o t o n ly d e ftroy ed the b ird ,
its y o u n g , and its e g g , b u t th e h o le in w h ic h it b u r row ed ; a c ir cum -
fian ce that o u g h t m o d c a u tio u ily to h a v e been gua rd ed a g a in f t ; as
n o th in g appeared m ore l ik e ly to m ake th em fo r fak e th e illand .
J h e Hock in th e fettlement w a s p len tifu l, b u t, from b e in g fe d
ch ie fly on fo w thiftle d u r in g th e g enera l d e fic ien c y o f h a rd fo o d , th e
anima ls lo o k ed ill, and w e r e as b a d ly ta iled . T h e P itt, h ow e v e r , to o k
from th e illan d a grea t q u a n tity o f H o c k ; b a r row p ig s and fow ls ,
p um k in s and o th e r v e g e ta b le s ; fo r w h ic h C ap tain M a n n in g and his’
officers p aid th e ow n e rs w i th m a n y ar ticles o f com fo r t to w h ic h th e y
h ad lo n g been Itrangers.
T h e c o n v id s in g en e ra l w o r e a v e r y u n h e a lth y cad av erous appearan
c e , o w in g , it w a s fu p p o fed , no t o n ly to fp are diet, b u t to th e fa tig u e
co n feq u en t o n th e ir tra v e r fin g the w o o d s to M o u n t P itt, b y n ig h t ,
fo r th e p u rp o fe o f p ro c u r in g fom e flen d e r ad d ition to th e ir ra tion
in lle ad o f r e p o fin g a fte r th e labours o f th e d a y . T h e y h ad committed’
m a n y depredations o n th e fettlers, an d o n e w a s Ihot b y a p e r fon o f
th a t defcr iption in th e .a ft o f ro b b in g h is farm.
G o v e rn o r K in g , h a v in g d ifcov e red th a t th e illan d ab ound ed w ith
th a t v alu a b le article lim e - llo n e , w a s b u ild in g a c o n v en ien t h o u fe fo r
h is ow n re fid ence , and tu rn in g h is atten tion -to th e c o n l t r u a io n o f
H H p e rm an en t