m a ile r fald h e to u ched at Ker'guelan’ s L a n d , w h e r e , fonte o th e r fh ip
h a v in g v e r y r e c e n tly pre ced ed h im , (w h ic h h e ju d g e d from fin d in g
fe v e ra l fea elephants dead on th e b e a ch , and a club w h ic h is ufed in
k il lin g th em ,) h e rem ain ed b u t a fh o r t tim e , h a v in g v e r y bad wea the r.
H e fap p o fed the fh ip w h ic h preceded h im to h a v e been th e firft w h ic h
h ad v ifited th o fe defolate ifland s fin ce C ap tain Cook , had be en th e re , as
h e fo u n d the fra gm en ts o f th e bottle in w h ic h that officer had depofited
a memorial o f his h a v in g ex am in ed th em . T h is w a s co n je c tu re and
m ig h t be erroneous,- as th e mere p ieces o f th e b o ttle afforded no p r o o f
th a t it h ad been re c en tly b ro ken.
M r . A l t fp o k e o f m e e tin g w i th v e r y bad w e a th e r , and o f his fh ip
h a v in g th e re b y d iffered fu c h in ju r y , th a t h e w a s com pe lled on th e
repreferttation o f h is p eop le to p u t in h e re fo r th e p u rp o fe o f g e t tin g
rep air s. In d e ed h e r appearance v e r y am p ly ju ft ifie d th e ir rep re fen t-
a t io n s ; and it w a s a w o n d e r h ow flic h ad fw am fo far , fo r h e r comp
la in t s m u ll h a v e been o f v e r y lo n g ftanding.
T o e x p ed ite th e b u ild in g o f th e n ew ba rracks, w h ic h fo rm ed th e
m o lt m aterial labou r at S y d n e y , tw o overfeers and fo r ty men w e r e fent
d ow n from Parramatta. O n e b a rrack b e in g n o w com p le ted , tow a rd s
th e la tter en d o f th e m on th it w a s o ccu pied b y C ap tain G e o r g e J o h n -
fto n , a p a r ty -w a ll h a v in g been th row n d ow n ad aptin g the b u ild in g to
th e ac com m od a tio n o f o n e inftead o f tw o officers.
O n th e la ft d a y o f th e m on th , tw o warrants o f emanc ipa tion paffed
‘ th e feal o f th e te r r ito r y , to g e th e r w i th a grant o f tw e n ty - f iv e acres o f
lan d to E n fig n C um m in g s o f th e N ew S o u th W a le s corps. In th e
in ftnlC tion s fo r g ra n tin g lands in this c o u n t r y , no m en tion o f officers
h ad y e t be en m a d e ; it w a s h ow e v e r fa i r ly p re fumed th a t the officers
co u ld n o t be intended to be p recluded from th e p articip ation o f a n y
ad v antages w h ic h th e c row n m ig h t h a v e to b e l lo w in th e fettlements 5
p a r t icu la r ly as th e grea teft in its g ift , th e fre e poffeffion o f land , w a s
h e ld out to p eo p le w h o had' fo r fe ited th e ir liv e s b e fo re th e y came in to
th e co u n t ry .
A m o n g th e regulations w h ic h to o k p lace at S y d n e y , m u ff be noticed
th e d ifp en fin g w i th th e officer’ s gu a rd w h ic h h ad a lw a y s mounted
th e re ; and th e ch a n g in g the h o u r s o f labour. T h e c o n v id s n o w had
m ore time g iv e n to th em , fo r th e p urpo fe no t o n ly o f a v o id in g th e heat
of
o f the d a y , b u t o f m a k in g themfelveS comfortable at h ome . T h e y w e r e
d ir e d e d to w o r k from fiv e in th e .m o rn in g un til n in e ; reft u n til fo u r
in th e afternoon', and th en lab ou r until fun -fe t. ■
T h e K i t t y , • h a v in g d elivered h e r ca rg o , b egan to p repa re fo r ta k in g
fom e ftores and p rov ifion s and a detachment o f th e N ew So u th W a le s
c o rp s to N o r fo lk Illand.
T h e w ea th e r d u r in g this mon th w a s v e r y h o t. T h e y th w a s a d a y
m olt' e x c e fliv e ly lid t ry . T h e w in d b lew ftr o n g from th e n o r thw a rd o f
weft-; th e co u n t ry ,, to add to th e in ten fe h e a t o f th e atm ofp h e re , w a s
e very, w h e re on fire. A t S y d n e y , th e gra fs at. th e b a ck o f th e h ill on
th e w e f t fide o f th e c o v e , h a v in g eithe r c a u g h t or been, fet o n fire b y
th e nativ e s, th e flames, aided b y th e w in d w h ic h at th a t time b lew v io le
n t ly , fpread and raged w i th in c red ib le fu r y . O n e h o u fe w a s bu rn t
d ow n , fev eral gardens w i th th e ir fen ce s w e r e d e ftro y ed ; and th e w h o le
fa c e o f th e h ill w a s on fire , th re a ten in g e v e r y tha tched h u t w i th de-
ftrudtion. T h e con fla g ra tion w a s w ith m u ch d ifficu lty (n o tw ith fta n d -
in g th e ex e r tio n s o f th e m ilita ry ) g o t un d e r , a fte r fom e time , and
p re ven ted from d o in g a n y fu r th e r m ifch ie f. A t different times d u r in g
this u n com fo r ta b le d a y diftant th u n d e r w a s h eard , th e air dark en ed ,
and fom e few la rg e drops o f ra in fe ll. T h e ap p arent d an ge r from th e
fires d rew all perfons o u t o f th e ir h o u fe s ; and on g o in g in to th e p a rch in
g air, it w a s fc a r c e ly p offib le to b r e a th e ; th e h e a t w a s in fu p p o r ta b le ;
v e g e ta tio n feemed to fu ffe r m u ch , th e lea ves o f m a n y c u lin a r y plants
b e in g reduced to a p ow d e r . T h e th e rm om e te r in th e lhad e rofe ab ov e
one h und red degrees. S om e ra in fa llin g tow a rd e v en in g , th e e x ce ffiv e
heat abated.
A t Parramatta and T o o n g a b b e alfo th e heat w a s e x t r em e ; th e co u n t
r y the re to o was e v e r y w h e re in flames. M r . A rn d e ll w a s a grea t
fufferer b y it. T h e fire h ad fpread to h is farm ; b u t b y the efforts o f
h is ow n p eop le and the n e ig h b o u r in g fettlers it w a s g o t un d e r , an d its
p rog refs fup po fed to b e e ffe c tu a lly ch e c k ed , w h e n an u n lu c k y fp ark
from a tree, which, had be en on fire to th e to pm o ft b ran ch , f ly in g up on
th e th a tch o f th e h u t w h e r e his p eo p le liv e d , it b lazed o u t ; the h u t w ith
a ll the ou t-bu ild in gs , and th ir ty b u lhe ls o f w h e a t ju f t g o t in to a fta ck ,
w e r e in a few minutes d e ftroy ed . T h e e red ting o f th e h u t and ou t-
hou fe s had co ft 1 5 I . a fh o r t time before.
h L