264
articles th u s fo u n d to b e u n fe rv ice a b le to th e c o lo n y , th e re w a s n o t
o n e w h ic h in its p ro p e r ftate w o u ld n o t h a v e be en v alu a ble ; and
w h e n the e x p en c e atten d in g th e ir c o n v e y an c e , th e r i lk o f th é p alfa g e ,
th e in c on v en ien ce th a t m u ft b e fe lt from th e w a n t o f e v e ry d amaged
ar tic le , and th e im p o ffib ility o f g e t tin g th em replaced fo r a great len g th
o f tim e , w e r e con fid e red , it w a s d ifficult to afcertain th e ir precife
v a lu e .
A m o n g th e o ccu r ren ce s o f th is m on th one appears to d e fe rv e particu
la r n o tic e . O n F r id a y th é 18 th , E le an o r M ‘C a v e , th e w i fe o f
C h a r le s .W illiam s , th e fe ttle r , w a s d row n e d , to g e th e r w i th an in fant
c h ild , and a w om a n o f th e name o f G r e e n . T h e fe u n fo r tu n a te p eop le
h a d be en d r in k in g and re v e llin g w i th W illiam s th e h u fb and and others
at S y d n e y , and w e r e p ro c e ed in g to Parramatta in a fin a l! boat, in w h ic h
w a s a b a g o f r ic e b e lo n g in g to G r e e n . T h e boat h è e lin g cö n fid e ra b ly ,
and fom e w a te r g e t tin g at th e -b a g , b y a m ov em en t o f G r e e n ’ s to fav e
h e r r ic e th e boat o v e r fe t near B re ak fa ft P o in t, and th e tw o Women and
th e ch ild w e r e d row n ed . I f afiiftance cou ld h a v e been obtained u p on
th e fp o t , th e ch ild m ig h t h a v e been f a v e d ; fo r it w a s fo rced from th e
w r e tch e d m oth e r ’ s g ra fp ju f t b e fo r e Ihe fin a lly fu n k , and b ro u g h t on
fh o re b y th e fa t h e r ; b u t fo r w a n t o f m ed ica l aid it e xp ired . T h e parents
o f th is ch ild w e r e n o ted in th e c o lo n y fo r th e g enera l im m o ra lity
.o f th e ir c o n d u ft ; t h e y h ad be en r io tin g and fig h t in g w i th each other
th e m om en t b e fo re th e y g o t in to th e b o a t ; and it w a s faid, that th e
w om a n h ad imprecated e v e r y e v il to b e fa l h e r And th e in fa n t Ihe carr
ied ab out h e r , ( fo r -Ihe w a s f ix m on ths g o n e w i th ch ild ,) i f Ihe accom
p an ied h e r h u fb and to Parramatta. T h e bodies o f the fe tw o un fo
r tu n a te w om e n w e r e fo u n d a few days afte rw a rd s , w h e n th e w r e tch ed
and ra fc a lly W illiam s buried his w i fe and ch ild w ith in a v e r y few fe e t
o f h is ow n d o o r . T h e p ro flig a c y o f th is man indeed manifefted it fe lf
in a ftratige m a n n e r : a fliort tim e after h e h ad thus buried his w i fe ,
h e w a s fe en fit tin g at his d o o r , w i th a bo ttle o f rum in his han d , and
adt’u a lly d r in k in g one glafs and p o u r in g another on h e r g ra v e u ntil it
w a s em p tied , p re fa c in g e v e r y libation b y d e clar ing h o w w e ll Ihe had
lo v e d it d u r in g h e r life . H e appeared to be in a ftate n o t fa r from
in fa n i ty , as th is anecdote c e r ta in ly te ft ifie s ; b u t th e m e la n ch o ly e v ent
h ad n o t had a n y o th e r e ffe c t u p on h is mind.
January.] IN N EW S O U T H WA L E S . 265
T h e K i t t y tran lp o r t b e in g r e a d y fo r fea, o n S u n d a y th e 20th tw o
fubalterns, th re e ferjeants, three corporals, o n e d rum m e r , and f ix t y
p r iv a te s , o f th e N ew S o u th W a le s corps, w e r e em bark ed , fo r th e p u r -
p o fe o f re lie v in g th e detachment from th a t corp s n o w o n d u ty at
N o r fo lk Illan d u n d e r th e command o f a captain,- w h o re c e iv ed orders
t o return to 'this fettlement.
O n board o f this Ihip w e r e alfo em bark ed , M r . C la rk e , th e d e p u ty -
com m ilfa ry fo r N o r fo lk I llan d ; M r . P ea te , th e m a ile r ca rp ente r, w h o
c am e ou t in th e R o y a l A dm i r a l ; tw o c o o p e r s ; tw o t a y lo r s ; tw o
officers’ fe r v a n t s ; J o h n C h apm an M o r r is , B en jam in In g ram (p urfuan t
to the con d ition a l p a rd on w h ic h h e re c e iv ed from G o v e rn o r P h illip ) ,
an d a few w o m e n : and on the 2 5 th Ihe failed.
O n S a tu rd a y the 2 6 th , th e ric e b e in g e x p en d ed , th e con v id ls re c
e iv ed th re e p ou n d s o f flou r , and th e c iv il and m ilita r y one p ou n d o f
flo u r in ad d ition to th e fo rm e r a llow an ce .
In th e co u r fe o f this m on th the lie u ten an t-g o v e rn o r ju d g e d i t n e-
ceflfary to ,fend an o fficer to Parramatta, w h om h e cou ld entru ft w i th
th e d ire c tion o f the co h v ic ts em p lo y ed th e re and at T o o n g a b b e in cu ltiv
a tio n , as w e ll as to tak e ch a rg e o f the p u b lic g ra in . T h i s bufin e fs
h ad a lw a y s be en e x e cu ted b y on e o f th e fup e rintend ants , u n d e r th e
im m ediate in fp e c tion and orders o f th e g o v e rn o r , w h o la tte r ly h ad
d edicated th e g rea te ft p a r t o f h is tim e and a ttention to the fe fe ttlem en ts .
B u t it w a s attended w i th in fin ite fa t ig u e to his e x c e l l e n c y ; and th e b u fin
e fs had n o w g r o w n fo e x ten fiv e , th a t it b ecame ab fo lu te ly n e ce fla ry
th a t th e p e r fon w h o m ig h t h a v e th e r e g u la tion o f it Ihould refid e u p on
th e Ipot, th a t h e m ig h t p e r fo n a lly en fo rce th e e x e cu t io n o f h is ord ers ,
an d be at all times re a d y to attend to th e v a r io u s ap p lications w h ic h
w e r e co n ftan tly m a k in g from fettlers.
T h e lie u ten an t-g o v e rn o r , th e re fo re , (his p re fen ce b e in g r e q u ir ed at
S y d n e y , th e head-quarters o f his r e g im e n t, and th e feat o f th e g o v e rn *
m en t o f the c o u n t ry ,) deputed this t r a i l to L ie u ten a n t J o h n M ‘A r th u r ,
o f th e N ew S o u th W a le s c o r p s ; th e fu p e r in ten d an ts , ftorek eepers ,
ove rfe e rs , and con v id ls at th e tw o fettlements , b e in g p laced u n d e r his
im mediate infpedtion.
Ch ar le s G r a y , a man w h o h ad rendered h im f e l f n o to r iou s in th e
regifte rs o f this c o lo n y b y repeated a£ts o f v i l la n y , e x h ib ite d h im fe lf
m m a g a in