A b o u t th e m id d le o f the m o n th th e -weather w a s rem a rk ab ly bad.
In th e fo ren o o n o f th e 1 5 th a rep or t w a s fp read , in the m id ft o f a m o d
v io len t fqua ll o f w in d and ra in, th a t a Ihip w a s com in g in. T h e w in d
h a v in g b low n from th e fou thw a rd fo r fom e d a y s b e fo re favoured the
fto r y , and , e v e r y o n e w h o heard it b e lie v in g it to be true ,-th e tow n w a s
fo o n in m o tio n n o tw ith fta n d in g th e f t o rm ; fo r , a lth o u gh it w a s n o t fo
rare as it had -b e en to h e a r o f a fh ip , y e t th e re w a s a lw a y s fom e th in g
ch e e r in g an d g ra te fu l, and perhaps e v e r w i ll b e , in en te r tainin g th e idea
th a t ou r fo c ie ty was p erhap s ab ou t to be inc reafed , and th a t w e w e re
on th e p o in t o f r e c e iv in g in te llig en c e from o u r con n e c tio n s , o r in fo
rm a tion o f w h a t w a s d o in g in th a t w o r ld from w h ic h w e fe lt th em -
fe lv e s a lm oft fe v e red . O n th is o c c afion , h ow e v e r , w e w e r e d ifap-
p o in ted ; fo r , on th e re tu rn o f a boat w h ic h had be en fen t to th e S o u th
H e a d , w e w e r e in fo rm ed th a t th e fign a l had n o t been made, n o r a fhip
fe en to o ccafion it. B u t w e had been w e l l train ed in N ew S o u th W a le s
to m e e t and end ure d ifa p p o in tm e n t!
O n th e n ig h t o f th is d a y , d u r in g the v e r y h e a v y rain w h ic h fe ll, fom e
p e r fon o r p e rfons fo u n d means to ta k e o ff, un d ifcov e red b y th e centin e l
a t th e ftore on th e eaft fid e, fiv e h und red w e ig h t o f Iheet lead , w h ic h
h ad be en landed from th e Daedalus, and ro lled to th e fto reh ou fe d o o r ,
w h e r e , b e in g an ar tic le n o t l ik e ly from its w e ig h t to be com e an e a fy
objeCt o f d epred ation , it w a s fup pofed to be p e r fe c t ly fafe. A v e r y
d ilig en t fearch w a s mad e , but w ith o u t fu c c e f s ; and it remained und ifco
v e red u n til th e 2 7 th , w h e n a feaman b e lo n g in g to th e K i t t y tranf-
p o r t , on th e e b b in g o f a fp r in g tid e , p ergeived it ly in g on th e fhore at
lo w -w a t e r m a rk , o p p ofite to the Ipot w h e r e the Daedalus la y at anchor .
F r om th is circum ftan ce fu lp ic ion fe ll u p on th e people b e lo n g in g to th a t
f h i p ; b u t as a n y d e fign th e y cou ld h a v e in fte a lin g it w a s no t v e r y
o b v io u s , it w a s more probable th a t fome o f th e co n v ic ts had dropped it
th e re fo r th e p u rp o fe o f fe c re tin g it till a fu tu r e d a y , w h e n it w o u ld
h a v e be en g o t u p , and c a ll in to fh o t fo r th o fe w h o are a llow ed to
k il l game .
A b o u t th e end o f th e m on th th e d eta chment o f the N ew So u th W a le s
co rp s on d u ty at Parramatta w a s re lie ved . T h e p a r ty that remained
th e re w a s placed u n d e r th e com m an d o f L ie u ten an t M 'A r th u r , the
o ffice r ch a rged w i th th e d ire c tio n o f th e c iv il duties o f th a t fettlement.
ment. T h e r e l ie f to o k place b y land , the p a r ty from S y d n e y m a rch in
g up in about fe v en h o u rs , and that from Parramatta a r r iv in g at th e ir
quarters in S y d n e y in fom e th in g more than f ix . T h e com puted d iftance
b y land is be tw e en fe v enteen and eighteen miles.
O n th e 29 th ou r colours .were d ifp la y ed at th e fo r t, in g ra te fu l rememb
ran ce o f the reftora tion o f m o n a r ch y in E n g lan d .
In form a tio n w a s th e fame d a y re c e iv ed from Parramatta, th a t on th e
e v en in g o f S a tu rd a y th e 24 th a fettler o f the name o f L i lk , h a v in g
be en d r in k in g at th e h o u fe o f Ch ar le s W illiam s w i th R o fe B u r k (a
w om an w i th w h om h e coh ab ited ) u n til th e y w e r e v e r y m u ch in to x ica
ted , as h e w a s re tu rn in g to h is fa rm th ro u g h the tow n o f Parramatta,
a d ifp ute arofe b e tw e en h im and th e w om a n , d u r in g w h ic h a g u n th a t
h e had V e n t o ff, and th e contents lo d g ed in th e w om a n ’ s arm b e low the
e lb ow , Ihatte rin g th e bones in fo d readful a manner as to req u ire im m e diate
am p u ta tio n ; w h ic h M r . A rn d e l l, b e in g fo r tu n a te ly at h om e , direCtly
p e r formed . T h e u n h a p p y w om a n acquitted he r com p an io n o f a n y in ten
tion to do h e r fo fh o c k in g an in ju r y , and w h e n the ac co u n t rea ch ed
S y d n e y Ihe w a s in a favou rab le w a y .
In this a c cid ent W illiam s , it is true , h ad no fu r the r Ihare than w h a t
h e m ig h t claim from th e ir h a v in g in to x ica ted themfelves at his h o u fe ;
b u t th a t, h ow e v e r , eftablifhed h im m ore firm ly in th e o p in io n o f th o fe
w h o cou ld ju d g e o f h is conduCt as a p u b lic nuifance.
T h e p r in c ip al lab ou r in han d at S y d n e y at this time w a s w h a t th e
b u ild in g o f th e barracks o c c a fio n e d ; and at th e o th e r fettlements th e
p eop le w e r e ch ie fly em p lo y ed in g e t tin g in to th e g ro u n d th e gra in fo r
th e en fu in g fea fon , and in p rep a r in g fo r fow in g th e maize. T h is
ar tic le o f fubfiften ce h a v in g in th e late fea fon p ro v ed v e r y un profitab
le , th e av era ge q u a n tity b e in g no t m ore th an f ix bulhels p e r acre in
th e w h o le , th e lie u ten an t-g o v e rn o r d e termined to fo w w i th w h e a t as
m u ch o f the p u b lic gro u n d s as h e co u ld ; and e v e r y fettler w h o ch o fe
to a p p ly w a s p e rmitted to d raw as m u ch w h e a t from the p u b lic gran
a r y as his g ro u n d required , p ro p e r care b e in g ta k en to in fu re its b e in g
applied fo le ly to th a t ufe. A t T o o n g a b b e n o ad d ition had been mad e
to the p ub lic groun d fince G o v e rn o r P h illip ’ s departure ; b u t b y a Purv
e y made at th e latter en d o f th is month it appeared, that the officers
to w h om lands h ad been g ran ted , h ad cu ltiv a ted an d cleared tw o h u n d
red