fu ll o f w ild law le fs Irifti) o u g h t n e v e r to h a v e been compofed either o f
y o u n g fold iers , o r o f deferters from o th e r corps.
T h is {hip h ad a q u ic k p affa ge from R io de Jane iro, a r r iv in g he re
in f ix ty - f iv e day s from that port. S h e b ro u g h t the fo llow in g qu an tity
o f p ro v ifio n s and ftores fo r th e c o lo n y :
B e e f, 4 6 tierces,
I 5.496 .],
1 6 ,0 0 a ,)
2 9 ,4 4 0 ,?
16 ,0 0 0 , J
3 1 ,4 9 6 p o u n d s ;
4 3 ,4 4 0 p o u n d s ;
- 6 4 ,5 1 2 p ounds ;
4 4 t o n s ;
1 7 bales and 3 cafes.
Sh ip p ed at C o rk , - 80 barrels,
P o rk , - - -- 92 tierces,
Sh ip p ed at C o r k , - 80 barrels,
F lo u r , - - 192 barrels,
L im e - fto n e , {hipped at C o rk ,
C lo th in g and neceffaries, -
T h e c o n v id s ar riv ed in a v e r y h e a l th y ftate, n or w a s a n y one loft
b y ficknefs d u r in g th e v o y a g e .
C ap tain Pa terfon, o f th e N ew So u th W a le s corps, an a c cou n t o f
w h o fe jo u rn ie s in A f r ic a appeared in p r in t fome y e a rs a g o , co n c e iv in g
th a t h e m ig h t be able to p enetrate as fa r as, o r e v en b e y o n d , the
w e fte rn m ou n ta in s , ( com m o n ly k n ow n in the c o lo n y b y th e name
o f th e B lu e M o u n ta in s , from th e appearance w h ic h land fo h ig h and
diftaht g e n e ra lly we a rs ,) fe t o f f from the fettlement w i th a fmall p a r ty
o f g en tlem en, (C ap ta in J o h n fto n , M r . P a lm e r, and M r . L a in g the
a ffiftant-fu rgeon ,) w e l l p ro v id ed w i th arms, and h a v in g p rov ifio n s and
neceffaries fufficient fo r a jo u rn e y o f f ix w e e k s , to make th e attempt.
B o a ts w e r e fen t rou n d to B ro k en B a y , w h en c e th e y g o t into the
H aw k e fb u r y , and the fo u r th d a y rea ched as far as R ichm o n d H ill.
A t this p lace, in the y e a r 1 7 8 9 , th e g o v e rn o r ’ s p rog refs u p the r iv e r
w a s o b ftru d e d b y a fall o f w a te r , w h ic h his boats w e re to o h e a v y to
d ra g o v e r . T h is d ifficu lty C ap tain Paterfon o v e rc am e b y q u it tin g his
la rg e boats, an d p ro c e ed in g from R ic hm o n d H i l l w i th tw o that we re
fmaller and lighter. H e fo u n d that th is p art o f th e r iv e r carried h im
to th e w e ftw a rd , and in to the cha fm that d iv id ed the h ig h land feen
f r om R ichm o n d H i ll . H ith e r , h ow e v e r , h e g o t w i th grea t d ifficu lty
an d fom e danger, m e e tin g in th e fpace o f about ten miles w ith not
lefs than fiv e wa te r falls , on e o f w h ic h w a s rather fteep , and w a s runn
in g at th e rate o f ten o r tw e lv e miles an h ou r . A b o v e this p art the
w a te r w a s about fifteen y a rd s from fide to fid e , and came d ow n w ith
fome
fom e ra p id ity , a fa ll o f rain h a v in g fw o llen th e ftream. T h e i r n a v iga
tio n w a s here' fo intr ica te , ly in g between la rg e pieces o f ro ck that
had been bo rn e d ow n b y torrents, and fom e flum p s o f trees w h ic h
th e y could n o t a lw a y s fee, th a t (after h a v in g lo o fen ed a p lan k in one
boat, and d r iv en th e o th e r u p on a flum p w h ic h fo rced its w a y th ro u g h
h e r bottom) th e y g a v e u p a n y fu r the r p rog re fs , le a v in g th e w e fte rn
m ountains to be th e o b je d o f d ifc o v e r y at fom e fu tu re d ay . I t w a s
fuppofed that th e y had proceeded ten m iles fa r th e r u p th e r iv e r th a n
had ev e r before be en d o ne , and named-that p a r t o f it w h ic h u n til th en
had been u n fe en , “ th e G r o fe 1” and a h ig h p e a k o f land , w h ic h th e y
h ad in v iew in th e ch a fm , th e y called “ H a r r in g to n P e a k .”
C ap tain P a te rfon , as a b o tan ift, w a s am p ly rew ard ed fo r his labou r
and d ifapp ointm ent b y d ifc o v e r in g fe v e ral n ew plants. O f the fo il in
w h ic h th e y g r ew , h e did n o t, h ow e v e r , fp eak v e r y fa v o u ra b ly .
H e faw but few nativ e s, and th o fe w h o did v ifit th em w e r e almoft
un in te llig ib le to the nativ es o f th is place w h o ac companied h im . H e
enter tained a n o tio n th a t th e ir leg s and arms w e r e lo n g e r than th o fe o f
th e inhabitants o f th e coaft. A s th e y liv e b y c lim b in g trees, i f there
re a lly w a s an y fuch d ifference, it m ig h t p erhap s h a v e been occafion ed
b y th e cu ftom o f h an g in g b y th e ir arms and re ftin g on th e ir fe e t at
th e u tm o ft ftretch' o f th e b o d y , w h ic h th e y p r a d ife from th e ir in fa n c y .
__T h e p a r ty returned on th e 2 2d, h a v in g been ab fent ab out ten d ays.
In th e ir w a lk to P itt W a te r , th e y m e t w i th th e boat w h ic h h ad been
fto len b y fom e o f th e I rifti c o n v id s ; and a few d a y s after th e ir return
fom e o f tho fe w h o h ad ru n in to the w o o d s came in to Parramatta, w i th
an a c cou n t o f tw o o f th e ir p a r ty h a v in g been fpeared and k illed b y th e
natives. T h e men w h o w e r e k illed w e r e o f v e r y bad ch a ra d e r , and
h ad be en the princip als in th e in ten d ed m u tin y on b oard the B o d d in g -
tons. T h e i r d e ft r u d io n w a s con firm ed b y fom e o f the nativ es w h o liv ed
in the tow n .
T h e fou n d a tion o f another ba r ra ck fo r officers w a s b e gu n in this
month. F o r th e p riva te s one o n ly w a s y e t e r e d e d ; b u t this w a s no t
attended w i th a n y in con v en ien ce , as all th o fe w h o w e r e no t in quarters
h ad b u ilt themfelv es comfortable h uts b e tw e en th e tow n o f S y d n e y and
th e b r ick -k iln s . T h is in d u lg en c e m ig h t be attend ed w i th fome con v e nience
to the fo ld ie r s ; b u t it had e v e r b e en con fid e red , that foldiers
s s cou ld