CI793-
w e r e allow ed fo r a ch im n e y and floor. T h e fe h uts ex ten d ed n e a r ly
to th e b r ick fie ld s , w h en c e others w e r e b u ild in g to meet th em , and thus
to u n ite th a t diftridt with ’ th e tow n .
A b o u t th e la tte r en d o f th e m on th a la rg e p a r ty o f th e nativ es
atta ck ed fom e fettlers w h o w e r e re tu rn in g from Parramatta to T o o n -
g a b b e , and to o k from th em a l l th e p ro v ifio n s w h ic h th e y had ju f t
re c e iv e d from th e fto re , B y f ly in g im m ed ia te ly in to th e w o o d s , th e y
elud ed a ll p u r fu it and fe a rch . T h e y w e r e o f th e H u n te r ’s o r W o o d m
an ’ s tr ib e , p eop le w h o fe ld om came am o n g us, and w h o confe -
q u e n t ly w e r e little k n ow n .
T h e nativ es w h o liv e d ab ou t S y d n e y appeared to p lace th e u tm o ft
co n fid en c e in u s , « h o o fin g a c le ar fp o t b e tw e en th e tow n and the
b r ick fie ld fo r th e p e r forman ce o f a n y o f th e ir rites and c e r em o n ie s ;
an d fo r three e v en in g s the to w n h ad been amufed w i th on e o f th e ir
fpedtacles, w h ic h m ig h t p ro p e r ly h a v e been denomina ted a tra g ed y ,
f o r it w a s attended w i th a g rea t e ffufion o f blood. It appeared from
th e beft ac co u n t w e cou ld p ro cu re , that one o r more murders h a v in g
be en com m itted in th e n ig h t , th e affafiins, w h o w e r e im m ed ia te ly
k n o w n , w e r e com p e lled , a c co rd in g to th e cu ftom o f th e c o u n t r y , to
m e e t th e relations o f th e d ecea fed , w h o w e r e to a v en g e th e ir deaths b y
th r o w in g fp ears , and d r aw in g b lo o d fo r blood . O n e n a tiv e o f th e
tr ib e o f C am m e r ra y , a v e r y fine fe llow n am ed Ca rrad ah * , w h o had
ftabbed another in th e n ig h t , b u t n o t m o r ta lly , w a s o b lig ed to ftand
fo r tw o e v en in g s e x p o fe d to th e fpears n o t o n ly o f th e man w h om
h e h ad w o u n d e d , b u t o f fe v e ra l o th e r nativ e s. H e w a s fuffered
in d e ed to co v e r h im fe lf w i th a b a rk fh ie ld , and beha ved w i th th e
gre a te ft cou ra g e and re fo lu tion. W h e th e r h is p r in cip al ad v e r fa ry (the
w o u n d ed man) fo u n d th a t h e p offeffed to o m u ch d e fen fiv e fk il l to
adm it o f h is w o u n d in g h im , o r w h e th e r i t w a s a n e ce fla ry p a r t o f his
p u n ilhm en t , w a s n o t k n o w n w i th a n y c e r ta in ty ; b u t on the fe con d
•day th a t Carradah h ad be en opp ofed to h im and his p a r ty , after h a v in g
re c e iv e d feveral o f th e ir fpears on h is fh ie ld , w i th o u t fu fta in in g a n y
in ju r y , h e fuffered th e o th e r to p in his le ft arm (b e low th e e lb ow ) to
* So he was called among his own people before he knew us; but having exchanged
names with Mr. Ball (who commanded the Supply,) he went afterwards by that name,
which they had corrupted into Midjer Bool.
his
his fid e, w ith o u t m a k in g a n y refiftance ; p re v en ted , p erhaps, b y th e
u p lifted fpears o f the o th e r n atives, w h o cou ld e a fily h a v e d e ftroy ed
h im , b y th row in g at h im in d ifferent diredtions. Carradah flo o d , fo r
fom e time after this, d e fen d in g h im fe lf, a lth o u gh w o u n d ed in th e arm
w h ic h held th e fh ie ld , u ntil h is adverfaries h ad no t a w h o le fp ear le ft ,
an d had retired to colledt the fra gments and p ie ce th em to g e th e r . O n
h is fittin g d ow n his le ft hand appeared to b e v e r y m u ch co n v u lfe d ,
and M r . W h ite w a s o f o p in io n th a t th e fpear h ad p ie rced on e o f th e
nerves. T h e bufinefs w a s re fum ed w h e n th e y h ad repaired th e ir
weap on s , and th e f r a y appeared to be g en e ra l, m en , w om e n , and ch ild
ren m in g lin g in it , g iv in g and r e c e iv in g m a n y fe v e re w o u n d s , b efore
n ig h t p u t an end to th e ir wa rfa re.
W h a t rendered th is fo r t o f con te ft as unac countab le as it w a s e x tra o
rd in a ry w a s , that fr ien d fh ip and alliance w e r e k n ow n to fu b fift be tw
e en fe v e ral that w e r e opp ofed to each o th e r , w h o fo u g h t w i th all
th e a rd our o f the bittereft enemies, and w h o , th o u g h w o u n d e d , p ro n
ou n ced th e p a r ty b y w h om th e y had be en h u r t to b e g o o d an d
b ra v e , and th e ir friends.
P o ffe flin g b y nature a g o od hab it o f b o d y , th e combatants v e r y
fo on re cov e red o f th e ir w o u n d s ; and it w a s u n d e r fto od , th a t C a r rad
ah, o r rather M id je r B o o l, had n o t en tir e ly exp ia ted h is o ffen ce ,
h a v in g y e t another tr ial to u n d e rg o from fom e nativ es w h o h ad been,
p re ven ted b y abfence from jo in in g in th e ce remonie s o f th a t e v en in g .
' A b o u t this tim e fe v e ral houfes w e r e attempted to be b ro k en in t o ;
m a n y thefts w e r e com m itted ; and th e g en e ra l b eh a v io u r o f th e con v
ic t s was fa r from that propriety w h ic h o u g h t to h a v e m ark ed th em .
T h e offences w e r e v a r io u s , and fe v e ral p unifhmen ts w e r e o f n e ce ffity
in flifte d . T h e Ir ifh w h o came ou t in th e la ft fh ip s w e r e , h ow e v e r ,
b e g in n in g to fh ew fym p tom s o f be tte r d ifp ofition s than th e y landed
w i th , and appeared o n ly to d iflik e hard labour.
A m o n g th e con v en ien c ie s th a t w e r e n o w en jo y e d in th e c o lo n y
m u ft be m entioned th e in trod u c tio n o f paffa ge-boa ts, w h ic h , fo r th e
ben e fit o f fettlers and others, w e r e allow ed to g o b e tw e en S y d n e y and
Parramatta. T h e y w e r e th e p ro p e r ty o f p e rfons w h o h ad ferv ed th e ir
refp ed tive terms o f tranfportation ; and from each p a flen g e r on e fh il-
lin g w a s required fo r h is p a f fa g e ; lu g g a g e w a s p a id fo r at the rate o f
u u o n e