N o tw ith fta n d in g ,th e ill fuc ce fs w h ic h h ad h ith e r to attended the
en d e avours o f th e Iri(h co n v ic ts fta tioned a t T o o n g a b b e and Parram
atta to find a w a y from this c o u n t r y to C h in a , a few o f th em w e r e
a g a in h a rd y en o u gh to attemp t e ffe c tin g th e ir efcape, and g e t tin g
th ith e r in a fmall bo at, w h ic h th e y to o k from a fettler, and w i th
w h ich , th e y g o t ou t o f th e h a rb ou r in th e n ig h t o f the 12 th o f this
m on th . T h e y h ad fu rn ilh ed them fe lv e s w i th fom e p ro v ifio n s ; but
th e wre tched n e fs o f th e ir boat m u d h a v e enfured to th em th e fame
en d w h ic h c e r ta in ly b e fe l T a rw o o d and his com p an ion s, p a r ticu la r ly
as it b lew a g a le o f w in d th e d a y fu c ce ed in g th e ir departure. I t w a s
a t firft im a g ine d that th e y w o u ld be heard o f at th e H a w k e fb u r y ; but
n o ac counts h a v in g been re c e iv ed o f th em at th e end o f th e m on th ,
th e re co u ld be little d oub t o f th e ir h a v in g perifhed.
# F rom th e Settlement o n th e banks o f th a t r iv e r th e b e ft reports con tinu
ed to b e re c e iv ed from tim e to t im e : e v e r y w h e re th e Settlers
fo u n d a rich b la c k m ou ld o f fe v e ra l fe e t d epth , and on e man h ad in
th re e months p lanted and d u g a c ro p o f potatoes. T h e nativ e s, h o w e
v e r , h ad g iv e n th em fu c h in te r ru p tio n , as in d u ced a n e ce fiity fo r
fir in g u p on th em , b y w h ic h , it w a s faid , one man w a s k illed .
A t T o o n g a b b e , w h e re th e In d ian co rn w a s g r o w in g , th e ir v ifits
and th e ir depredations w e r e fo fre q u en t and e x ten fiv e , th a t th e w a tch m
en fta tioned fo r th e p ro te c tio n o f th e co rn -g ro u n d s w e r e o b lig ed to
fire on th em , and on e p a r ty , confiderable in n um be r, after h a v in g
be en d r iv en o ff, re tu rn in g d i r e f t ly to th e p lu n d e r , was p u r fu ed b y th e
w a tc hm en fo r fe v e ra l miles, w h en a conteft en fu ed , in w h ic h th e nativ
e s w e r e w o rd e d , and th re e w e r e left dead on th e fp ot. T h e w a tch m
en h ad fo o ften com e in w ith accounts o f th is nature, th a t, appre-
h en fiv e le ft th e p re fen t tran fa ftion fh o u ld n o t be cred ited , th e y
b ro u g h t in w i th th em , as a te ftim on ia l n o t to be d oubted , th e head
o f one o f tho fe w h om th e y had fla in . W ith th is w itn e fs to fu p p o r t
fh em , th e y told m a n y w o n d e r fu l circumftances o f the p u r fu it and fu b-
fequ en t figh t, w h ic h th e y ftated to h a v e tak en place at leaft fou r te en
m iles from the fettlement, and to h a v e been v e r y d e fp e ra te ly and ob-
ftm a te ly fuftained o n th e p a r t o f th e natives. It w a s remarked, h ow e
v e r , th a t no t o n e o f th e w a tchm en had re c e ived th e flighte ft in ju r y ,
a circum ftan ce th a t th r ew a fhade o v e r th e ir fto r y , w h ic h , but fo r th e
p rod u c tio n o f th e h ead , w o u ld h a v e been alto g e th e r d ifb e lie ved .
W h a t e v e r m ig h t h a v e been the truth, it is ce rta in that a p a r ty o f
nativ es appeared th e fo llow in g d a y ab out the co rn g rou n d s , b u t co n d
ucted them fe lv e s w i th a grea t deal o f cau tion , fta tio n in g on e o f th e ir
p a r t y u p on th e flum p o f a tree w h ic h com m an d ed an e x ten fiv e v iew
o f th e cu ltivated g rou n d s , and re treatin g the in ftan t th e y p e r c e iv ed
them fe lv e s to be obferv ed .
F rom the quantities o f h u lk s and lea ves o f co rn w h ic h w e r e fo u n d
fla tte red ab out th e dw e llin g places o f thefe p eop le , th e ir d epred ations
th is feafon m uft h a v e be en v e r y e x ten fiv e .
A t S y d n e y a la rge p a r ty o f nativ es affembled fo r th e p u rp o fe o f
b u rn in g th e b o d y o f Ca r rad ah , th e n ative men tion ed in th e tran fa& io n s
o f th e mon th o f D e cem b e r la ft, b y th e name o f M id je r B o o l. H e h ad
been p u t to death w h ile afleep in the n ig h t b y fom e p eop le w h o w e r e
in im ical to h is t r ib e ; and th e nativ es w h o w itn e ffed the p e r form an ce
o f th e laft rite affured u s , th a t w h e n th e murderers fliould be d ifc o -
v e red fe v e ral fe v e re contefts w o u ld enfue. It was a t this tim e th a t th e
ren coun te r b e tw e en C o llins and W y a t t to o k p la c e ; and fom e o th e r
p oints o f h o n o u r w h ic h rem ained unfettled we re th en d e te rmined , n o t
w ith o u t m uch v io len c e and b lood fhed , th o u g h n o one w a s k illed .
C ro p p in g th e g ro u n d w i th w h e a t formed th e g enera l and m o ft material
labour o f th is m on th . O n the p u b lic a c cou n t n e a r ly fo u r h u n dred
acres w e re Town w i th th a t effential g ra in . A t th is tim e w h e a t
bore th e p r ice o f tw e n ty (hillings a bufhel.
T h e crops, o f Ind ian co rn in g enera l turn ed o u t v e r y p ro d u c tiv e .
A n officer w h o held an allotment o f an h und red acres near Parramatta,
from each acre o f nine te en, on a lig h t fan d y fo il, ga thered f if ty bufhels
o f (helled co rn ; and a p atch o f C a ffre co rn , g r o w in g in th e lik e fo il,
p roduced the fame q u a n tity p e r acre. T h is gra in had b e en in trod u c ed
in to ou r fettlement from th e C ap e o f G o o d H o p e b y C aptain P a te rfon ,
and w a s fo u n d to an fw e r w e ll fo r fa tten in g o f flo c k . N o one h a v in g
attempted to feparate th e far inaceous p a r t o f th e g ra in from the hulk.,
w h ic h w a s o f an aftringent q u a lity , no ju d gm e n t h ad been formed o f
its u tility as a f lo u r ; b u t fom e w h o had g ro u n d it and m ix ed the w h o le
to g e th e r