C1794-
In th e e v en in g o f th e d a y on w h ic h h e failed h en ce , the p eop le at
th e Sou th -h ead made th e fign a l fo r a fai l ; b u t it w a s im a g in e d , that
as th e y had lo ft fig h t o f th e S p e e d y in th e m o rn in g , th e y had perhaps
fe en h e r ag ain in th e e v en in g on an o th e r ta ck , as the w in d had Ihifted .
B u t w h en th is w a s m entioned to M r . M e lv il le at his return, h e faixl
th a t it w a s n o t poffible fo r th e S p e e d y to h a v e been feen in the e v en in g
o f th e d a y th e fa iled , as fhe flo o d r ig h t o f f th e la n d ; and h e added,
th a t h e h im fe lf, in th e clo fe o f th e e v en in g , im a g ine d he faw a fail
o f f B o ta n y B a y . N o fliip , h ow e v e r , m a k in g h e r appearance d u r in g
th e m on th , it w a s g en e ra lly fu p p o fed th a t th e p eop le at the L o o k -o u t
m u ft h a v e be en miftaken.
A pafla ge o v e r th e inland mountains w h ic h fo rm th e w e fte rn bou n d a
r y o f th e c o u n ty o f C um b e r lan d b e in g d eemed p ra ft ic a b le , H e n r y
H a c k in g , a feaman, ( fo rm e r ly quarter-mafter in th e Sir iu s , b u t le ft
h e re from th e R o y a l A dm ira l,) fet o f f on the 20 th o f th e m on th , w ith
a com p an io n o r tw o , determined to t r y it. O n th e 2 7 th th e y return
ed w i th an a c coun t o f th e ir h a v in g p enetrated tw e n ty miles fu r the r
in lan d than a n y o th e r E u rop ean . H a c k in g rep or ted , th a t on re a ch in g
th e m ou n tain s , h is fu r th e r rou te la y o v e r eighteen o r nineteen' ridges
o f h ig h r o c k s ; and that w h en h e halted , determined to re tu rn , h e ftill
h ad in v iew , b e fo re h im the fame w i ld and in a cce flibfo k in d o f co u n try .
fummits o f th e le ro ck s w e r e o f iro n -fto n e , la rge fra gmen ts o f
w h ic h h ad co v e red th e in te rmed ia te v a lle y s , in w h ich , w a te r o f a red -
d ilh tin g e w a s obfe rv ed to fta gnate in m a n y fpots. T h e fo il m idw a y
u p th e afcent appeared g o o d , and afforded ftielter and fo o d fo r feveral
red k an goo ro o s . T h e g ro u n d e v e r y w h e re bore fign s o f be in g - fre q
u e n t ly v ifited b y h ig h w in d s ; fo r on th e fides e xp o fed to th e fouth
an d fouth-eaft it w a s ftrew ed w ith th e trunks o f la rg e trees. T h e y
faw b u t one n a t iv e ih this d efolate re g io n , and h e fled from th e ir app
ro a ch , p re fe r r in g th e en jo ym en ts o f his ro ck s and w o o d s , w i th li-
b e r ty , to a n y in te rcourfe w i th them. T h e fe hills ap p earing to ex ten d
v e r y far to th e n o r thw a rd and fo u thw a rd , an impaffable barrier feemed
fix e d to th e w e f tw a r d ; and little h o p e w a s le ft o f o u r e x ten d in g cultiv
a tio n be y o n d th e limits o f th e c o u n ty o f Cumberland;
O n th e fo llow in g d a y the Franc is fcho on e r returned from N o r fo
lk Iflan d , h a v in g been ab fent ab ou t e ig h t w e e k s and three days.
Her
H e r paflage th ith e r w a s made in ten d a y s , and h e r return in th ir ty -
e ig h t d a y s , h a v in g met w ith v e r y bad wea ther.
F rom M r . K in g w e learned that his h a rv e ft h ad been p ro d ig io u fly
p rod u c tiv e . H e had p urchafed from th e firft c rop s w h ic h th e fettlers
b ro u g h t to mark et upwa rd s o f ele v en th o u fan d b u lhe ls o f m a i z e ; and
bills fo r th e am oun t w e re d raw n b y h im in fa v o u r o f the refp ed tive
fe tt le r s ; but, re q u ir in g the fandtion o f th e lie u ten an t-g o v e rn o r , th e y
w e r e n ow len t to P o r t J a ck fon . M r . K in g had be en p a r t ly in d u ced to
m ake this p ro v ifio n a l k in d o f p u r ch a fe , u n d e r an id ea that the co rn
w o u ld be ac cep table at P o r t J a ck fo n , and alfo in com plian ce w i th the
con d ition s on w h ic h th e fettlers had re ce ived th e ir refp ed tiv e allotments
u n d e r th e regulation s o f G o v e rn o r P h illip ; th a t is to fa y , th a t th e ir
ove rp lu s g ra in and f lo c k Ihould b e p urcha fed from th em at a fair
m a rk e t price.- B e in g , h ow e v e r , w e l l flo c k ed w i th th a t ar tic le a lre ad y ,
th e lie u ten an t-g o v e rn o r did no t th in k h im fe lf ju ft ifia b le in p u ttin g th e
c r ow n to fo g rea t an e x p en c e , (n e a r ly th re e th ou fan d p ou n d s fte r lin g,)
and d eclined a c cep ting th e bills.
: H a d w e been in w a n t o f m a iz e , M r . K in g cou ld h a v e fu p p lied us
w i th tw en ty th ou fan d bulhels o f it, m u ch o f w h ic h m uft n o w in e v ita b
ly perilh', unlefs th e fettlers w o u ld , a g re e ab ly to a n otification w h ic h
th e g o v e rn o r in ten d ed to fend th em b y th e firft o p p o r tu n ity , re c e iv e
th e ir co rn ag a in from th e p u b lic ftores.
M r . K in g had the fa tis fa ftio n to w r ite th a t e v e r y th in g w e n t on w e ll
in his little iflan d , e x c e p tin g th a t fom e d ifcon tent appeared am o n g the
m arin e fettlers, and fom e o th e rs , on a c coun t o f h is n o t p u rch a fin g
th e ir fe con d crops o f co rn . A s fom e p r o o f o f th e e x iftcn c e o f th is
diffatisfadtion, o n e m arin e fettler and thre e others ar riv ed in th e
fch o o n e r , w h o h ad g iv e n u p th e ir farms and entered in to th e N ew
S o u th W a le s c o r p s ; and it w a s repor ted th a t m o ft o f th e marine
fettlers intended to fo llo w th e ir e x am p le .
T h is circumftance n a tu ra lly g a v e r ife to an in q u ir y , w h a t w o u ld be
th e con fequen ce i f e v e r G o v e rnm e n t Ih ou ld , from fa rm in g o n th e ir
ow n ac count, raife a q u a n tity o f w h e a t and m a iz e fu ffic icn t fo r the
co n fum p tio n o f tho fe in the d ifferent fettlements w h o w e re vidtualled
b y the c row n . I f fuch a fy ftem Ihould b e ad op ted , th e fettler w o u ld
b e depr ived o f a market fo r h is ove rp lu s g ra in , w o u ld find h im fe lf cu t
3 D o f f