in g th e rats w i th w h ic h th e h o u fe w a s infefted, and w a s p a r ticu la r ly
caution ed ag ain ft it. H o w h e cam e , a fte r th a t, t o ta k e it h im fe lf, w a s
not. to be, ac counted for.
b a k e r ’s f a r m ,
F e b ru a r y .] E a r ly in F e b ru a r y , th e fto reh o u fe a t th e H aw k e lb iu y
b e in g com p le ted , th e p ro v ifio n s w h ic h h ad be en fen t ro u n d in the
fch o o n e r w e r e .landed and p u t u n d e r th e care o f B a k e r . S om e officers
w h o had made an e x cu r fio n to th a t fe ttlem en t, w i th a v iew o f feled ting
e lig ib le fpots fo r farms , o n th e ir re tu rn fp o k e h ig h ly o f the co rn w h ic h
th e y faw g r o w in g th e re , and o f th e p id ture fque appearance o f m a n y
o f th e fettlers’ fa rm s . T h e fettlers to ld th em , th a t in g enera l th e ir
g ro u n d s -which h ad be en in w h e a t had' p rod u c ed from th ir ty to
th i r ty - f ix buffiels an a c r e ; th a t th e y fo u n d o n e buffiel (o r on fom e
fp ots f iv e pecks) o f feed fu ffic ien t to fo w an a c r e ; -and th a t, i f fow n
as e a r ly as th e m on th o f A p r i l o r M a y , th e y im a g in e d th e g ro u n d
w o u ld
407
w o u ld p rod uce a fecond c rop , and the feafon b e n o t to o fa r advanced
to r ip en it. T h e i r k itch en gardens w e re p le n tifu lly flo ck ed w i th v e getables.
T h e matter o f the fchooner com p la in ed that, the n av ig a tio n
o f the r iv e r w a s l ik e ly to be hurt. T h e fettlers h a v in g fallen m an y
trees in to th e w a te r , h e w a s ap p reh enfive th e y w o u ld d rift alh ore on
fom e o f the points o f th e r iv e r w h e r e , in p rocefs o f tim e , fan d , & c .
m ig h t lo d g e a g ain ft - th em , and fo rm d angerous obftrudtions in th e
w a y o f craft w h ic h m ig h t be hereafter ufed on th e r iv e r . N o d ou b t
remained o f the ill and im p o litic c o n d u it o f fom e o f the fettlers to w a rd ’
th e natives. In re v en g e fo r fome cruelties w h ic h th e y h ad ex p e r ien c ed ,,
th e y threatened to .p u t to death th re e o f th e fettlers, M ic h a e l D o y le ,
R o b e r t Fo rre fte r , and ------- N i x o n ; and h ad a f tu a l ly attacked and
c ru e lly w o u n d ed tw o o th e r fettlers, G e o r g e S h ad rach and J o h n A k e r s ,
w h o fe fa rm s ’ and perfons th e y m ifto o k fo r th o fe o f D o y le and F o r refter.
T h e fe particulars w e r e p rocured th ro u g h the. means o f one
W r lfo n , a w i ld id le y o u n g m an , w h o , his term o f tran lp o rta tion b e in g ,
e x p ire d , preferred liv in g am o n g th e n ativ e s in th e v ic in i t y o f th e
river,, to ea rn in g , th e w a g e s o f h o n e ft in d u lt r y b y w o r k in g fo r fettlers..
H e had fo rm ed an intermed iate lan gu ag e b e tw e en his ow n and theirs,,
w ith , w h ic h h e made Ihift to com prehen d fom e th in g o f w h a t th e y
w iffied him to c om m u n ic a te ; fo r th e y did no t con ceal th e fen fe th e y
entertained o f th e in ju r ie s w h ic h had be en d one them. T h e tr ib e
w i th w h om W il fo n affociated had g iv e n h im a n am e , B u n -b o -e , bu t.
n o n e o f th em h ad ta k en his in ex ch an g e . A s th e g r a t ify in g an idle
w a n d e r in g d ifp ofition w a s the foie o b je f t w i th W il fo n in h e rd in g w ith
thefe p eop le , n o g o o d con feq u en c e w a s l ik e ly to enfue f r om .it ; and:
it w a s b y n o means im probab le , that at fom e fu tu re tim e , i f d ifgu fted
w i th the w h ite p eop le , he. w o u ld jo in th e b la ck s , and affift. th em in .
com m ittin g depredations, o r m ake ufe o f th e ir affiftance to p uniffi or.
re v en g e his ow n in ju r ie s . M r . G r im e s p u rp o fed ta k in g h im . w i th
h im in the fch o o n e r to P o r t Stephens..
T h e r e w e r e at this time .feveral c o n v i& s in th e w o o d s fu b fiftin g b y
th e f t ; and it b e in g la id th a t th re e had been m e t w ith arms, it b e c am e 1
n e ce fia ry to le cure th em as fo on as poffib le. W a tchm e n and o th e r
p eop le im m ed ia te ly w e n t o u t, and in th e a fte rn o on o f the 14 th a
w r e tch ed fe llow o f th e name o f Suffini w a s k illed b y one o f th em ..
T h is c ircum ftan ce d ro ve th e re ft to a grea te r diftance. from S y d n e y ,,
and !