[ i ? 9.5 -
A p r i l .] I t w a s d e termined to let th e T o o n g a b b e H ills remain fa llow
fo r a fe a fon , th e y b e in g rep or ted to be w o r n out. O th e r g ro u n d ,
w h ic h h ad been p repa red , w a s n ow d ow n ; a fp ot called the N in e t y
A c r e s , and th e hills b e tw e en Parramatta and T o o n g a b b e .
O n th e 1 5 th , a cr im in a l co u r t w a s affembled fo r th e tr ial o f J o h n A n -
d erfon and J o fep h M a r lh a ll, fettlers ; and J o h n H y am s , Jo feph D u n ftill,
R ic h a rd W a t fo n , and M o r g a n B r y a n , c o n v i c t s ; fo r a rape committed
on th e b o d y o f o n e M a r y H a r t le y , at th e H aw k e fb u r y , T h e court
w a s o b lig ed to a cqu it t h e . prifone r s , o w in g to g la r in g co n trad ic tion in
th e w itn e ffe s , n o tw o o f th em , th o u g h fe v e ra l w e re e x am in ed , agreein
g in the fame p o in t. B u t as fu ch a cr ime could n o t be p a lled w ith
im p u n ity , th e y w e re re com m itted , and on the 2 2d tr ied fo r an affault,
o f w h ic h b e in g v e r y c le a r ly con v ic ted ;. th e tw o fettlers and M o rg a n
B r y a n w e r e fen ten ced to re c e iv e each fiv e hun d red la lh e s , and the
o th e rs thre e h u n d red e a c h ; o f w h ic h fentence th e y re ce ived one h a lf,
and w e r e fo rg iv e n th e rem ain d e r. T h is w a s a moll: infamous tranf-
aC t io n ; and, th o u g h th e fu ffe re r w a s o f bad cha rac ter , w o u ld h a v e
w e l l w a r ran ted th e in flic tio n o f capital p u n ifhm en t on one o f th e
offend e rs , i f th e w itn e ffe s h ad n o t p re v a r ic a ted in th e ir te ftim on y .
T h e y appeared to h a v e ca ff o f f all th e fe e lin g s o f c iv il iz e d h um a n ity ,
ad o p tin g as c lo fe ly as th e y cou ld fo llo w them, th e manners o f th e
fa v a g e inhab itants o f th e c o u n t ry . O n e p r ifo n e r , J o h n R a y n e r , was,
alfo tr ied fo r a b u rg la r y , and b e in g c o n v ic te d re c e ived fentence o f
death.
O n th e 2 9 th , a lib e ra l allow an ce o f flops w a s iffued to th e male and
fem a le co n v ic t s in th e d ifferent fettlements , am o n g w h ic h w e r e fome
foap to th e m en , and fome thread, tape, and foap to the w om en . ..
A lh ed fo r the: p u rp o fe o f r e c e iv in g th e ir In d ian -.corn w a s Cthis
m o n th b e gu n b y th e fettlers at th e r iv e r , th e y and th e ir fervants
b r in g in g in the materials, and g o v e rnm en t fu p p ly in g ,th e ffarpenters,
to o ls , nails, & c . m
T h e farmers n o w e v e r y w h e re began p u ttin g th e ir w h ea t in to th e
g ro u n d , e x c e p t a t.th e r iv e r , w h e r e th e y h ad fc a r c e ly made a n y p repara
tion s , co n fum in g th e ir tim e and fubftance in d r in k in g and r io tin g ;
an d trailing .to the e x trem e fe r t ility o f th e fo il, w h ic h th e y declared
w o u ld p rod u c e an am p le c rop at a n y tim e w ith o u t m u ch labour. S o
filly*
f i l ly and th o u gh tle fs w e r e thefe people, w h o w e r e th us u n w o r th ily
p laced on th e banks o f a r iv e r w h ic h , from its fe r t ility and th e effeCl
o f its in u n d ation s, m ig h t no t im p ro p e r ly be termed the Nile o f N ew
S o u th W a le s .
M a y .] F rom the reduced Hate o f th e fa k ed p ro v ifio n s , it became
n e ce ffa ry (fu ch had o ften been the p ream b le o f an o rd e r) to d im in ilh
th e ration o f that article iffued w e e k ly to each p e r fon , and h a l f th e
b e e f and ‘ h a l f the p o r k w a s Hopped at once. In fom e meafure to
make th is grea t d ed u c tio n lig h te r , th re e pints o f peafe w e r e added.
T h is c ircum ftan ce in d u ced th e c om m an d in g officer, on th e d a y this
altera tion to o k p lac e , to h ire th e B r itan nia to p roce ed to In d ia .fo r a
c a rg o o f falted p ro v ifio n s . Sup plie s m ig h t ar r iv e b e fo re Ihe cou ld retu
r n 1; but th e w a r increafed th e chances ag ain ft us. H e therefore
to o k h e r up at fifteen Ihilling s and fix p en c e p e r to n p e r m o n th ; and,
in order to la v e as m u ch fait meat as w a s p offib le , h e direc ted th e
com m iffa ry to p urcha fe fu ch frefh p o rk as th e fettlers and others m ig h t
b r in g in g o od con d ition to th e fto re , iffu in g tw o p oun d s o f fr e lh , in
lie u o f one o f fait meat. D u r in g th e tim e this o rd e r co n tin u ed , a
b a r row was k illed and part fent to th e fto re , w h ic h w e ig h e d fiv e h u n dred
p ou n d s , and a fo w w h ic h w e ig h e d three hu n d red and th ir ty - f ix
pounds. T h e y h ad b o th be en fed a con fid e rable tim e * o n In d ian
c om , and, a c co rd in g to the rate th e y fold at (the p o rk one flu ffin g p e r
p ou n d , and th e c om fiv e {hillings p e r bu lh e l) co u ld n e ith e r o f th em
h a v e repaid th e e x p en c e o f th e ir feed.
O n th e 2 i f f the co lon ia l fch o o n e r re tu rn ed from th e H aw k e fb u r y ,
b r in g in g .upwards o f e le v en hun d red bufhels o f rem a rk a b ly fine In d ian
co rn from th e {lore there. T h e m a k e r ag a in repor ted his ap p reh en-
fions that th e n a v ig a tio n o f th e r iv e r w o u ld be obftruCted b y the
fettlers, w h o con tin ued th e p rac tice o f fa l lin g and ro llin g trees in to
the ftream. H e fo u n d fiv e fe e t lefs w a te r at th e f to r e -w h a r f than
w h en h e w a s there in F eb ru a ry la ft, Ow ing to th e d r y w e a th e r w h ic h
had fo r fome time p a fl prevailed.
A t that fettlement an o p en w a r feemed ab out th is tim e to h a v e com menced
b e tw e en th e nativ es and th e fe t t le r s ; and w o rd was received
* The barrow two years and a half, and. the fow about two years.-
o v e r -