o v e r - lan d , that tw o p eop le w e re k ille d b y 't h em ; one a fe ttle r o f the
name o f W il fo n , and th e o th e r a fre em an , one W illiam T h o r p , who.
h ad been le ft b eh in d from th e B r itan nia, and had hired h im fe lf to this
W il fo n as a lab oure r. T h e n ativ e s appeared in la rge bod ies, m en ,
w om e n , and ch ild ren , p ro v id ed w i th blankets and nets to c a r ry o f f the
co rn , o f w h ic h th e y appeared as fo n d as th e nativ es w h o liv ed among
u s , and feem ed determined to ta k e it w h e n e v e r and w h e r e v e r th e y
cou ld meet w ith opp or tunities. In th e ir attacks th e y c o n d u c e d th em -
fe lv e s w i th m u ch a r t ; b u t w h e re th a t failed th e y had re cour fe to fo rce ,
and on th e leaft appearance o f refiftance made ufe o f th e ir fpears or
clubs. T o ch e c k at o n ce , i f p offible, thefe d angerous depredators,
C ap tain Pa terfon direc ted a p a r ty o f the corp s to be fent from Parramatta,
w i th inftruCtions to d e ftr o y as m an y as th e y cou ld meet w i th
o f th e w o o d tribe (B e -d ia -g a l ) ; an d , in the h o p e o f ftr ik in g te r ror ,-to
ereCt gibb ets in d ifferent places, w h e re o n th e bodies o f all th e y m igh t
k il l w e r e to be h u n g . It w a s rep or ted , that fe v e ral o f thefe p eop le
w e r e k illed in con fequ en ce o f this o rd e r ; but n one o f th e ir bodies
b e in g fo u n d , (perhaps i f a n y w e r e k illed th e y w e r e ca r r ied o f f b y th e ir
com p an io n s,) the n um b e r co u ld no t b e afcertained. S om e p rifoners
h o w e v e r w e r e ta k en , and fen t to S y d n e y ; one m an , (ap p a ren tly a
c r ip p le ,) fiv e w om e n , and fome ch ild ren . O n e o f the w om en , w ith a
ch ild at h e r b re ad , had been flio t th ro u g h the fh ou ld e r , and th e fame
Ih ot had w o u n d ed the babe. T h e y w e r e im m ed ia te ly placed in a h u t
n e ar ou r ho fp ita l, and e v e r y care tak en o f th em th a t h um an ity fu g -
ge fted. T h e man w a s faid , inftead o f b e in g a c r ip p le , to h a v e been
v e r y aCtive ab out th e farms, and in ftrumen tal in fome o f the murders
w h ic h had been com m itted . In a fh o r t time h e fo u n d m e a n s " to
e fc ap e , and b y fw im m in g reached th e n o r th fhore in f a f e t y ; w h en c e , no
d ou b t, he g o t b a ck to h is friends. C a p ta in Paterfon h o p ed , b y d e ta ining
th e p rifone r s and tr e a tin g th em w e l l, th a t foriie g o od effeCt m ig h t re-
f u l t ; bu t fin d in g , after fome tim e , that co e r c io n , no t attention, w a s more
l ik e ly to an fw e r h is ends, h e fen t the w om en ba ck. W h i le th e y w e re
w i th us, th e w o u n d e d child d ie d , and one o f th e w om en w a s d elivered
o f a b o y , w h ic h died im m ed ia te ly . O n ou r w i th d r aw in g th e p a r ty ,
th e nativ es attacked a farm n ea r ly oppofite R ichm o n d H i ll , b e lo n g in g
to one W il liam R o w e , and p u t h im and a v e r y fine ch ild to d e a th ;
th e
th e w i fe , after re c e iv in g fe v e ra l w o u n d s , c raw led .down th e b a n k , an d
con c ealed h e r fe lf am o n g : fome reeds h a l f im m e r fed in th e r iv e r ,
w h e r e fb e rem ain ed a confiderable time w i th o u t a fi ifia n c e : b e in g at
len g th fo u n d , this p o o r creature, after h a v in g fe en h e r h u lb a n d and
h e r ch ild flaughtered before h e r e y e s , w a s b ro u g h t in to the h o fpital at
Parrama tta , w h e re Ihe recov ered , th o u g h f lo w ly , o f h e r w o u n d s . In
confequence o f this h orrid circum ftan ce , an o th e r p a r ty o f th e corps
w a s fent o u t ; and w h ile th e y w e re the re th e nativ es k e p t at a diftance.
T h is d u ty n ow became p e rm a n e n t ; and th e fo ld ie rs w e r e d iftributed
am o n g th e fettlers fo r th e ir p r o t e c t io n ; a p ro te c t io n , h o w e v e r , that
m a n y o f them did n o t merit.
P em u lw y , o r fom e o f his p a r ty , w e r e n o t id le ab ou t S y d n e y ; th e y
e v e n v en tu red to appear w ith in h a l f a m ile o f th e b r ick fie ld huts, and
w o u n d a conv iCt w h o w a s g o in g to a n e ig h b o u r in g farm o n bufinefe.
A s one o f o u r m oft freq u en t w a lk s from th e tow n w a s in th a t directio
n , this circum ftan ce w a s ra th e r u n p le a fa n t ; bu t th e n ativ e s w e re
n o t feen there again.
O n S u n d a y th e 3 1 f t , ab out one o ’ c lo c k , th e fign a l w a s made at th e
Sou th -h ead fo r a f a i l ; and ab out fiv e the re an ch ored in th e co v e th e
E n d e a v o u r ; a fh ip o f e ig h t hundred tons from B om b a y , u n d e r th e
command o f M r . B am p ton , h a v in g on board o n e h u n d red and th ir ty -
tw o head o f ca ttle, a q u a n tity o f r ic e , and th e o th e r ar ticles o f th e
con tra c t en g ag ed b y L ie u ten a n t -g o v e rn o r G r o fe , e x c e p t th e fait p ro -
vifions.- S h e had be en e le v en w e e k s from B om b a y .
T h e cattle a r r iv ed , in g en e ra l, in g o od c o n d it io n ; and M r . B am p ton
h ad been v e r y fu c ce fs fu l in h is care o f them . H e em barked on e h u n dred
and th ir ty at B om b a y , o u t o f w h ic h h e lo ft but one c ow , and that-
d ied th e m o rn in g be fo re his ar rival.
O n v ifit in g the Ihip, the fig h t w a s t r u ly g r a t i fy in g ; the cattle
w e r e ranged on each fid e o f th e g u n -d e c k , fo re and aft, and n o t co n fin e d
in feparate f ta lls ; b u t fo co n v en ien tly ftow e d , th a t th e y w e r e a fup port
to each other. T h e y w e r e w e ll p ro v id ed w i th mats, and w e r e co n -
fta n tly c le a n e d ; and w h e n th e Ihip ta ck ed , th e ca ttle w h ic h w e r e to
le ew ard w e re r e g u la r ly laid w i th th e ir heads to w in dw a rd , b y p eop le
( tw e n ty in number) p a r t icu la r ly ap p o in ted to lo o k a f t e r th em , in d e p
end en t o f a n y d u ty in th e Ihip. T h e g ra in w h ic h w a s th e ir fo o d
3 H w a s ,