p e rn iciou s w e e d ca lled cow - itc h th a t th e fettlers defpaired o f e v e r
b e in g able to g e t rid o f either .
A circum ftan ce h ap p en ed th is m on th n o t lefs e x tra o rd in a ry and
u n e x p e c te d than th e d ifc o v e r y o f th e fo u r co n v ic t s at P o r t Stephens.
T h e contefts w h ic h had la te ly ta k en p la c e v e r y fr e q u en t ly in this
t o w n , -and th e n e ig h b o u rh o od o f i t , am o n g th e na tiv e s, h ad been
attended b y m an y o f th o fe p eop le w h o inhab ited th e w o o d s , and came
from a gre a t d iftan ce inland . S om e o f th e p rifone rs g a th e r in g from
time to time rum ou rs an d im p e r fe c t a c coun ts o f th e e x iften c e o f the
ca ttle lo ft in 1 7 8 8 , tw o o f th em , w h o w e r e em p lo y ed b y fom e officers
in fh o o t in g , re fo lv ed o n a fe e rta in in g th e tru th o f the fe rep or ts , and
t r y in g b y d iffe ren t ex curfion S to d ife o v e r th e p lace o f th e ir retreat.
O n th e ir re tu rn from th e fir ft o u tfe t th e y made, w h ic h w a s fubfequen t
to th e g o v e rn o r ’ s ar r iv a l, th e y rep or ted , th a t th e y h ad feen th em .
B e in g , h ow e v e r , a t th a t m om en t to o m u ch en g a g ed in p e r fe& in g th e
c iv il regu la tion s h e had in v ie w fo r th e fettlement, th e g o v e rn o r could
n o t h im fe lf g o to th a t p a r t o f th e c o u n t r y w h e r e th e y w e i t faid to h a v e
be en f o u n d ; b u t h e deta ched H e n r y H a c k in g , a m an o n w h om h e
co u ld d epend . H is rep or t w a s fo fa t is fa& o r y , th a t on th e 18th th e
g o v e rn o r fe t o f f from Parramatta, attended b y a fm a ll p a r ty , w h e n
after t r a v e llin g tw o d a y s , in a d ire c tion S. S. Y f . from th e fettlement
a t P r o fp e f t H i l l , h e croffed th e r iv e r n am ed b y M r . P h illip th e N e p e a n ;
an d , to h is gre a t fu rp r ife an d fa t is fa ft io n , fe ll in w i th a v e r y fine h e rd
o f ca ttle, u pwa rd s o f f o r t y in n um b e r , g ra z in g in a pleafant and app
a ren tly fe r tile p afturage . T h e d a y b e in g fa r ad v anced w h e n h e faw
th em , h e refted fo r th e n ig h t in th e ir n e ig h b o u rh o od , h o p in g in th e
m o rn in g to b e g ra tified w i th a f ig h t o f th e w h o le herd. A d ou b t h ad
b e en ftarted o f th e ir b e in g cattle p rod u c ed from w h a t w e had b ro u g h t
in to th e c o u n t r y from th e C a p e ; and it w a s fu g g e fted th a t th e y m ig h t
b e o f lo n g e r Handing. T h e g o v e rn o r th o u g h t th is a circum ftan ce
w o r th d e te rmin in g, and d ire c ted th e attendants w h o w e r e w i th h im
(H a c k in g and th e tw o m en w h o h ad fir ft fo u n d th em ) to en d ea v ou r
in th e m o rn in g to g e t n e ar en o u g h to k ill a ca lf. T h is th e y w e r e n o t
a b le to e f f e d ; fo r , w h i le ly in g in w a it fo r the w h o le he rd to pafs *
* The Pruriens, a fpecies of the Dolichos.
(w h ic h n ow con fifted o f u pwa rd s o f f ix t y y o u n g and o ld ,) th e y w e r e
fu r io u lly fet u p on b y a b u ll, w h ic h b ro u g h t up th e rear, and w h ic h
in th e ir ow n defence th e y w e r e com pelled to k ill. T h is h ow e v e r an -
fw e red th e p u rp o fe better perhaps than a c a l f m ig h t h a v e d o n e ; fo r h e '
h ad all th e mark s o f th e C ap e cattle w h e n fu ll g r o w n , fu ch as w id e -
fp re ad in g ho rn s, a moderate r ifin g o r h um p b e tw e en h is fh ould e rs , and
a ffiort thin tail. B e in g at th is tim e fe v en o r e ig h t -a n d - th ir ty miles
from Parramatta, a v e r y fmall q u a n tity o f th e m eat o n ly co u ld be fen t
i n ; th e remaind er w a s le ft to th e c r ow s and d o gs o f th e w o o d s , m u ch
to th e regre t o f th e g o v e rn o r and h is p a r ty , w h o con fid e red th a t th e
p r ifone r s , p a r t icu la r ly th e fic k a t th e h o fp ita l, h ad no t la te ly re c e ived
a n y m eat e ith e r fait o r 'fr e lh .
T h e c o u n t r y w h e r e th e y w e r e fo u n d g ra z in g w a s rem a rk a b ly p leafan
t to th e e y e ; e v e r y w h e re th e fo o t trod on th ic k and lu x u r ia n t g r a f s ;
th e trees w e r e th in ly fcattered , and fre e from u n d e rw o o d , e x c e p t in
p articu la r fp o t s ; fe v e ra l b e au tifu l flats p refented la rg e p on d s , co v e red
w i th duck s and th e bla ck fw a n , the m argin s o f w h ic h w e r e fr in g e d
w i th Ihrubs o f th e m o ft d e lig h tfu l tin ts , and the g ro u n d ro fe from
the fe le v e ls in to hills o f e a fy afeent.
T h e q u e ftion h o w thefe cattle came h ith e r appeared e a fy o f fo lu tio n .
T h e few that w e r e lo ft in 1 7 8 8 , tw o bulls and fiv e cow s , tra v e lled
w i th o u t in te r ru p tion in a w e fte rn d ire c tio n u n til th e y came to th e
banks o f th e N ep ean . A r r iv e d th e re , and fin d in g th e c ro ffin g as e a fy
as w h e n th e g o v e rn o r ford ed it , th e y cam e at once in to a w e ll-w a te r e d
c o u n t r y , and am p ly fto red w i th gra fs . F rom th is p lace w h y Ihould
th e y m o v e ? T h e y fo u n d th em fe lv e s in p offeffion o f a c o u n t r y equal
to th e ir fu p p o r t, and in w h ic h th e y rem ain ed und ifturb ed . W e had
n o t y e t trav e lled qu ite fo fa r w e ftw a rd ; and b u t few nativ es w e r e to be
fo u n d th e re a b o u ts ; th e y w e r e l ik e ly th e re fo re to rem ain fo r yea rs u i j -
mole fted , and fe c u r e ly to p rop ag ate th e ir fpecies.
I t w a s a p le a fin g c ircum ftan ce to h a v e in th e w o o d s o f N ew H o lla n d
a th r iv in g he rd o f w i ld ca ttle. M a n y p rop ofals w e r e made to b r in g
th em in to th e fe tt lem en t; b u t in th e d a y o f w a n t , i f the fe Ihould be
facrificed, in w h a t better con d ition w o u ld th e c o lo n y be fo r h a v in g
* Captain Waterhoufe and Mr. Bafs (furgeon) of the Reliance, and the writer of
this Narrative.