In the n ig h t o f the 19 th o f th is mon th fome th ie v e s b ro k e in to the'
h o u fe o f W illiam M ille r , (a y o u n g man w h o , on ac count o f his good
b eh a v io u r , had be en a llow ed to e x e r c ife th e trade o f a baker,) and Hole
ar ticles to th e am ou n t o f f if t y - f ix p ou n d s , m o f t ly p ro p e r ty n o t b e lon g in
g to h im fe lf. S u fp ic ion fa llin g u p on fom e p eop le o f f the ftore, th e y
w e r e a p p reh en d e d ; bu t in th e m o rn in g th e g rea ter p art o f w h a t had
be en ftoleti was fo u n d placed in a ga rd en w h e r e it could be e a fily dif-
co v e red , and re ftored to th e ow n e r .
O n th e d a y fo llo w in g , th e g o v e rn o r , w i th a fmall p a r ty , u n d e r to o k
a fecond e x cu r fio n to the retreat o f th e cattle. A few day s p re v io u s
to th e g o v e rn o r ’ s d eparture, M r . Ba fs , th e fu rg e o n o f th e R e lian c e ,
and tw o com p an ion s, fet o f f in an attempt to roun d the m oun tain s tp
the^ w e f tw a r d ; b u t h a v in g fo on attained th e fum m it o f the h ig h e ft,
th e y faw at th e d iftance o f fo r ty o r fif t y miles another range o f m ountains,
e x ten d in g to th e n o r thw a rd and fou thw a rd . M r . Bafs repor ted,
that h e paffed o v e r fom e v e r y fine lan d , and h e b ro u g h t in fom e
fp e cim ens o f a lig h t w o o d w h ic h h e met w ith .
T h e g o v e rn o r w a s n o t lo n g abfent. H e faw th e cattle ra n g in g as
b e fo re , a lth o u g h n o t e x ad tly in the fame ” fp ot, in th e fin e ft c o u n t r y
y e t d ifcov e red in N e w S o u th W a le s , and afcended a h ill w h ic h from
e v e r y p o in t o f v iew h ad appeared th e h ig h e ft in o u r n e ig h b o u rh o od .
H e fix e d , b y means o f an ar tific ia l h o r izo n , its latitud e to be 34° og'J}-.
n in e miles to th e fo u thw a rd o f B o ta n y B a y . T h e h e ig h t o f this h ill,
w h ic h obtained th e nam e o f M o u n t H u n te r , w a s fup po fed to be near
a m ile from th e b a f e ; and th e v iew from th e fum m it w a s command in
g , and fu ll o f grand o b je fts , w o o d , w a te r , plains; and mountains;
E v e r y w h e re on th a t fid e o f th e N ep e an , the fo il was. fo u n d to be-
g o o d , and th e g ro u n d e lig ib le fo r cu ltiv a tio n . T h e fides o f M o u n t
H u n te r , th o u g h v e r y fteep, w e r e c lothed w ith tim b e r to th e fum m it,
and th e g ro u n d filled w i th th e O r ch is root.
T h e k n ow le d g e derived from this e x cu r fio n w a s , that th e cattle had
n o t been d ifturbed, and th a t th e y had in c r e a fe d ; n in e ty - fo u r w e r e at
th is tim e counted.
A b o u t th e fame tim e th e p eop le o f a filh in g -b o a t returned from a
b a y near P o r t Stephens, in to w h ic h th e y had been d r iv en b y bad
w e a th e r , and b ro u gh t in w i th th em fe v e ra l la rge pieces o f coal, w h ic h
th e y faid th e y fo u n d at fom e little d iftance from th e bea ch, ly in g in
eonconfiderable
q u a n tity on the furface o f the g rou n d . T h e fe p eop le
h a v in g condudted them fe lv e s im p ro p e r ly w h ile on fh o re , tw o o f them
w e r e fe y e re ly w o u n d ed b y the n atives, one o f w h om died fo on after
h e 're a ch ed the hofpital.
T h e Franc is fcho on e r failed on the 2 1 f t w i th difpatches fo r N o r fo lk
Ifland ; th e k in g ’ s Ihips, the R e lian ce and S u p p ly , began th e neceffa ry
p reparations fo r th e ir intended v o y a g e to 'th e C ap e o f G o o d H o p e ,
an d the firft d a y o f Sep tember was fix ed fo r th e ir departure.
T ow a rd the latter end o f the m on th tw o m en from each officer w e re
ordered to jo in the p ub lic g an g s , it b e in g fo u n d w h o l ly im prac ticab le
to eredt w ith o u t m ore afliftance a n y o f th e build in g s w h ic h had n ow
b e com e indifpenfably n e ce ffa ry . Storehoufes, w e re m u ch w a n te d ;
th e barracks w e r e y e t u n fin ilh ed ; houfe s w e r e to be b u ilt fo r the
afliftant-furgeons, th o fe w h ic h had been eredted fo on after ou r ar riv al
b e in g n ow no lo n g e r tenable. A ch u r ch to o , o f m ore fubftantial
materials th an la th and p laifte r , w a s w an ted here and at Parramatta ;
as w e l l as cou r t-h ou fe s , o r places w h e re th e courts o f c iv il and cr im in al
ju d ic a tu re m ig h t be h e ld , and w h e re th e magiftrates m ig h t m e e t to do
th e p u b lic bufinefs.
A t S y d n e y , th e b r ick la y e rs ’ g a n g was em p loy ed d u r in g this m on th
in eredting a tem p orary cou r t-h ou fe o f lath and p la i f te r ; as it w a s
u ncer tain w h en on e to be b uilt o f br ick s could be b e g u n ; and great
■ inconvenience was. fe lt b y th e ju d g e -a d v o c a te and o th e r magiftrates in
b e in g obliged to tranfadt bufinefs at th e ir ow n houfes^Jsgi
W e had at laft the fatisfadtion o f fe e in g u fe fu lly em p lo y ed fome o f
the,. cattle, b ro u gh t h ith e r in the E n d e a vo u r , A ca reful pe rfon b e in g
fo u n d to qondudt th em , th e tim b e r -ca r r ia g e w a s n ow , inftead. o f men,
d raw n b y f ix o r e igh t flo u t o x e n ; and all th e tim b e r -w h ic h w a s
w an ted fo r b u ild in g , o r other p u rp o fe s , w a s b ro u g h t to the pits b y
them , both here , and at Parramatta; T h is w a s fome. fa v in g o f men-,
but e igh t p eop le we re ftill em p lo y ed w i th ’ each carriage,.
T h e carpenters con tin ued ered ting the. tem p o ra ry ,fhed fo r p ro v i-
fions ; th e tow n g a n g was em p loy ed d e liv e r in g th e f to r e fh ip s ; and at
T p on g a b b e fome w om en w e re em p lo y ed in m a k in g h a y , intended to
be p u t on board th e k in g ’ s Ihips. fo r the cattle to be p urchafed at the
C a p e f o r the co lon y ,
. ,0.ne man, M a tth ew Far rel, died in this m on th . H e h ad :b e en h u r t
in an a ffra y w ith fome w a tchm en in th e n ig h t o f th e 1 7th o f M a r c h la ft.