b y a' p e r fon w h o came ou t from. E n g lan d as a fe rv an t to th e go v e rn o r .
T h i s man jo in e d to m u ch a g r icu ltu ra l k n ow le d g e a p e rfed l id ea o f th e
la bou r to be requ ired from , and th a t m ig h t be p erformed b y th e co n -
vi£ts ; and his figu re w a s ca lcula ted to make th e id le and th e w o r th le fs
f li r in k i f h e came n ear them . H e h ad h ith e r to be en em p loy ed a t the
fp o t o f g ro u n d w h ic h w a s cleared fo on a fte r o u r a r r iv a l at th e ad jo in in
g c o v e , fin ce d ift in g u ilh e d b y th e nam e o f F arm C o v e , and w h ic h ,
from th e natural p o v e r ty o f th e fo il, w a s ’ n o t capable o f m a k in g an
ad eq uate re tu rn fo r th e labou r w h ic h had been exp en d ed on it. I t w a s ,
h ow e v e r , ftill attended to , and th e fence s k ep t in repair ; bu t there
w a s n o t a n y in ten tio n o f c le a r in g more g ro u n d in that fpot.
T o w a r d th e la tte r end o f the mon th tw o o f th e birds d iftin gu ilh ed
in th e c o lo n y b y th e name o f Em u s w e r e b ro u g h t in b y fom e o f the
p eop le em p lo y ed to ftioo t fo r th e officers. T h e w e ig h t o f each w a s
fe v e n ty p ou n d s .
C H A P . V I I .
NEUTRAL BAY.----SMALL-POX AMOtfG THE NATIVES.----CAPTAIN HUNTER IN
TH E SIRIUS RETURNS W ITH SUPPLIES FROM THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.-—
MIDDLETON ISLAND DISCOVERED.— DANGER OFi WANDERING IN THE
FORJESTS OF AN UNKNOWN COUNTRY.----CONVICTS.— THE KING’S B IR THDAY
K E PT.----CONVICTS PERFORM A PLAY.— A REINFORCEMENT UNDER
LIEUTENANT CRESSWELL SENT TO NORFOLK ISLAND.----GOVERNOR PH ILLIP
MAKES AN EXCURSION OF DISCOVERY.----TRANSACTIONS.— HAWKESEURY
RIVER DISCOVERED.----PROGRESS AT ROSE H IL L.----IMPORTANT PAPERS
LEFT BEHIND IN ENGLAND.
A p r i l .] T H E g o v e rn o r th in k in g it probable th a t fo re ign Ihips m igh t
a g a in v if it th is co a ft, and perhaps ru n in to this harb ou r fo r the p urpo fe
o f p ro c u r in g re fre lhm en ts, direc ted M r . B la c k b u rn to fu r v e y a la rg e
b a y on th e n o r th ih o re , co n tigu ou s to this co v e ; and a fuffic ient
d ep th o f w a te r b e in g fo u n d , his e x c e lle n c y inferted in the p or t orders,
that
th a t all fo r e ig n ffiips c om in g in to this harb our ffio u ld anchor m this
b a y , w h ic h h e named N eu tra l B a y , b r in g in g R o c k Ifland to b ea r
S . S . E . and th e h o fp ita l on th e w e f t fid e o f S y d n e y C o v e to bea r
S . W . b y W . ‘ _ * £ ,
E a r ly in th e m on th , and th ro u g h o u t its co n tin u an ce , th e p e o p le
w h o fe bufinefs called th em d ow n th e h a rb ou r d a ily rep o r ted , th a t th e y
fo u n d , e ither in ex ca v a tio n s o f th e ro c k , o r ly in g u p o n th e bea ch e s
and points o f th e d ifferent co v e s w h ic h th e y h ad b e en in , th e bod ies o f
m a n y o f the w r e tch ed n ativ e s o f th is co u n try . T h e caufe o f th is
m o r ta lity rem ained u n k n ow n un til a fam ily w a s b ro u g h t u p , and th e
d iford er p ron ou n ced to h a v e be en th e fm a ll-p o x . I t w a s n o t a d e fir-
able circum ftan ce to in trod uce a d ifo rd e r in to th e c o lo n y w h ic h w a s
r a g in g w i th fu ch fatal v io len c e am o n g th e nativ es o f th e c o u n t r y ; b u t
th e .fa v in g th e liv e s o f a n y o f the fe p eo p le w a s an o b je d o f n o fmall
im p o r tan c e , as th e k n ow le d g e o f o u r h um a n ity , and th e benefits
w h ic h w e m ig h t ren d e r th em , w o u ld , it w a s h o p ed , do aw a y th e e v il
impreffions th e y had re c e iv ed o f us. T w o e ld e r ly m en , a b o y , and a
g ir l w e r e b ro u g h t u p , and p laced in a fep arate h u t a t th e ho fp ita l.
T h e m en w e r e to o fa r o v e rcom e b y the difeafe to g e t th e better o f i t ;
b u t the ch ild ren did w e l l from th e m om en t o f th e ir c om in g am o n g us.
F rom th e n a tiv e w h o refid ed w i th us w e u n d e r fto od th a t m a n y fam ilie
s had be en fw ep t o f f b y this fc o u rg e , an d th a t o th e r s , to a v o id it,
h ad fled in to th e in te r ior parts o f the c o u n t ry . W h e th e r it had e v e r
appeared am o n g th em b e fo re cou ld n o t b e d ifc o v e red , eithe r from
h im o r from th e ch ild ren ; b u t it w a s ce rta in th a t th e y g a v e it a
nam e (g a l-g a l-la ) j a c ircum ftan ce w h ic h feemed to in d ic ate a p re acqua
intance w i th it. .
T h e co n v ic t s , am o n g o th e r p u b lic w o r k s , w e r e n o w em p lo y ed in
fo rm in g a co n v en ien t ro ad o n th e w e f t fid e from th e h o fp ital and
lan d in g -p la c e to th e ftorehoufes ; and in co n ftru d lin g a lia b le a t F a rm
C o v e w i th fome co n v en ien t ou t-h o u fe s fo r fto ck .
M a y . ] O f th e nativ e b o y and g ir l w h o h ad be en b ro u g h t u p in th e
la ft m on th , o n th e ir r e c o v e r y from th e fm a ll-p o x , th e la tter w a s ta k en
to liv e w i th the c le rg ym an ’ s w i fe , and th e b o y w i th M r . W h i t e , th e
fu rg e o n , to w h om , fo r his atten tion d u r in g th e cu re , h e fe em ed to be
m u ch attached.
K W h i le