28 10 S o u th , and in th e - lo n g itu d e o f 159° 5®' E a ft, and named S ir
C h a r le s M id d le to n I f la n d : h is o th e r d ifc o v e r ie s , n o t b e in g fo im m ed ia
t e ly in th e v ic in i t y o f this te r r ito r y , w e r e n o t lik e ly to be o f a n y adv
an ta g e to th e fe t t lem e n t ; blit it w a s o f fom e im po rtance to it to learn
th a t an e x ten fiv e r e e f w a s fo n e ar , and to find its fitu ation afcertained
to be in th e tr a c k o f {hips bou n d from h en ce to th e n o r thw a rd ; fo r i f
S i r C h a r le s M id d le to n I flan d fh ould hereafter be fo u n d to pofiefs a fafe
and co n v en ien t h a rb ou r , it m ig h t p ro v e an in te r e ftin g d ifc o v e r y fo r
th is c o lo n y .
A D u tc h lh ip , bound fo r E u r o p e , fa ilin g from th e C ap e o f G o o d
H o p e o n th e 9 th o f laft J a n u a ry , C ap ta in H u n te r to o k th a t op p or tu n
i t y o f fo rw a rd in g th e d ilp atche s w i th w h ic h he h ad been ch a rged b y
G o v e rn o r P h illip . H e w a s in fo rm ed b y th e m a ile r o f th e H a r p y
W h a le r , w h o had p u t in to T a b le B a y , th a t in E n g lan d th e re had been
a g en e ra l a n x ie t y to h ea r o f ou r fa fe ty and a r r iv al in th is c o u n t ry , and
th a t {hips to be tak en u p had been ad v e rtifed fo r , b u t had n o t been
en g a g e d , as th e g o v e rnm en t w a ited fo r ac counts from G o v e rn o r
P h illip .
O f th e fe a c coun ts it w a s h o p ed th a t m in ille r s had be en fom e time in
p o fle fiio n , and th a t in con feq u en c e fu p p lie s w e r e at th is h o u r on th e ir
p afla ge to Nefw S o u th W a le s .
_ ° u r atten tion w a s n ow d ir e d e d to re c e iv in g from th e Sir ius the p ro -
v ifio n s the had b ro u g h t u s ; and as th e flo u r h ad been p ack ed in ba gs
a t th e C ap e o f G o o d H o p e , th e co o p e r s w e r e im m ed ia te ly em p lo y ed in
Petting u p and p rep a r in g c a lk s fo r its re c ep tion on {hore. T h e fe b e in g
fo o n com p le ted , th e flo u r w a s landed and depofited in th e {lore. T h is
w i th th e b u ild in g and co v e r in g - in o f a n ew h u t fo r th e fm ith ’ s w o r k ,
fo rm e d th e p r in c ip a l la b o u r o f th e convidts at S y d n e y d u r in g this”
m on th .
T h e boats in th e c o lo n y n o t b e in g fo u n d fu ffic ien t fo r th e p urpo fe
o f tran spo r tin g p ro v ifio n s from th e {lore at S y d n e y to th e fe ttlem en t at
R o le H i l l , a lau n ch o r h o y w a s p u t u p on th e flo c k s , u n d e r th e d ire ction
o f M r . R e id , th e carpenter o f th e S u p p ly , to be em p lo y ed fo r that
an d o th e r n e c e lfa ry purpofes. S h e w a s to be b u ilt o f th e tim b e r o f the
c o u n t r y , and to c a r r y ten tons.
F rom
F rom th a t fettlem ent, e a r ly in th e m on th , tw o fold iers o f th e deta chm
en t d o in g d u ty th e re w e r e repor ted t o be m i f i in g ; and, th o u g h p artie s
h ad been fen t ou t d a ily in d ifferent d ir e d io n s to fe ek fo r th em , y e t all
w a s u n a v a ilin g . I t w a s fup pofed th a t th e y m u ll h a v e lo ft th e ir w a y in
fom e o f th e th ic k and almoft im pen e trab le b ru lh e s w h ic h w e r e in th e
v ic in i t y o f R o fe H i ll , and h ad th e re p e r ilh ed m ife ra b ly . T h e y had
g o n e in fearch o f th e fw e e t tea p lan t alre ad y m en tion ed ; and p e rhap s
w h e n th e y re fign ed th em fe lv e s to the fate w h ic h th e y d id no t fee h ow to
a v o id , o p p re fled w i th h u n g e r , and u n ab le to w a n d e r a n y fa r th e r ,
th e y m a y h a v e b e en b u t a fh o r t d iftan ce frbm th e r e l ie f th e y m u ft fo
e am e ft ly h a v e d efired. A d o g that w a s k n o w n to h a v e le ft th e fe ttle m
en t w i th th em rea ched R o fe H i l l , a lm oft fam ilh ed , n in e d a y s after
th e y h ad le ft it. T h e e x trem e d an ge r a ttend ant on a m an s g o in g bey
o n d th e bound s o f h is ow n k n ow le d g e in th e fo re fts o f an u n fe ttled
c o u n t ry co u ld n o w h e re be m o r e d emonftrab le th an in this. T o th e
.w e ftw ard w a s an im m en fe o p en tr a c k b e fo re h im , in w h ic h , i f u n b
efriend ed b y eithe r fun o r m o o n , h e m ig h t w a n d e r un til life w e r e at
an end. M o f t o f th e arms w h ic h ex ten d ed in to th e c o u n t r y from P o r t
J a ck fo n and th e h a rb ou r o n each fide o f P o r t J a ck fo n , w e r e o f grea t
len g th , and to roun d th em w ith o u t a ce rta in and d a i ly fu p p ly o f p ro v
ifio n s w a s im po ffib le * .
T o g u a rd as m u ch as p oflible ag a in ft thefe accidents e v e r y meafure
w h ic h cou ld be fu g g e fted w a s adopted. A {hort tim e after th e fettlem
en t w a s eftablifhed at R o fe H i l l , th e g o v e rn o r w e n t o u t w ith fom e
p e o p le in a d ir e d io n due S o u th , and caufed a v ifib le p ath to be made ;
th a t i f a n y p e r fon w h o had ftra y ed b e y o n d h is ow n m ark s fo r r e tu rn in g ,
and k n ew n o t w h e re h e w a s , {hould crofs u p o n th is p a th , h e m ig h t b y
fo llow in g it h a v e a ch an ce o f re a ch in g th e fe t t lem e n t ; and orders w e r e
rep e ated ly g iv e n to p roh ib it ftr a g g lin g b e y o n d th e limits w h ic h w e r e
m ark ed and k n ow n .
* In many of thefe arms, when fitting with my companions at my eafe in a boat, I have
been {truck with horror at the bare idea of being loft in them ; as, from the great fimi-
larity of one cove to another, the recolleflion would be bewildered in attempting to determine
any relative fituation. It is certain, that if deftroyed by no other means, infanity
would accelerate the miferable end that muft enfue.
T ow a rd