birds. T h e fe h e rep la ced w i th b u c k lh o t, and g o t rid o f his trou b le -
fo in e and d e fig n in g fo llow e r s b y d ifch a rg in g his p iece a fe con d time .
T h e y all mad e o f f ; b u t fom e o f th em Humbling as th e y ran , h e appreh
en d ed th e y h ad been w o u n d ed . T h i s a c co u n t met w ith m o r e cred it
th an cou ld u fu a lly be a llow ed to fu ch ta les, as th e p e rfon w h o g a v e it
w a s h e ld in g re a t eftim a tion b y the officers o f h is ffiip bo th as a man
an d as a feaman.
M r . P a lm e r , th e p u r fe r o f th e S ir iu s , h a v in g o c c a fio n to cu t timbe r
in a co v e d ow n th e h a rb ou r , w a s v ifite d b y fom e na tiv e s, w h o to o k an
o p p o r tu n ity o f c o n c e a lin g tw o o f h is ax e s in the huffies. • O n h is
m iffin g th e im p lemen ts , th e nativ es w e n t o f f in fom e con fte rn a tion ,
le a v in g tw o ch ild ren b eh in d th em , w h om M r . Pa lm e r deta ined , and
w o u ld h a v e b ro u g h t u p to th e fe ttlem en t, h ad no t th e ir fr ien d s ra n -
fom ed th em w i th th e p ro p e r ty th a t had be en ftolen.
A t .R o f e H i l l , w h e r e th e co rn p rom ifed w e l l, an Em u had been
k ille d , w h ic h flo o d fe v e n fe e t h ig h , w a s a fem ale , and w h en opened
w a s fo u n d to con ta in e x a c t ly f i f t y eggs.
O c to b e r .] T h e lau n ch th a t w a s b e g u n in M a y laft b y th e ca rp enter
o f th e S u p p ly , b e in g com p le ted , w a s p u t in to th e w a te r th e 5 th o f
Od tob er. F rom th e q u a n tity o f w o o d ufed in h e r conftrud tion fhe a p p
eared to b e a m e re bed o f tim b e r , a n d , .w h e n la u n ch ed , w a s named
b y th e c o n v i& s , w i th an h ap pine fs th a t is fometimes v ifib le in th e allu -
fio n s o f th e low e r ord e r o f p eo p le , T h e R o le H i l l P a ck e t * . S h e w a s
v e r y fo o n em p lo y ed in tran fp o r tin g p ro v ifio n s to R o fe H i l l , and g o in g
u p w i th th e tid e o f flo od , at th e to p o f h ig h w a te r , paffed v e r y w e l l
o v e r th e flats at th e u p p e r p a r t o f th e harb ou r , j
O u r enemies th e ra ts , w h o w o rk e d u n fe en , and attack ed us w h e r e
w e w e r e m o ft vu ln e rab le , b e in g ag a in o bferv ed in numbers ab ou t th e
p ro v ifio n fto re , th e c om m iffa ry caufed the p ro v ifio n s to be m ov ed o u t
o f one ftore in to a n o th e r ; fo r , a la s ! a t this p e r iod th e y cou ld be all
con tain ed in o n e . T h e fe p e rn ic io u s v e rm in w e r e fo u n d to be v e r y
n um e rou s , and th e damage th e y had d one m u ch grea te r than the ftate
o f o u r ftores w o u ld admit. E ig h t c a lk s o f flo u r w e r e at on e time
* She was afterwards generally known by the name of The Lump, a word more
ilrifily applying to her fize and conftruition.
fountt
fo u n d w h o l ly d e ftroy ed . F rom th e fto re , fu ch as efcaped th e h u n g e r
o f th e d ifferent d o gs th a t w e r e turned lo o fe u p on them f lew to th e
gardens o f in d iv id u a ls, w h e r e th e y rio ted u p on th e In d ian co rn w h ic h
w a s g r o w in g , and d id considerable mifehie f.
T h e p re fen ce o f a cap ta in b e in g no lo n g e r d eemed n e ce ffa ry at R o fe
H i l l , th e m ilita ry gua rd th e re fo r th e p ro te& io n o f th e ftores w a s re duced
to a fuba ltern o fficer , and a p rop o r tion a te n um b e r o f 'p r iv a t e s .
M r . D o d d , w h o had fo r fom e tim e b e en au th o r ized b y th e g o v e rn o r to inffia co rp o ra l p u n ilhm en t o n th é c o n v i& s fo r idlenefs, r io tin g , o r
o th e r mifdemeariors, h ad obta ined fu ch an in flu en c e o v e r th em , th a t
m ilita r y co e rc ion w a s no t fo n e ce ffa ry as w h e n th e fettlement w a s firft
e ftablilh ed . O f th is p e r fon , the officers w h o had been on d u ty at R o fe
H i l l from time to tim e g a v e the m o ft fa v o u rab le rep o r ts , fp e a k in g o f
h im as one in e v e r y refpedt q u a lified to e x e cu te th e truft w h ic h had
be en rep ofed in h im b y th e g o v e rn o r .
D u r in g this m on th a g a n g o f c o n v if t s w e r e em p lo y e d a t S y d n e y in
fo rm in g a co n v en ien t ro ad from th e h o lp ita l to th e m a g a z in e and ob -
fe r v a to r y o n th e p o in t ; and a fmall h u t, fo r th e r e c ep tion o f a co rp o r
a l’ s. g u a rd at th e h o lp ita l, w a s eredted.
O f th e f e w p eop le w h o died in O c to b e r , (on e fo ld ie r , th re e w om e n ,
an d one ch ild ,) o n e w a s an u n h a p p y w om a n w h o h ad be en fen t o n
board in a ftate o f in fa n ity , and w h o h ad rem ain ed in th a t co n d it io n
u n til th e d a y o f h e r death ; fhe and an o th e r o f th e th re e w om en died
in c h ild -b e d ; and th e fo ld ie r Was carried o f f b y a d ifo rd e r w h ic h ' h e
b r o u g h t w i th h im in to th e c o u n t ry . T h e fe eircumftances tended to
e fta b lilh th e g o od o p in io n w h ic h w a s at fir ft fo rm ed o f th e fa lu b r ity o f
th e climate o f N ew S o u th W a le s .
N o v em b e r .] T h is m on th o pen ed w i th a ferrous, h u t p ru d en t and
n e ce ffa ry alteration in o u r p ro v ifio n s . T h e ra tion w h ic h had h ith e r to
be en iffued w a s , on th e fir ft o f th e m on th , red uced to tw o th ird s o f
■ every fpecies, fp irits ex cep ted , w h ic h con tin u ed as u fu a l. T h i s m e a -
fure w a s calculated to gu a rd ag ain ft a c c id e n t s ; and the n e ce ffity o f it
w a s o b v iou s to e v e r y o n e , from th e grea t u n c e r ta in ty as to th e tim e
w h e n a fu p p ly m ig h t ar r iv e from E n g la n d , and from th e Ioffes
w h ic h h ad been and ftiil w e r e occafion ed b y rats in th e p ro v ifio n ftore.
T w o y e a rs p ro v ifio n s w e r e land ed w i th us in th e c o lo n y : w e h ad
m 2 be en