co n fid e ra b le o v e r -d ra u g h t o f e v e r y fpecies o f p ro v ifio n s , and o f th e
liq u o r w h ic h w a s in ftore. A dread o f the fe circumftances b e in g one
d a y d ifco v e red b y others , w h e n th e blame o f con cealm en t m ig h t in v
o lv e th em in a fu fp ic io n o f p a r tic ip a tio n , in d u ced th em to ftep fo r w
a rd w i th th e ch a rg e . T h e fu fp ic io u s ap pearances, h ow e v e r , w e re
a c cou n ted fo r b y M r . C la rk m u ch to the fa tis fa c iion o f the magiftrates
u n d e r w h o fe con fid e ra fion th e y came. H e Hated, that expediting to
b e em p lo y e d in th is c o u n t r y , h e h ad b ro u g h t o u t w i th h im la rg e
quan titie s o f p ro v ifio n s , w in e , rum , d raugh t and bottled p o r te r , all o f
. w h ic h h e g en e ra lly k e p t at th e ftore ; th a t w h e n parties h a v e applied
to h im fo r p ro v ifio n s o r fp irits at an h o u r w h e n th e ftore w a s ftuit, h e
h ad fr e q u e n t ly fup plied th em from his o w n ca fe , o r fto ck w h ic h h e
h ad fo r p re fen t ufe in h is ten t o r in his h o u fe , and afterwards repaid
h im fe l f from th e f t o r e ; and th a t b e in g ill w i th th e fc u r v y fo r feveral
m on th s after h is a r r iv a l, h e d id n o t ufe a n y fait p ro v ifio n s , w h ic h g a v e
h im a confid erable cred it fo r fu ch articles at th e ftore : from all w h ic h
c ircum ftan ce s th e con v id ts w h o ac cufed h im m ig h t, as th e y w e r e un k
n o w n to th em , b e in d u ced to im a g in e th a t h e w a s ta k in g up m ore
th a n h is ra tion from tim e to time.
W i t h M r . C la r k ’s am p le and p u b lic acquitta l from th is ac cufation , a
com m en d a tio n e q u a lly p u b lic w a s g iv e n to th e con v id ts , w h o , n o tic in g
th e ap p arent o v e r -d ra u g h t o f fp irits and p ro v ifio n s , and ign o ran t at th e
fam e tim e o f th e caufes w h ic h occafioned it, had taken meafures to
h a v e it e xp la in ed .
F rom th e p e cu lia r ity o f o u r fitu a tion , the re w a s a fo r t o f facrednefs
ab ou t o u r f t o r e ; and its p re fe rv a tion p u re and und e filed w a s deemed
as n e ce ffa ry as th e ch a ftity o f Caefar’ s w ife . W i th us, it w o u ld no t
b e a r e v en fu fp ic ion .
In th e cou rfe o f th is m on th th e h a rv e ft w a s g o t in ; th e g ro u n d in
cu ltiv a t io n at R o fe H i l l p rod u c ed u pwa rd s o f tw o h u n d red bu fh e ls o f
w h e a t, ab ou t th ir ty - fiv e bu fh e ls o f b a r le y , and a fmall q u a n tity o f
o ats and In d ian c o r n ; all o f w h ic h w a s in ten d ed to be referv ed fo r
feed. A t S y d n e y , th e fp o t o f g ro u n d called the G o v e rn o r ’ s Farm had
b e en fow n o n ly w i th b a r le y , and p rod u c ed ab ou t tw e n ty - fiv e bufhels,
A k n ow le d g e o f th e in te r io r parts o f this e x ten fiv e c o u n t r y w a s
a n x io u f ly d e filed b y e v e r y one ; b u t th e d ifficu lty of- atta in in g it, and
the
89
th e v a r io u s em p lo ym en ts in w h ic h w e had all be en n e ce ffa r ily en g a g ed ,
h ad h ith e rto p re v en ted a n y material refearches b e in g made. T h e g o v
e rn o r h ad penetrated to the w e ftw a rd as fa r as R ic hm o n d H i l l , perhaps
b e tw e en fif t y and f ix t y miles inland ; b u t b e y o n d th a t d iftance all w a s
a b lan k . E a r ly in this m on th L ie u ten a n t D aw e s w i th a fmall p a r ty ,
ta k in g w i th them ju f t as m u ch p ro v ifio n s as th e y could c o n v e n ie n tly
c a r r y , fet o f f o n an attem p t to rea ch th e w e fte rn m ou n tain s b y an a
from th e banks o f th e fre fh w a te r r iv e r , firft feeft, f em e time fin ce , b y
C ap ta in T e n c h , and fu p p o fed to b e a b ran ch o f th e H aw k e fb u r y .
F rom this e x cu r fio n h e re turn ed o n th e n in th d a y , w i th o u t a c com -
p lifh in g his d e fign , m e e tin g w i th n o th in g , a fte r q u ittin g th e r iv e r , but
ra v in e s th a t w e r e n e a r ly ina cceflible. H e h ad , n o tw ith fta n d in g the
d an g e r and d ifficu lty o f g e t tin g on th ro u g h fu ch a c o u n t r y , reached
w i th in e le v en miles o f th e m ou n tain s , b y com p u tation . D u r in g his
to ilfom e m a rch h e ' m e t w i th n o th in g v e r y rem ark able , e x c e p t th e im -
preffions o f the c lo v en fe e t o f an an ima l d iffe r in g from o th e r c lo v en
fe e t b y th e grea t w id th o f th e d iv ifio n in each. H e w a s n o t fo r tu n a te
en o u g h to fe e th e anima l th a t h ad mad e th em .
In th is jo u rn e y L ie u ten an t D aw e s ’ s lin e o f m a rch , u n fo r tu n a te ly and
u n p le a fan tly fo r h im , h ap pen ed to lie , n e a r ly from h is fe tt in g o u t,
a c ro fs a lin e o f h ig h and fteep r o c k y p re c ip ic e s, w h ic h req u ired m u ch
cau tion in d e fcen d in g , as w e l l as lab ou r in afcen d in g. P e rh aps an
o p en c o u n t ry , w h ic h m ig h t h a v e led h im r e a d ily and c o n v e n ie n tly to
th e p o in t h e p rop o fed to a tta in , w a s ly in g a t n o grea t d iftance from
h im eithe r to his r ig h t o r le ft. T o fe e k fo r th a t, h ow e v e r , m ig h t h a v e
requ ired more tim e th an h is fto c k o f p ro v ifio n s w o u ld h a v e admitted ;
and h e w a s com pe lled to re tu rn th ro u g h th e fame u n profitab le c o u n t r y
w h ic h h e had paffed.
O n th e 2 1 f t , b e tw e en ten and e le v en o ’ c lo c k at n ig h t , th e S u p p ly
returned from N o r fo lk Ifland , h a v in g be en abfent f ix w e e k s w i th in a
d a y . F rom th en ce L ieu ten an t K in g w r o te that h e e x p e& e d h is h a rv e ft
w o u ld p rod uce from fo u r to f ix mon th s flo u r fo r a ll his inhab itants ,
e x c lu fiv e o f a re fe rv e o f d ou b le feed fo r tw e n ty acres o f g ro u n d .
B e fid e th is p rom ifin g ap p earance, h e h ad ten acres in cu ltiv a tio n w i th
In d ian co rn , w h ic h lo o k ed v e r y w e ll. H is ga rd en s h ad d iffe red m u ch
b y th e g ru b -w o rm and from a w a n t o f ra in, o f w h ic h th e y had h ad
n fc a r c e ly