fc a r c e ly a n y fm ce th e 2 3 d o f S ep tem b e r laft. T h e g ro u n d w h ic h w a s
cleared fo r th e c r ow n am ou n ted to ab ou t tw e n ty -e ig h t acres, and h e
w a s b u lle d in preparations fo r b u ild in g a red o u b t on an em in en ce
n am ed b y h im M o u n t G e o rg e .
T h e S u p p ly , in h e r v if it at L o r d H o w e Ifland , turned e igh te en
tu r t le ; fe v e ra l o f w h ic h u n lu c k ily d y in g be fo re fhe reached N o r fo lk
Iflan d , Ihe cou ld lea ve o n ly fo u r th e re , and but th re e fu rv iv ed the
fltor t v o y a g e th en ce to th is place.
S e v e ra l the fts h a v in g be en la te ly com m itted b y th e c o n v id s , and the
offenders d ifcov e red b y th e v ig ila n c e o f th e members, o f o u r n ew p o lice ;
fe v e ra l o f th em w e r e tr ied b e fo re th e cr im in a l co u r t o f ju d ic atu re ;
C asfar the b la ck , w h o le litu a tion on G a r d e n Ifland- had been fom e tim e
b a ck rend ered m ore e lig ib le , b y b e in g p ermitted to w o r k w ith o u t iro n s ,
fo u n d means to m ak e h is efcape, w i th a m ind in fen lib le alik e to k in d -
nefs and to p u n ilhm en t , ta k in g w i th h im a canoe w h ic h la y th e re fo r
th e co n v en ien ce o f the o th e r p eop le em p lo y ed on th e ifland , to g e th e r
w i th a w e e k ’s p ro v ifio n s b e lo n g in g to th em ; an d :in a v ifit w h ic h h e
m ad e th em a few n igh ts after in his can o e , h e to o k o f f an iron p o t , a
m u fk e t , and fom e am m un ition .
T h e w o r k in g c o n v id s at S y d n e y h ad la te ly be en p r in c ip a lly emp
lo y e d in c o n f t r u d in g tw o c o n v en ien t k itch en s and o ven s fo r th e u fe
o f th e de ta chm ent, ad jo in in g to th e quarters ; b u ild in g a hou fe fo r th e
ju d g e -a d v o c a te ; fo rm in g 'r o a d s eithe r in o r le ad in g to the tow n ; and
r em o v in g th e p ro v ifio n s from th e o ld tha tched fto reh ou fe to that in th e
m a r in e quarters, w h ic h , b y b e in g co v e red in w i th tiles, w a s n o t fo
liab le to an ac cid ent b y fire , n o r lik e ly to p ro v e fo grea t an harb our
fo r rats, to gua rd ag ain ft w h om it had be com e n e ce ffa ry to ta k e as
m a n y precautions as again!!: a n y o th e r en em y . T h e y , h ow e v e r , in defiance
o f e v e r y care w h ic h w a s tak en to Ih u t th em o u t, w h e n the p ro v
ifio n s w e r e rem o v ed , fo u n d means, b y w o r k in g u n d e r g ro u n d , to g e t
in ; and as it w a s n o w a matter o f m u ch m om en t to p re fe rv e e v e r y
ou n ce o f p rov ifio n s th a t b e longed to us, th e y w e r e all taken o u t, and
re - flow e d w i th an attention lu itab le to th e ir im p o r tan t v a lu e .
A t R o fe H i l l , w h e re as y e t th e re w a s n o t a n y n ig h t-w a tch efta-
b iifhed , p e tty thefts and d epred ations w e r e fr e q u en t ly com m itted , particu
la r ly on th e w h e a t as it r ip en ed . T h e bak eh ou fe alfo w a s robbed
n o f
o f a q u a n tity o f flo u r b y a p e r fon u n k n ow n . T h e fe offences w e r e
g en e ra lly attributed to th e red u c tio n w h ic h had taken p lace in the
ra tion o f p r o v if io n s ; and e v e r y one dreaded h o w m u ch the com m ifiio n
o f th em m ig h t b e inc reafed , i f ac cid ent o r d e la y Ihould render a Hill
grea te r red u c tio n n eceffa ry.
M r . D o d d , th e fup e rintend ant a t th a t fettlem ent, a f e w d a y s b efore
C h r iftm a s , cut and fen t d ow n a cab ba ge w h ic h w e ig h e d fix -a n d - tw e n ty
p ou n d s . T h e o th e r v eg e ta b le p rod u c tio n s o f h is g a rd en , w h ic h w a s
fey no means a r ich m o u ld , w e r e p len tifu l and lu x u r ia n t.
S om e p eop le w h o had b e en ou t w i th a g u n from R o fe H i l l b ro u g h t
in w i th th em , on th e ir re tu rn , a t in d e r -b o x , to w h ic h ch an ce c o n d u c e d
th em , in a th ic k b ru lh d iflin g u ifh ed b y th e nam e o f th e N ew B r u lh ,
ab ou t f ix miles from the fettlement. T h is ar tic le w a s k n o w n to h a v e
be lon g ed to th e tw o un fo r tu n a te fold iers w h o h ad b e en u n ac cou n ted
fo r fince laft A p r i l , and w h o , in grea t p ro b a b ility , fo u n d the re a m ife r -
ab le p e r io d to th e ir e x iften c e . T h e y alfo p ick ed up in th e fame b ru lh
a p iece o f lin en , faid to h a v e fo rm ed p a r t o f a p ettico at w h ic h belo
n g e d to A n n e Sm ith , a fem ale c o n v i f t w h o ab fcond ed a few day s
after o u r la n d in g in th e c o u n t r y . T h i s m ig h t h a v e be en ca rried
th ith e r and d ro pp ed b y fom e nativ es in th e ir w a y th ro u g h th e b r u lh ;
b u t it g a v e a ftr o n g co lo u r to the fu p p o fition o f h e r h a v in g lik ew ife
p e r ilh ed , b y fom e means o r o th e r , in th e wo od s .
N 2