rapidity and power as to carry every thing before'it. '.The; govern-'
ment ftore-houfe, which had been ereOed at the firfe. fettling o f
this part of the country, was not out o f the reach o f this inundation,
and was fwept away, with all the provifions that it contained.
Many of the inhabitants were taken off from the ridges of their
houfes, by a few boats which they fortunately had among them,
juft in time to fave their l i v e s f or moft o f the dwellings were inundated,
and the whole country appeared like an extenfive lake.
Many hogs, other live flock, poultry, with much of thd produce
o f thé laft unfortunate hzrveft, and the domeftic effens ‘ o f ■ tho
people, W e t e hurried away b y the torrent. Fortunately only one
life was loft.
This was a moft ferious calamity ; and, no caufe having appeared
to indicate ah approaching overflow o f the river, the fettlers were
riot prepared for fuch a difafter. It was faid, that the natives fore-
faw it, and advifed the inhabitants ; but this wanted confirmation.
I f true, the trait was a favourable one. There could, however,
be no doubt, that, unperceived by our people, a heavy fall of rain
had taken place in the interior bf the country, among the mountains,
and which, from the parched ftate of the land for fuch a.
length of time, had in no part been abforbed, but ran down the
fides of the hills, as from mountains o f folid rock, filling all the
lb w grounds, and branches of the river, which, being in form
fuddenly ferpentine, could not give vent fo faft as the waters de-
fcended.
It was hoped and believed, that this uncommon inundation
•would, in the énd, prove highly beneficial to the grounds fo
overflowed, carifing them for a feafon or more-to produce with,
fuch abundance, as to recover the lofs which the fufferérs had; fuf-
tained. In a few days this extraordinary colleflicm of water had
found its way to the fea, arid, the river regaining its ufual level,
-the fettlers fet about new cropping their grounds ; for which pur-
pofe they made application for feed wheat, that certainly, could not
be refufed; their other application, for bedding and clothing, it
was not fo eafy to comply with, from the poverty o f the public ftores
in thefe articles.
This fertile fpot had, in fome feafons, produced from fifteen to
twenty thoufand bufhels o f wheat, and might juftly be termed the
granary o f New South Wales.
T o relieve the inhabitants in fome degree from the contemplation
of thefe diftreffes, the Rebecca, a whaler, came into the Cove
from the Cape of Good Hope, bringing authentic accounts o f Lord
Nelfon’s memorable and brilliant victory over the French fleet at
the Mouth o f the Nile, This decifive battle was announced to the
fettlement in a public order, and by a difeharge o f all the artillery
in the colony.
The mafter o f the Rebecca, having brought out a few articles for
fale, chartered the Nautilus to take them to Norfolk-Ifland, thinking
to find a better market for them there than at this place, where
the late unfuccefsful harveft had neither filled the granary o f the
public nor the pocket o f the fettler. She failed with this cargo in
the courfe o f a few days.
On the 9th, the Britannia whaler came in from fea, to repair
fome damages which Ihe had fuftained in bad weather. She had
been rather fuccefsful in her filhery, having procured twenty-five tons
o f fpermaceti oil fince her departure ; and the mafter reported, that,
had the weather been more moderate, he fliould have been enabled
to have more than half filled his fhip.
The criminal court was only once affembled during this month;
when one man was condemned to death for a burglary, and another*
tranfported for fourteen years to Norfolk-Ifland.
The-civil court was alfo affembled for the decifion o f private caufes,
in which it was engaged during a week.
* This man, Ifaac Nichols, an overfeer, had been accufed o f receiving ftolen goods; but,
from fome circumilances which occurred on the trial, the fentence was refpited until his Ma-
je fly ’s pleafure could be taken.
VOL. II. D D Among