Having had previous notice, a general mufter o f thefe people now
took place; which being compared with one taken fome time fince,
many impofitions were detected and rectified. After the mufter,
they were reminded that feveral o f them were confiderably indebted
to government for the feed from which their prefent abundant crops
had been produced, and directed forthwith to return into the ftore
a quantity equal to that which they had borrowed for the purpofe.
This it was abfolutely necelfary to point out and inftft upon, as there
were but few among them who would have been found with principle
enough to have returned it o f themfelves.
While they were here, the governor and his party went up the
river, and afcended Richmond-hill, on the fummit o f which a large
fmoke was made at noon, at which time a fimilar fmoke was made
on Profpe£t-hill, that was very diftintftly feen, and its bearings taken,
to afcertain the relative fituation o f the two hills. This bearing,
which was S. 3 5 0 oo' E. by compafe, gave, with the latitude ob-
ferved on each, the diftance between the two hills about eighteen
miles in a direft line.
B y this bearing, fhould there be occalion hereafter, a road through
the woods, from the head o f the Hawkefbury, might be eut in the
Ihorteft and moft direct way to Parramatta.
At the head o f this river, and upon the banks o f that named the
Nepean, there was known to be a :tra£t o f excellent land, as rich as
any on the banks o f the Hawkefbury which was then under cultivation,
and where, at fome future period, afettlement might be ad-
vantageoufly eftabliihed.
The governor, on his return from this excurfton, had the mortification
of feeing a ftack, containing about eight hundred bufliels of
wheat, burnt to the ground. This happened at Toongabbe, near
which place the country was every where in flames, and where, unfortunately,
much wheat belonging to government was flacked.
The fire broke out about eight o’clock in the evening; the wind
was high, the night extremely dark, and the flames had mounted to
the
the very tops o f the lofty woods which furrounded a field called the
ninety acres, in which were feveral ftacks o f wheat. The appearance
was alarming, and the noife occafioned by the high wind, and
the crackling o f the flames among the trees, contributed to render
the fcene truly awful.
It became necelfary to make every effort to fave this field and its
contents. The jail-gang, who worked in irons, were called out,
and told, that i f the wheat was faved by their exertion, their chains
fhould be knocked off. B y providing every man with a large bufh,
to beat off the fire as it approached the grain over the ftubble, keeping
up this attention during the night, and the wind becoming moderate
towards morning, the fire was fortunately kept off, and the
promife to the jail-gang was not forfeited*.
Although at this feafon o f the year there were days when, from the
extreme heat o f the atmofphere, the leaves o f many culinary plants
growing in the gardens have been reduced to a powder, yet there
was fome ground for fuppofing that this accident did not arife from
either the heat of the weather, or the fire in the woods. The grain
that was burnt was the property o f government, and the deftrudtion
o f eight hundred bulhels of wheat made room for that quantity to be
received into the ftores from the fettlers who had wheat to fell to the
commiffary; there were, moreover, at this time, fome ill-defign-
ing people in the country, who were known not to have much
regard for the concerns o f the public. An enquiry was fet on foot
to difcover, i f poffible, the perpetrators of this mifchief; but nothing
could be made of it.
Several people who had been hired to faw timber on the public account
having been detefted in giving a falfe ftatement, and receiving
payment for what they had not cut, were examined before two juftices
■ o f the peace; when, the fraud being proved, they were fentenced to make
up the deficiency, and to work for government, without being paid,
* In the month o f December 17 9 2 , two days after the wheat had been reaped and got o ff the
ground at Toongabbe, the whole of the ftubble was burnt, the country being then, ns at this
time, every where on fire. SeeVol. I . p. 250.
V O L . I I . D for