into the north arm o f Broken Bay, and travelled to the northward
as far as Cape Three Points ; between which and the north head o f
Broken Bay, is a lagoon within the fea beach, o f about twenty
miles in length, and running parallell with the fea coaft.
A decked long boat, having been fent from Sydney to Norfolk
Hand, in her paffage thither fell in with a confiderable ihoal bearing
from E. N. E. to W. N. W. diftant from the veffel one mile.
It extended to the northward as far as the eye could difcern from
the maft-head, the rocks in many places appearing above the water.
The fouth end o f the fhoal is in the latitude of 29° 5 2' fouth,
and the longitude o f 16 0 ° 1 3 ' eaft, bearing, from Lord HoWe’
Illand, which they had feen the day before, north 2 70 40' eaft, dif-v
tant 39 leagues. This was fuppofed to be the fame faoal that had
been formerly feen by Lieutenant Shortland * in the Alexander,
and by the matter o f the Golden Grove tranfport in the year
iyS6. 1
In the beginning o f this month, the fettlers at the Hawkefbury
fent round fome grain, in part payment o f the debts which were due
from them to government for the feed which had been lent them
laft year to crop their grounds.
In confequence o f complaints which were laid before the governor,
relative to fome exorbitant demands made by the public
bakers upon thofe who had occafion to employ them, and o f the
impofitions pra&ifed as well in the quality as in the quantity of
the bread returned in lieu o f the flour or grain delivered to them,
the judge-advocate and two other magiftrates were direded to hold
a meeting for the purpofe o f enquiring into the bufmefs, as well as
for examining and regulating the weights and meafures which were
at prefent in ufe in the colony. An order was at the fame time
iflhed, recommending to the fettlers o f every diftrid, that, as much
pains had been taken to eftablifh, agreeably to their withes, the
* VideVol. I, P. 67.
rate
rate o f wages to be paid for all kinds of labour, they thould now
attend ftridly to this regulation, and no longer fuffer themfelves
to be impofed upon. There were ftrong reafons for fufpeding
that, notwithftanding the bond which they had entered into, rigidly
to adhere to the regulations which had been eftablithed for
their benefit, fome among them were fo very deficient o f even
honeft principles as to attempt by various means to evade the regulation,
to the great injury o f other more induftrious and more de-
ferving men. In order the more readily to deted a pradice fo
lhameful and iniquitous, the governor judged it requifite to hold
out a reward to thofe who would come forward and give fuch information
as fhould be fufficient to prove the offence, by offering
one-third o f the fum forfeited to the informer. The fettlers were
alfo called upon to give information o f any labouring man who, on
offering himfelf for hire, fhould refufe to accept the regulated wages.
As fuch perfon muft be incapable o f living in this country without
work, he was immediately to be apprehended as a vagrant, who,
having no vifible means of providing honeftly for his fupport, mutt:
have recourfe to robbery.
The natives at the Hawkefbury were at this time very troubfe-
fome, burning a dwelling-houfe and a flack o f wheat belonging to
a fettler there, after having plundered him o f all his other pof-
feffions.
On the 2 1 ft, as much wheat as-the public granaries at Sydney,
Parramatta, and the Hawkefbury could contain, having been
received, they were clofed until the month of Auguft next.
. Towards the latter end o f the month, the governor, accompanied
by fome gentlemen o f the fettlement, fet off from Parramatta, ou
an excurfion, in which he meant to obtain fome knowledge of the
ground between Duck river and George’s river, with refpedt both
to its quality and quantity. This trait was walked over, and
much excellent land was found well provided with frefh water
in chains o f large deep ponds. On this ground fome of the
marinè