4$
indeed, were it even lefs difficult to be procured, uulefs fame final!
harbour fliould be near it, it could not be o f much utility to- the
fettlement.
No circumftancc deferving o f attention had occurred for fomc
time-among the natives. On the 27th of this month, however., one
o f their young men -flood the trial pradtifed by fhis countrymen, for
having, as it was faid, killed' feme perfon in a quarrel. He flood
manfully up againft all their fpears, and defended himfelf with great
ikill and addrefs. Having had two ihields fplit in his hand, by-the
fpear pafling quite through them, his friends, who were numerous,
attacked his opponents, whom they difarmed, and broke their
ihields, with many o f their fpears.
It had been intended to have thrown fome fpears at Ben-nil-long
at this time, from its having been reported that a- woman, when
ihe was dying, had declared fhe dreamed that; Ben-nil-long. had
killed her. Her friends, therefore, refolved to. call hipa- to- an
account, taking the bulinefs up on the fuppofition that the woman
mnft have had fome caufe o f complaint againft him, or ihe would
not have dreamed o f his doing her an injury. To this accufation
Ben-nil-long pleaded not guilty, declaring that he was an entire
ftranger to the woman, and had never in his life offended. h e r ; but
there were fome who faid that he actually wounded this very woman,
and had been the caufe of her death.
To thofe gentlemen who were acquainted with the temper and
-difpofition of this favage, there appeared much reafon to credit the
aflertions of his countrymen ; for he was now obferved to have
become fo fond o f drinking, that, whenever invited by any o f
the officers to their houfes, he was eager to be intoxicated, and in
that date was fo favage and violent as to be capable o f any mifehief.
On fuch occafions he amufed himfelf with annoying the women
and infulting the men, who, from fear o f offending his white friends,
fpared thofe notices of his conduct which he fo often merited, and
which fooner or later he would certainly meet with.
The
The court o f criminal judicature was affembled once during this
month, when three prifoners, one o f whom was a feaman belonging
to the Britannia, were tranfported to Norfolk-Ifland for feven
years. 1
The civil court was alfo affembled, and went through much
troublefome and litigious, bulinefs,. the effefl of the fpirit o f trade
which every where prevailed.
The Reliance having been cleared o f her ftores, and being now
quite light, was- yet found to make as much water as before; and
it appeared, upon opening ther ceiling, that the leak was in the
guaruboard ftreak, abreaft o f the main-maft, the water rulhing in
there with great force.
A furvey had been held upon her confort, the Supply, after
which Ihe was pronounced wholly unfit for further fea fervice.
The brickmakers, bricklayers, carpenters, and blackfmiths, were
all.fully and varioufly employed: at this time. For the latter, a
large and convenient fhop, capable of working fix or feven forges,
was erefting at: Sydney. The different works which were in hand
went on. with, a greater fpirit and more expedition than could have
been expected; when the great want o f artificers-and labouring people
was-, conftdered.. Some, though but a few, mechanics had arrived
in- the laft fhips;
September.] This monthbegan with a very vexatious circumftance.
A boat named the Cumberland, the largeft and belt in the colony belonging
to government,, was, on her paffage to the Hawkefbury, whither
fhe was carrying a few ftores, taken .poffqffion of by a part of the
boat’s crew ; being at the fame time boarded by a fmall boat from
the ffiore, the people in which feized her and put off to fea, firft
landing the coxfwain and three others,, who were, unwilling to accompany
them, in Pitt Water in Broken-Bay. Thofe men proceeded
overland to Port Jackfon, where they gave the firft information
of this, daring and piratical tranfaftion. Two boats, well manned:
and: