F ebruary.] OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 93
they were difmiffed, he gave them much good advice ; and affined
them, that he had already, from his own ideas, offered a plan to the
fecretary of ftate for their benefit, which he hoped would in due
time be attended to.
After thefe, the women and children were muftered, and were
found to compole a very confiderable part of the fettlement.
With the ripening of the maize fields, the depredations of the
natives returned. On the 1.9th the governor received a difpatch,
from Parramatta, containing an account, that a man had been murdered
b y . them near Tqongabbe, and three others feverely
wounded; and a few days after two others were killed in the fame
manner. It became, from thefe circumftances, abfolutely neceffary
to. fend out numerous well-armed parties, and attack them where-
ever they fhould be met with ; for lenity or forbearance had only
been followed by repeated afts o f cruelty.
Toward the latter end o f the month, Mr. Bafs, the furgeon o f the
Reliance, returned from an excurfion in an open boat to the fouth-
ward, after an abfence of twelve weeks. This gentleman, who
had little to occupy him while his fhip was refitting, dilliking an
idle life, poffeffmg with a good conftitution a mind and body ftrong
and vigorous, and being endowed with great good fenfe, ingenuity,
and obfervation, requefted the governor to allow him a boat, and
permit him to man her with volunteers from the King s fhips ; pro-
pofing to go. along the coaft, and make fuch obfervations as might
be in his power. The governor readily colifenting, he fet out, as,
well provided as the fize of his boat would allow ; and. in her,
againft much adverfe wind and bad weather, he perfevered, as far
to the fouthward as the latitude 40 ° 00', vifiting every opening
in the coaft ; but only in one place, to the fouthward and
weftwa-rd of Point Hicks, finding a harbour capable of admitting
fhips. There was every appearance o f an extenfive ftrait, or rather
an open fea, between the latitudes of 390 and 4.00 fouth, and.
that