a complete account of the settlement-第28节

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es　wide　and　of　considerable　length。　　They　found　no　fresh　water；　but　as　their　want　of　this　article　was　not　urgent；　they　did　not　make　sufficient　researches　to　pronounce　that　none　existed　there。*　　They　saw；　during　the　short　time　they　stayed；　two　kangaroos　and　many　traces　of　inhabitants。　　The　country　at　a　little　distance　to　the　southward　of　the　harbour　is　hilly；　but　that　contiguous　to　the　sea　is　flat。　　On　comparing　what　they　had　found　here　afterwards；　with　the　native　produce　of　Port　Jackson；　they　saw　no　reason　to　think　that　they　differed　in　any　respect。

＇*Just　before　I　left　the　country；　word　was　brought　by　a　ship　which　had　put　into　Port　Jervis；　that　a　large　fresh　water　brook　was　found　there。＇


The　second　discovery　was　made　by　Captain　Wetherhead；　of　the　'Matilda'　transport；　which　was　obligingly　described　to　me；　as　follows；　by　that　gentleman；　on　my　putting　to　him　the　underwritten　questions。

〃When　did　you　make　your　discovery？〃

〃On　the　27th　of　July；　1791。〃

〃In　what　latitude　and　longitude　does　it　lie？〃

〃In　42　degrees　15　minutes　south　by　observation；　and　in　148　1/2　east　by　reckoning〃

〃Is　it　on　the　mainland　or　is　it　an　island？〃

〃It　is　an　island；　distant　from　the　mainland　about　eight　miles。〃

〃Did　you　anchor？〃

〃Yes；　and　found　good　anchorage　in　a　bay　open　about　six　points。〃

〃Did　you　see　any　other　harbour　or　bay　in　the　island？〃

〃None。〃

〃Does　the　channel　between　the　island　and　the　main　appear　to　afford　good　shelter　for　shipping？〃

〃Yes；　like　Spithead。〃

〃Did　you　find　any　water　on　the　island？〃

〃Yes；　in　plenty。〃

〃Of　what　size　does　the　island　appear　to　be？〃

〃It　is　narrow　and　long；　I　cannot　say　how　long。　　Its　breadth　is　inconsiderable。〃

〃Did　you　make　any　observations　on　the　soil？〃

〃It　is　sandy；　and　many　places　are　full　of　craggy　rocks。〃

〃Do　you　judge　the　productions　which　you　saw　on　the　island　to　be　similar　to　those　around　Port　Jackson？〃

〃I　do　not　think　they　differ　in　any　respect。〃

〃Did　you　see　any　animals？〃

〃I　saw　three　kangaroos。〃

〃Did　you　see　any　natives；　or　any　marks　of　them？〃

〃I　saw　no　natives；　but　I　saw　a　fire；　and　several　huts　like　those　at　Port　Jackson；　in　one　of　which　lay　a　spear。〃

〃What　name　did　you　give　to　your　discovery？〃

〃I　called　it；　in　honour　of　my　ship；　Matilda　Bay。〃

November；　1791。　　A　very　extraordinary　instance　of　folly　stimulated　to　desperation　occurred　in　the　beginning　of　this　month　among　the　convicts　at　Rose　Hill。　　Twenty　men　and　a　pregnant　woman；　part　of　those　who　had　arrived　in　the　last　fleet；　suddenly　disappeared　with　their　clothes；　working　tools；　bedding；　and　their　provisions；　for　the　ensuing　week；　which　had　been　just　issued　to　them。　　The　first　intelligence　heard　of　them；　was　from　some　convict　settlers；　who　said　they　had　seen　them　pass；　and　had　enquired　whither　they　were　bound。　　To　which　they　had　received　for　answer；　〃to　China。〃　The　extravagance　and　infatuation　of　such　an　attempt　was　explained　to　them　by　the　settlers；　but　neither　derision；　nor　demonstration　could　avert　them　from　pursuing　their　purpose。　　It　was　observed　by　those　who　brought　in　the　account　that　they　had　general　idea　enough　of　the　point　of　the　compass　in　which　China　lies　from　Port　Jackson；　to　keep　in　a　northerly　direction。

An　officer　with　a　detachment　of　troops；　was　sent　in　pursuit　of　them；　but　after　a　harassing　march　returned　without　success。　　In　the　course　of　a　week　the　greatest　part　of　them　were　either　brought　back　by　different　parties　who　had　fallen　in　with　them；　or　were　driven　in　by　famine。　Upon　being　questioned　about　the　cause　of　their　elopement；　those　whom　hunger　had　forced　back；　did　not　hesitate　to　confess　that　they　had　been　so　grossly　deceived　as　to　believe　that　China　might　easily　be　reached；　being　not　more　than　100　miles　distant；　and　separated　only　by　a　river。　The　others；　however；　ashamed　of　the　merriment　excited　at　their　expense；　said　that　their　reason　for　running　away　was　on　account　of　being　overworked　and　harshly　treated；　and　that　they　preferred　a　solitary　and　precarious　existence　in　the　woods　to　a　return　to　the　misery　they　were　compelled　to　undergo。　　One　or　two　of　the　party　had　certainly　perished　by　the　hands　of　the　natives；　who　had　also　wounded　several　others。

I　trust　that　no　man　would　feel　more　reluctant　than　myself　to　cast　an　illiberal　national　reflection；　particularly　on　a　people　whom　I　regard　in　an　aggregate　sense　as　brethren　and　fellow…citizens；　and　among　whom；　I　have　the　honour　to　number　many　of　the　most　cordial　and　endearing　intimacies　which　a　life　passed　on　service　could　generate。　　But　it　is　certain　that　all　these　people　were　Irish。




CHAPTER　XVI



Transactions　of　the　colony　until　18th　of　December　1791；　when　I　quitted　it；　with　an　Account　of　its　state　at　that　time。


The　Gorgon　had　arrived　on　the　21st　of　September；　and　the　hour　of　departure　to　England；　for　the　marine　battalion；　drew　nigh。　　If　I　be　allowed　to　speak　from　my　own　feelings　on　the　occasion；　I　will　not　say　that　we　contemplated　its　approach　with　mingled　sensations：　　we　hailed　it　with　rapture　and　exultation。

The　'Supply'；　ever　the　harbinger　of　welcome　and　glad　tidings；　proclaimed　by　her　own　departure；　that　ours　was　at　hand。　　On　the　26th　of　November　she　sailed　for　England。　　It　was　impossible　to　view　our　separation　with　insensibility：　　the　little　ship　which　had　so　often　agitated　our　hopes　and　fears；　which　from　long　acquaintance　we　had　learned　to　regard　as　part　of　ourselves；　whose　doors　of　hospitality　had　been　ever　thrown　open　to　relieve　our　accumulated　wants；　and　chase　our　solitary　gloom！

In　consequence　of　the　offers　made　to　the　non…commissioned　officers　and　privates　of　the　marine　battalion　to　remain　in　the　country　as　settlers　or　to　enter　into　the　New　South　Wales　corps；　three　corporals；　one　drummer　and　59　privates　accepted　of　grants　of　land；　to　settle　at　Norfolk　Island　and　Rose　Hill。　　Of　these　men；　several　were　undoubtedly　possessed　of　sufficient　skill　and　industry；　by　the　assistance　of　the　pay　which　was　due　to　them　from　the　date　of　their　embarkation；　in　the　beginning　of　the　year　1787；　to　the　day　on　which　they　were　discharged；　to　set　out　with　reasonable　hopes　of　being　able　to　procure　a　maintenance。　　But　the　only　apparent　reason　to　which　the　behaviour　of　a　majority　of　them　could　be　ascribed　was　from　infatuated　affection　to　female　convicts；　whose　characters　and　habits　of　life；　I　am　sorry　to　say；　promise　from　a　connection　neither　honour　nor　tranquillity。

The　narrative　part　of　this　work　will；　I　conceive；　be　best　brought　to　a　termination　by　a　description　of　the　existing　state　of　the　colony；　as　taken　by　myself　a　few　days　previous　to　my　embarkation　in　the　Gorgon；　to　sail　for　England。

December　2nd；　1791。　　Went　up　to　Rose　Hill。　　Public　buildings　here　have　not　greatly　multiplied　since　my　last　survey。　　The　storehouse　and　barrack　have　been　long　completed；　also　apartments　for　the　chaplain　of　the　regiment；　and　for　the　judge…advocate；　in　which　last；　criminal　courts；　when　necessary；　are　held；　but　these　are　petty　erections。　In　a　colony　which　contains　only　a　few　hundred　hovels　built　of　twigs　and　mud；　we　feel　consequential　enough　already　to　talk　of　a　treasury；　an　admiralty；　a　public　library　and　many　other　similar　edifices；　which　are　to　form　part　of　a　magnificent　square。　　The　great　road　from　near　the　landing　place　to　the　governor's　house　is　finished；　and　a　very　noble　one　it　is；　being　of　great　breadth；　and　a　mile　long；　in　a　strait　line。　　In　many　places　it　is　carried　over　gullies　of　considerable　depth；　which　have　been　filled　up　with　trunks　of　trees　covered　with　earth。　　All　the　sawyers；　carpenters　and　blacksmiths　will　soon　be　concentred　under　the　direction　of　a　very　adequate　person　of　the　governor's　household。　　This　plan　is　already　so　far　advanced　as　to　contain　nine　covered　sawpits；　which　change　of　weather　cannot　disturb　the　operations　of；　an　excellent　workshed　for　the　carpenters　and　a　large　new　shop　for　the　blacksmiths。　　It　certainly　promises　to　be　of　great　public　benefit。　　A　new　hospital　has　been　talked　of　for　the　last　two　years；　but　is　not　yet　begun。　　Two　long　sheds；　built　in　the　form　of　a　tent　and　thatched；　are　however　finished；　and　capable　of　holding　200　patients。　The　sick　list　of　today　contains　382　names。　　Rose　Hill　is　less　healthy　than　it　used　to　be。　　The　prevailing　disorder　is　a　dysentery；　which　often　terminates　fatally。　　There　was　lately　one　very　violent　putrid　fever　which；　by　timely　removal　of　the　patient；　was　prevented　from　spreading。　Twenty…five　men　and　two　children　died　here　in　the　month　of　November。

When　at　the　hospital　I　saw　and　conversed　with　some　of　the　'Chinese　travellers'；　four　of　them　lay　here；　wounded　by　the　natives。　　I　asked　these　men　if　they　really　supposed　it　possible　to　reach　China。　　They　answered　that　they　were　certainly　made　to　believe　（they　knew　not　how）　that　at　a　considerable　distance　to　northward　existed　a　large　river；　which　separated　this　country　from　the　back　part　of　China；　and　that　when　it　should　be　crossed　（which　was　practicable）　they　would　find　themselves　among　a　copper…coloured　people；　who　would　receive　and　treat　them　kindly。　They　added；　that　on　the　third　day　of　their　elopement；　one　of　the　party　died　of　fatigue；　another　they　saw　butchered　by　the　natives　who；　finding　them　unarmed；　attacked　them　and　put　them　to　flight。　　This　happened　near　Broken　Bay；　which　harbo