a complete account of the settlement-第2章

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　spirit　of　malignant　levity。　　But　a　farther　acquaintance　with　them；　founded　on　several　instances　of　their　humanity　and　generosity；　which　shall　be　noticed　in　their　proper　places；　has　entirely　reversed　my　opinion；　and　led　me　to　conclude；　that　the　unprovoked　outrages　committed　upon　them；　by　unprincipled　individuals　among　us；　caused　the　evils　we　had　experienced。　　To　prevent　them　from　being　plundered　of　their　fishing…tackle　and　weapons　of　war；　a　proclamation　was　issued；　forbidding　their　sale　among　us；　but　it　was　not　attended　with　the　good　effect　which　was　hoped　for　from　it。

During　this　period；　notwithstanding　the　want　of　fresh　provisions　and　vegetables；　and　almost　constant　exposure　to　the　vicissitudes　of　a　variable　climate；　disease　rarely　attacked　us；　and　the　number　of　deaths；　was　too　inconsiderable　to　deserve　mention。

Norfolk　Island　had　been　taken　possession　of；　by　a　party　detached　for　that　purpose；　early　after　our　arrival。　　Few　accounts　of　it　had　yet　reached　us。　And　here　I　beg　leave　to　observe；　that　as　I　can　speak　of　this　island　only　from　the　relations　of　others；　never　having　myself　been　there；　I　shall　in　every　part　of　this　work　mention　it　as　sparingly　as　possible。　And　this　more　especially；　as　it　seems　probable；　that　some　of　those　gentlemen；　who　from　accurate　knowledge；　and　long　residence　on　it；　are　qualified　to　write　its　history；　will　oblige　the　world　with　such　a　publication。




CHAPTER　II。



Transactions　of　the　Colony　from　the　sailing　of　the　First　Fleet　in　July；　1788；　to　the　Close　of　that　Year。


It　was　impossible　to　behold　without　emotion　the　departure　of　the　ships。　On　their　speedy　arrival　in　England　perhaps　hinged　our　fate；　by　hastening　our　supplies　to　us。

On　the　20th　of　July；　the　'Supply'　sailed　for　Norfolk　Island；　and　returned　to　us　on　the　26th　of　August；　bringing　no　material　news；　except　that　the　soil　was　found　to　suit　grain；　and　other　seeds；　which　had　been　sown　in　it；　and　that　a　species　of　flax…plant　was　discovered　to　grow　spontaneously　on　the　island。

A　survey　of　the　harbour　of　Port　Jackson　was　now　undertaken；　in　order　to　compute　the　number　of　canoes；　and　inhabitants；　which　it　might　contain：　sixty…seven　canoes；　and　147　people　were　counted。　　No　estimate；　however；　of　even　tolerable　accuracy；　can　be　drawn　from　so　imperfect　a　datum；　though　it　was　perhaps　the　best　in　our　power　to　acquire。

In　July　and　August；　we　experienced　more　inclement　tempestuous　weather　than　had　been　observed　at　any　former　period　of　equal　duration。　　And　yet　it　deserves　to　be　remarked；　in　honour　of　the　climate；　that；　although　our　number　of　people　exceeded　900；　not　a　single　death　happened　in　the　latter　month。

The　dread　of　want　in　a　country　destitute　of　natural　resource　is　ever　peculiarly　terrible。　　We　had　long　turned　our　eyes　with　impatience　towards　the　sea；　cheered　by　the　hope　of　seeing　supplies　from　England　approach。　But　none　arriving；　on　the　2d　of　October　the　'Sirius'　sailed　for　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope；　with　directions　to　purchase　provisions　there；　for　the　use　of　our　garrison。

A　new　settlement；　named　by　the　governor　Rose　Hill；　16　miles　inland；　was　established　on　the　3d　of　November；　the　soil　here　being　judged　better　than　that　around　Sydney。　　A　small　redoubt　was　thrown　up；　and　a　captain's　detachment　posted　in　it；　to　protect　the　convicts　who　were　employed　to　cultivate　the　ground。

The　two　last　of　the　transports　left　us　for　England　on　the　19th　of　November；　intending　to　make　their　passage　by　Cape　Horn。　　There　now　remained　with　us　only　the　'Supply'。　　Sequestered　and　cut　off　as　we　were　from　the　rest　of　civilized　nature；　their　absence　carried　the　effect　of　desolation。　About　this　time　a　convict；　of　the　name　of　Daly；　was　hanged；　for　a　burglary：　this　culprit；　who　was　a　notorious　thief　and　impostor；　was　the　author　of　a　discovery　of　a　gold　mine；　a　few　months　before：　　a　composition　resembling　ore　mingled　with　earth；　which　he　pretended　to　have　brought　from　it；　he　produced。　　After　a　number　of　attendant　circumstances；　too　ludicrous　and　contemptible　to　relate；　which　befell　a　party；　who　were　sent　under　his　guidance　to　explore　this　second　Peru；　he　at　last　confessed；　that　he　had　broken　up　an　old　pair　of　buckles；　and　mixed　the　pieces　with　sand　and　stone；　and　on　assaying　the　composition；　the　brass　was　detected。　The　fate　of　this　fellow　I　should　not　deem　worth　recording；　did　it　not　lead　to　the　following　observation；　that　the　utmost　circumspection　is　necessary　to　prevent　imposition；　in　those　who　give　accounts　of　what　they　see　in　unknown　countries。　　We　found　the　convicts　particularly　happy　in　fertility　of　invention；　and　exaggerated　descriptions。　　Hence　large　fresh　water　rivers；　valuable　ores；　and　quarries　of　limestone；　chalk；　and　marble；　were　daily　proclaimed　soon　after　we　had　landed。　　At　first　we　hearkened　with　avidity　to　such　accounts；　but　perpetual　disappointments　taught　us　to　listen　with　caution；　and　to　believe　from　demonstration　only。

Unabated　animosity　continued　to　prevail　between　the　natives　and　us：　n　addition　to　former　losses；　a　soldier　and　several　convicts　suddenly　disappeared；　and　were　never　afterwards　heard　of。　　Three　convicts　were　also　wounded；　and　one　killed　by　them；　near　Botany　Bay：　　similar　to　the　vindictive　spirit　which　Mr。　Cook　found　to　exist　among　their　countrymen　at　Endeavour　River；　they　more　than　once　attempted　to　set　fire　to　combustible　matter；　in　order　to　annoy　us。　　Early　on　the　morning　of　the　18th　of　December；　word　was　brought　that　they　were　assembled　in　force；　near　the　brick…kilns；　which　stand　but　a　mile　from　the　town　of　Sydney。　The　terror　of　those　who　brought　the　first　intelligence　magnified　the　number　to　two　thousand；　a　second　messenger　diminished　it　to　four　hundred。　A　detachment；　under　the　command　of　an　officer　was　ordered　to　march　immediately；　and　reconnoitre　them。　　The　officer　soon　returned；　and　reported；　that　about　fifty　Indians　had　appeared　at　the　brick…kilns；　but　upon　the　convicts；　who　were　at　work　there；　pointing　their　spades　and　shovels　at　them；　in　the　manner　of　guns；　they　had　fled　into　the　woods。

Tired　of　this　state　of　petty　warfare　and　endless　uncertainty；　the　governor　at　length　determined　to　adopt　a　decisive　measure；　by　capturing　some　of　them；　and　retaining　them　by　force；　which　we　supposed　would　either　inflame　the　rest　to　signal　vengeance；　in　which　case　we　should　know　the　worst；　and　provide　accordingly：　　or　else　it　would　induce　an　intercourse；　by　the　report　which　our　prisoners　would　make　of　the　mildness　and　indulgence　with　which　we　used　them。　　And　farther；　it　promised　to　unveil　the　cause　of　their　mysterious　conduct；　by　putting　us　in　possession　of　their　reasons　for　harassing　and　destroying　our　people；　in　the　manner　I　have　related。　　Boats　were　accordingly　ordered　to　be　got　ready；　and　every　preparation　made；　which　could　lead　to　the　attainment　of　our　object。

But　as　this　subject　deserves　to　be　particularly　detailed；　I　shall；　notwithstanding　its　being　just　within　the　period　of　time　which　this　chapter　professes　to　comprise；　allot　it　a　separate　place；　in　the　beginning　of　the　next。

Nor　can　I　close　this　part　of　my　work　without　congratulating　both　the　reader　and　the　author。　　New　matter　now　presents　itself。　　A　considerable　part　of　the　foregoing　chapters　had　been　related　before；　either　by　others　or　myself。　I　was　however；　unavoidably　compelled　to　insert　it；　in　order　to　preserve　unbroken　that　chain　of　detail；　and　perspicuity　of　arrangement；　at　which　books　professing　to　convey　information　should　especially　aim。




CHAPTER　III。



Transactions　of　the　Colony；　from　the　Commencement　of　the　Year　1789；　until　the　End　of　March。


Pursuant　to　his　resolution；　the　governor　on　the　31st　of　December　sent　two　boats；　under　the　command　of　Lieutenant　Ball　of　the　'Supply'；　and　Lieutenant　George　Johnston　of　the　marines；　down　the　harbour；　with　directions　to　those　officers　to　seize　and　carry　off　some　of　the　natives。　　The　boats　proceeded　to　Manly　Cove；　where　several　Indians　were　seen　standing　on　the　beach；　who　were　enticed　by　courteous　behaviour　and　a　few　presents　to　enter　into　conversation。　　A　proper　opportunity　being　presented；　our　people　rushed　in　among　them；　and　seized　two　men：　　the　rest　fled；　but　the　cries　of　the　captives　soon　brought　them　back；　with　many　others；　to　their　rescue：　　and　so　desperate　were　their　struggles；　that；　in