a complete account of the settlement-第24章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


stition；　and　why　those　who　had　performed　the　rites　of　sepulture　should　not　experience　similar　fears　and　reluctance；　I　leave　to　be　determined。　Certain　it　is　（as　I　shall　insist　upon　more　hereafter）；　that　they　believe　the　spirit　of　the　dead　not　to　be　extinct　with　the　body。

Baneelon　took　an　odd　method　of　revenging　the　death　of　his　countryman。　At　the　head　of　several　of　his　tribe；　he　robbed　one　of　the　private　boats　of　fish；　threatening　the　people；　who　were　unarmed；　that　in　case　they　resisted　he　would　spear　them。　　On　being　taxed　by　the　governor　with　this　outrage；　he　at　first　stoutly　denied　it；　but　on　being　confronted　with　the　people　who　were　in　the　boat；　he　changed　his　language；　and；　without　deigning　even　to　palliate　his　offence；　burst　into　fury　and　demanded　who　had　killed　Bangai。




CHAPTER　XIII。



The　Transactions　of　the　Colony　continued　to　the　End　of　May；　1791。


December；　1790。　　The　Dutch　snow　from　Batavia　arrived　on　the　17th　of　the　month；　after　a　passage　of　twelve　weeks；　in　which　she　had　lost　sixteen　of　her　people。　But　death；　to　a　man　who　has　resided　at　Batavia；　is　too　familiar　an　object　to　excite　either　terror　or　regret。　　All　the　people　of　the　'Supply'　who　were　left　there　sick；　except　one　midshipman；　had　also　perished　in　that　fatal　climate。

The　cargo　of　the　snow　consisted　chiefly　of　rice；　with　a　small　quantity　of　beef；　pork；　and　flour。

A　letter　was　received　by　this　vessel；　written　by　the　Shebander　at　Batavia；　to　governor　Phillip；　acquainting　him　that　war　had　commenced　between　England　and　Spain。　　As　this　letter　was　written　in　the　Dutch　language　we　did　not　find　it　easy　of　translation。　　It　filled　us；　however；　with　anxious　perturbation；　and　with　wishes　as　impotent；　as　they　were　eager；　in　the　cause　of　our　country。　Though　far　beyond　the　din　of　arms；　we　longed　to　contribute　to　her　glory；　and　to　share　in　her　triumphs。

Placed　out　of　the　reach　of　attack；　both　by　remoteness　and　insignificancy；　our　only　dread　lay　lest　those　supplies　intended　for　our　consumption　should　be　captured。　　Not；　however；　to　be　found　totally　unprovided　in　case　an　enemy　should　appear；　a　battery　was　planned　near　the　entrance　of　Sydney　Cove；　and　other　formidable　preparations　set　on　foot。

The　commencement　of　the　year　1791；　though　marked　by　no　circumstances　particularly　favourable；　beamed　far　less　inauspicious　than　that　of　1790　had　done。

January；　1791。　　No　circumstance；　however　apparently　trivial；　which　can　tend　to　throw　light　on　a　new　country；　either　in　respect　of　its　present　situation；　or　its　future　promise；　should　pass　unregarded。　　On　the　24th　of　January；　two　bunches　of　grapes　were　cut　in　the　governor's　garden；　from　cuttings　of　vines　brought　three　years　before　from　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope。　　The　bunches　were　handsome；　the　fruit　of　a　moderate　size；　but　well　filled　out　and　the　flavour　high　and　delicious。

The　first　step　after　unloading　the　Dutch　snow　was　to　dispatch　the　'Supply'　to　Norfolk　Island　for　captain　Hunter；　and　the　crew　of　the　'Sirius'　who　had　remained　there　ever　since　the　loss　of　that　ship。　　It　had　always　been　the　governor's　wish　to　hire　the　Dutchman；　for　the　purpose　of　transporting　them　to　England。　　But　the　frantic　extravagant　behaviour　of　the　master　of　her；　for　a　long　time　frustrated　the　conclusion　of　a　contract。　　He　was　so　totally　lost　to　a　sense　of　reason　and　propriety；　as　to　ask　eleven　pounds　per　ton；　monthly；　for　her　use；　until　she　should　arrive　from　England；　at　Batavia。　This　was　treated　with　proper　contempt；　and　he　was　at　last　induced　to　accept　twenty　shillings　a　ton；　per　month　（rating　her　at　three　hundred　tons）　until　she　should　arrive　in　Englandbeing　about　the　twenty…fifth　part　of　his　original　demand。　　And　even　at　this　price　she　was；　perhaps；　the　dearest　vessel　ever　hired　on　a　similar　service；　being　totally　destitute　of　every　accommodation　and　every　good　quality　which　could　promise　to　render　so　long　a　voyage　either　comfortable　or　expeditious。

February；　1791。　　On　the　26th；　Captain　Hunter；　his　officers　and　ship's　company　joined　us；　and　on　the　28th　of　March　the　snow　sailed　with　them　for　England；　intending　to　make　a　northern　passage　by　Timor　and　Batavia；　the　season　being　too　far　advanced　to　render　the　southern　route　by　Cape　Horn　practicable*。

＇*They　did　not　arrive　in　England　until　April；　1792。＇

Six　days　previous　to　the　departure　of　captain　Hunter；　the　indefatigable　'Supply'　again　sailed　for　Norfolk　Island；　carrying　thither　captain　Hill　and　a　detachment　of　the　New　South　Wales　corps。　　A　little　native　boy　named　Bondel；　who　had　long　particularly　attached　himself　to　captain　Hill；　accompanied　him；　at　his　own　earnest　request。　　His　father　had　been　killed　in　battle　and　his　mother　bitten　in　two　by　a　shark：　　so　that　he　was　an　orphan；　dependant　on　the　humanity　of　his　tribe　for　protection*。　　His　disappearance　seemed　to　make　no　impression　on　the　rest　of　his　countrymen；　who　were　apprized　of　his　resolution　to　go。　On　the　return　of　the　'Supply'　they　inquired　eagerly　for　him；　and　on　being　told　that　the　place　he　was　gone　to　afforded　plenty　of　birds　and　other　good　fare；　innumerable　volunteers　presented　themselves　to　follow　him；　so　great　was　their　confidence　in　us　and　so　little　hold　of　them　had　the　amor　patriae。

＇*I　am　of　opinion　that　such　protection　is　always　extended　to　children　who　may　be　left　destitute。＇


March；　1791。　　The　snow　had　but　just　sailed；　when　a　very　daring　manoeuvre　was　carried　into　execution；　with　complete　success；　by　a　set　of　convicts；　eleven　in　number；　including　a　woman；　wife　of　one　of　the　party；　and　two　little　children。　　They　seized　the　governor's　cutter　and　putting　into　her　a　seine；　fishing…lines；　and　hooks；　firearms；　a　quadrant；　compass；　and　some　provisions；　boldly　pushed　out　to　sea；　determined　to　brave　every　danger　and　combat　every　hardship；　rather　than　remain　longer　in　a　captive　state。　　Most　of　these　people　had　been　brought　out　in　the　first　fleet；　and　the　terms　of　transportation　of　some　of　them　were　expired。　　Among　them　were　a　fisherman；　a　carpenter；　and　some　competent　navigators；　so　that　little　doubt　was　entertained　that　a　scheme　so　admirably　planned　would　be　adequately　executed*。　　When　their　elopement　was　discovered；　a　pursuit　was　ordered　by　the　governor。　　But　the　fugitives　had　made　too　good　an　use　of　the　intermediate　time　to　be　even　seen　by　their　pursuers。　　After　the　escape　of　Captain　Bligh；　which　was　well　known　to　us；　no　length　of　passage　or　hazard　of　navigation　seemed　above　human　accomplishment。　　However　to　prevent　future　attempts　of　a　like　nature；　the　governor　directed　that　boats　only　of　stated　dimensions　should　be　built。　　Indeed　an　order　of　this　sort　had　been　issued　on　the　escape　of　the　first　party；　and　it　was　now　repeated　with　additional　restrictions。

＇*It　was　my　fate　to　fall　in　again　with　part　of　this　little　band　of　adventurers。　In　March　1792；　when　I　arrived　in　the　Gorgon；　at　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope；　six　of　these　people；　including　the　woman　and　one　child；　were　put　on　board　of　us　to　be　carried　to　England。　　four　had　died；　and　one　had　jumped　overboard　at　Batavia。　　The　particulars　of　their　voyage　were　briefly　as　follows。　They　coasted　the　shore　of　New　Holland；　putting　occasionally　into　different　harbours　which　they　found　in　going　along。　　One　of　these　harbours；　in　the　latitude　of　30　degrees　south；　they　described　to　be　of　superior　excellence　and　capacity。　　Here　they　hauled　their　bark　ashore；　paid　her　seams　with　tallow；　and　repaired　her。　　But　it　was　with　difficulty　they　could　keep　off　the　attacks　of　the　Indians。　　These　people　continued　to　harras　them　so　much　that　they　quitted　the　mainland　and　retreated　to　a　small　island　in　the　harbour；　where　they　completed　their　design。　　Between　the　latitude　of　26　degrees　and　27　degrees；　they　were　driven　by　a　current　30　leagues　from　the　shore；　among　some　islands；　where　they　found　plenty　of　large　turtles。　　Soon　after　they　closed　again　with　the　continent；　when　the　boat　got　entangled　in　the　surf　and　was　driven　on　shore；　and　they　had　all　well　nigh　perished。　　They　passed　rough　the　straits　of　Endeavour　and；　beyond　the　gulf　of　Carpentaria；　found　a　large　freshwater　river；　which　they　entered；　and　filled　from　it　their　empty　casks。

Until　they　reached　the　gulf　of　Carpentaria；　they　saw　no　natives　or　canoes　differing　from　those　about　Port　Jackson。　　But　now　they　were　chased　by　large　canoes；　ji