a complete account of the settlement-第26章

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governor　excepted）　carried　his　own　knapsack；　which　contained　provisions　for　ten　days。　　If　to　this　be　added　a　gun；　a　blanket；　and　a　canteen；　the　weight　will　fall　nothing　short　of　forty　pounds。　　Slung　to　the　knapsack　are　the　cooking　kettle　and　the　hatchet；　with　which　the　wood　to　kindle　the　nightly　fire　and　build　the　nightly　hut　is　to　be　cut　down。　　Garbed　to　drag　through　morasses；　tear　through　thickets；　ford　rivers　and　scale　rocks；　our　autumnal　heroes；　who　annually　seek　the　hills　in　pursuit　of　grouse　and　black　game；　afford　but　an　imperfect　representation　of　the　picture。

Thus　encumbered；　the　march　begins　at　sunrise；　and　with　occasional　halts　continues　until　about　an　hour　and　a　half　before　sunset。　　It　is　necessary　to　stop　thus　early　to　prepare　for　passing　the　night；　for　toil　here　ends　not　with　the　march。　　Instead　of　the　cheering　blaze；　the　welcoming　landlord；　and　the　long　bill　of　fare；　the　traveller　has　now　to　collect　his　fuel；　to　erect　his　wigwam；　to　fetch　water；　and　to　broil　his　morsel　of　salt　pork。　Let　him　then　lie　down；　and　if　it　be　summer；　try　whether　the　effect　of　fatigue　is　sufficiently　powerful　to　overcome　the　bites　and　stings　of　the　myriads　of　sandflies　and　mosquitoes　which　buzz　around　him。

Monday；　April　11；　1791。　　At　twenty　minutes　before　seven　o'clock；　we　started　from　the　governor's　house　at　Rose　Hill　and　steered*　for　a　short　time　nearly　in　a　north…east　direction；　after　which　we　turned　to　north　34　degrees　west；　and　steadily　pursued　that　course　until　a　quarter　before　four　o'clock；　when　we　halted　for　the　night。　　The　country　for　the　first　two　miles；　while　we　walked　to　the　northeast；　was　good；　full　of　grass　and　without　rock　or　underwood。　Afterwards　it　grew　very　bad；　being　full　of　steep；　barren　rocks；　over　which　we　were　compelled　to　clamber　for　seven　miles；　when　it　changed　to　a　plain　country　apparently　very　sterile；　and　with　very　little　grass　in　it；　which　rendered　walking　easy。　　Our　fatigue　in　the　morning　had；　however；　been　so　oppressive　that　one　of　the　party　knocked　up。　　And　had　not　a　soldier；　as　strong　as　a　pack…horse；　undertaken　to　carry　his　knapsack　in　addition　to　his　own；　we　must　either　have　sent　him　back；　or　have　stopped　at　a　place　for　the　night　which　did　not　afford　water。　　Our　two　natives　carried　each　his　pack；　but　its　weight　was　inconsiderable；　most　of　their　provisions　being　in　the　knapsacks　of　the　soldiers　and　gamekeepers。　　We　expected　to　have　derived　from　them　much　information　relating　to　the　country；　as　no　one　doubted　that　they　were　acquainted　with　every　part　of　it　between　the　sea　coast　and　the　river　Hawkesbury。　　We　hoped　also　to　have　witnessed　their　manner　of　living　in　the　woods；　and　the　resources　they　rely　upon　in　their　journeys。　Nothing；　however；　of　this　sort　had　yet　occurred；　except　their　examining　some　trees　to　see　if　they　could　discover　on　the　bark　any　marks　of　the　claws　of　squirrels　and　opossums；　which　they　said　would　show　whether　any　of　those　animals　were　hidden　among　the　leaves　and　branches。　　They　walked　stoutly；　appeared　but　little　fatigued；　and　maintained　their　spirits　admirably；　laughing　to　excess　when　any　of　us　either　tripped　or　stumbled；　misfortunes　which　much　seldomer　fell　to　their　lot　than　to　ours。

＇*Our　method；　on　these　expeditions；　was　to　steer　by　compass；　noting　the　different　courses　as　we　proceeded；　and　counting　the　number　of　paces；　of　which　two　thousand　two　hundred；　on　good　ground；　were　allowed　to　be　a　mile。　At　night　when　we　halted；　all　these　courses　were　separately　cast　up；　and　worked　by　a　traverse　table；　in　the　manner　a　ship's　reckoning　is　kept；　so　that　by　observing　this　precaution；　we　always　knew　exactly　where　we　were；　and　how　far　from　home；　an　unspeakable　advantage　in　a　new　country；　where　one　hill；　and　one　tree；　is　so　like　another　that　fatal　wanderings　would　ensue　without　it。　　This　arduous　task　was　always　allotted　to　Mr。　Dawes　who；　from　habit　and　superior　skill；　performed　it　almost　without　a　stop；　or　an　interruption　of　conversation：　　to　any　other　man；　on　such　terms；　it　would　have　been　impracticable。＇

At　a　very　short　distance　from　Rose　Hill；　we　found　that　they　were　in　a　country　unknown　to　them；　so　that　the　farther　they　went　the　more　dependent　on　us　they　became；　being　absolute　strangers　inland。　　To　convey　to　their　understandings　the　intention　of　our　journey　was　impossible。　　For；　perhaps；　no　words　could　unfold　to　an　Indian　the　motives　of　curiosity　which　induce　men　to　encounter　labour；　fatigue　and　pain；　when　they　might　remain　in　repose　at　home；　with　a　sufficiency　of　food。　　We　asked　Colbee　the　name　of　the　people　who　live　inland；　and　he　called　them　Boorooberongal；　and　said　they　were　bad；　whence　we　conjectured　that　they　sometimes　war　with　those　on　the　sea　coast；　by　whom　they　were　undoubtedly　driven　up　the　country　from　the　fishing　ground；　that　it　might　not　be　overstocked；　the　weaker　here；　as　in　every　other　country；　giving　way　to　the　stronger。

We　asked　how　they　lived。　　He　said；　on　birds　and　animals；　having　no　fish。　Their　laziness　appeared　strongly　when　we　halted；　for　they　refused　to　draw　water　or　to　cleave　wood　to　make　a　fire；　but　as　soon　as　it　was　kindled　（having　first　well　stuffed　themselves）；　they　lay　down　before　it　and　fell　asleep。　　About　an　hour　after　sunset；　as　we　were　chatting　by　the　fire　side　and　preparing　to　go　to　rest；　we　heard　voices　at　a　little　distance　in　the　wood。　Our　natives　caught　the　sound　instantaneously　and；　bidding　us　be　silent；　listened　attentively　to　the　quarter　whence　it　had　proceeded。　　In　a　few　minutes　we　heard　the　voices　plainly；　and；　wishing　exceedingly　to　open　a　communication　with　this　tribe；　we　begged　our　natives　to　call　to　them；　and　bid　them　to　come　to　us；　to　assure　them　of　good　treatment；　and　that　they　should　have　something　given　them　to　eat。　　Colbee　no　longer　hesitated；　but　gave　them　the　signal　of　invitation；　in　a　loud　hollow　cry。　　After　some　whooping　and　shouting　on　both　sides；　a　man　with　a　lighted　stick　in　his　hand　advanced　near　enough　to　converse　with　us。　　The　first　words　which　we　could　distinctly　understand　were；　'I　am　Colbee；　of　the　tribe　of　Cadigal。'　　The　stranger　replied；　'I　am　Bereewan；　of　the　tribe　of　Boorooberongal。'　　Boladeree　informed　him　also　of　his　name　and　that　we　were　white　men　and　friends；　who　would　give　him　something　to　eat。　　Still　he　seemed　irresolute。　　Colbee　therefore　advanced　to　him；　took　him　by　the　hand　and　led　him　to　us。　　By　the　light　of　the　moon；　we　were　introduced　to　this　gentleman；　all　our　names　being　repeated　in　form　by　our　two　masters　of　the　ceremonies；　who　said　that　we　were　Englishmen　and　'budyeeree'　（good）；　that　we　came　from　the　sea　coast；　and　that　we　were　travelling　inland。

Bereewan　seemed　to　be　a　man　about　thirty　years　old；　differing　in　no　respect　from　his　countrymen　with　whom　we　were　acquainted。　　He　came　to　us　unarmed；　having　left　his　spears　at　a　little　distance。　　After　a　long　conversation　with　his　countrymen；　and　having　received　some　provisions；　he　departed　highly　satisfied。

Tuesday；　April　12th；　1791。　　Started　this　morning　at　half　past　six　o'clock；　and　in　two　hours　reached　the　river。　　The　whole　of　the　country　we　passed　was　poor；　and　the　soil　within　a　mile　of　the　river　changed　to　a　coarse　deep　sand；　which　I　have　invariably　found　to　compose　its　banks　in　every　part　without　exception　that　I　ever　saw。　　The　stream　at　this　place　is　about　350　feet　wide；　the　water　pure　and　excellent　to　the　taste。　　The　banks　are　about　twenty　feet　high　and　covered　with　trees；　many　of　which　had　been　evidently　bent　by　the　force　of　the　current　in　the　direction　which　it　runs；　and　some　of　them　contained　rubbish　and　drift　wood　in　their　branches　at　least　forty…five　feet　above　the　level　of　the　stream。　　We　saw　many　ducks；　and　killed　one；　which　Colbee　swam　for。　　No　new　production　among　the　shrubs　growing　here　was　found。　　we　were　acquainted　with　them　all。　　Our　natives　had　evidently　never　seen　this　river　before。　　They　stared　at　it　with　surprise；　and　talked　to　each　other。　　Their　total　ignorance　of　the　country；　and　of　the　direction　in　which　they　had　walked；　appeared　when　they　were　asked　which　way　Rose　Hill　lay；　for　they　pointed　almost　oppositely　to　it。　Of　our　compass　they　had　taken　early　notice；　and　had　talked　much　to　each　other　about　it。　　They　comprehended　its　use；　and　called　it　'naamoro；'　literally；　〃to　see　the　way〃；　a　more　significant　or　expressive　term　cannot