a complete account of the settlement-第29章

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mself。　　Even　our　natives　allowed　that　he　was　a　capital　performer；　against　whom　they　dared　not　to　enter　the　lists；　for　as　they　subsist　chiefly　by　fishing　they　are　less　expert　at　climbing　on　the　coast　than　those　who　daily　practice　it。

Soon　after　they　bade　us　adieu；　in　unabated　friendship　and　good　humour。　Colbee　and　Boladeree　parted　from　them　with　a　slight　nod　of　the　head；　the　usual　salutation　of　the　country；　and　we　shook　them　by　the　hand；　which　they　returned　lustily。

At　the　time　we　started　the　tide　was　flowing　up　the　river；　a　decisive　proof　that　we　were　below　Richmond　Hill。　　We　had　continued　our　march　but　a　short　time　when　we　were　again　stopped　by　a　creek；　which　baffled　all　our　endeavours　to　cross　it；　and　seemed　to　predict　that　the　object　of　our　attainment；　though　but　a　very　few　miles　distant；　would　take　us　yet　a　considerable　time　to　reach；　which　threw　a　damp　on　our　hopes。　　We　traced　the　creek　until　four　o'clock；　when　we　halted　for　the　night。　　The　country；　on　both　sides；　we　thought　in　general　unpromising；　but　it　is　certainly　very　superior　to　that　which　we　had　seen　on　the　former　creek。　　In　many　places　it　might　be　cultivated；　provided　the　inundations　of　the　stream　can　be　repelled。

In　passing　along　we　shot　some　ducks；　which　Boladeree　refused　to　swim　for　when　requested；　and　told　us　in　a　surly　tone　that　they　swam　for　what　was　killed；　and　had　the　trouble　of　fetching　it　ashore；　only　for　the　white　men　to　eat　it。　This　reproof　was；　I　fear；　too　justly　founded；　for　of　the　few　ducks　we　had　been　so　fortunate　as　to　procure；　little　had　fallen　to　their　share　except　the　offals；　and　now　and　then　a　half…picked　bone。　　True；　indeed；　all　the　crows　and　hawks　which　had　been　shot　were　given　to　them；　but　they　plainly　told　us　that　the　taste　of　ducks　was　more　agreeable　to　their　palates；　and　begged　they　might　hereafter　partake　of　them。　　We　observed　that　they　were　thoroughly　sick　of　the　journey；　and　wished　heartily　for　its　conclusion：　　the　exclamation　of　〃Where's　Rose　Hill；　where？〃　was　incessantly　repeated；　with　many　inquiries　about　when　we　should　return　to　it。

Saturday　April　16th；　1791。　　It　was　this　morning　resolved　to　abandon　our　pursuit　and　to　return　home；　at　hearing　of　which　our　natives　expressed　great　joy。　　We　started　early；　and　reached　Rose　Hill　about　three　o'clock；　just　as　a　boat　was　about　to　be　sent　down　to　Sydney。　　Colbee　and　Boladeree　would　not　wait　for　us　until　the　following　morning；　but　insisted　on　going　down　immediately　to　communicate　to　Baneelon　and　the　rest　of　their　countrymen　the　novelties　they　had　seen。

The　country　we　passed　through　was；　for　the　most　part；　very　indifferent；　according　to　our　universal　opinion。　　It　is　in　general　badly　watered。　For　eight　miles　and　a　half　on　one　line　we　did　not　find　a　drop　of　water。

RICHMOND　HILL

Having　eluded　our　last　search；　Mr。　Dawes　and　myself；　accompanied　by　a　sergeant　of　marines　and　a　private　soldier；　determined　on　another　attempt；　to　ascertain　whether　it　lay　on　the　Hawkesbury　or　Nepean。　　We　set　out　on　this　expedition　on　the　24th　of　May；　1791；　and　having　reached　the　opposite　side　of　the　mouth　of　the　creek　which　had　in　our　last　journey　prevented　our　progress；　we　proceeded　from　there　up　to　Richmond　Hill　by　the　river　side；　mounted　it；　slept　at　its　foot；　and　on　the　following　day　penetrated　some　miles　westward　or　inland　of　it　until　we　were　stopped　by　a　mountainous　country；　which　our　scarcity　of　provisions；　joined　to　the　terror　of　a　river　at　our　back；　whose　sudden　rising　is　almost　beyond　computation；　hindered　us　from　exploring。　To　the　elevation　which　bounded　our　research　we　gave　the　name　of　Knight　Hill；　in　honour　of　the　trusty　sergeant　who　had　been　the　faithful　indefatigable　companion　of　all　our　travels。

This　excursion　completely　settled　the　long　contested　point　about　the　Hawkesbury　and　Nepean。　　We　found　them　to　be　one　river。　　Without　knowing　it；　Mr。　Dawes　and　myself　had　passed　Richmond　Hill　almost　a　year　before　（in　August　1790）；　and　from　there　walked　on　the　bank　of　the　river　to　the　spot　where　my　discovery　of　the　Nepean　happened；　in　June　1789。　　Our　ignorance　arose　from　having　never　before　seen　the　hill；　and　from　the　erroneous　position　assigned　to　it　by　those　who　had　been　in　the　boats　up　the　river。

Except　the　behaviour　of　some　natives　whom　we　met　on　the　river；　which　it　would　be　ingratitude　to　pass　in　silence；　nothing　particularly　worthy　of　notice　occurred　on　this　expedition。

When　we　had　reached　within　two　miles　of　Richmond　Hill；　we　heard　a　native　call。　We　directly　answered　him　and　conversed　across　the　river　for　some　time。　At　length　he　launched　his　canoe　and　crossed　to　us　without　distrust　or　hesitation。　　We　had　never　seen　him　before；　but　he　appeared　to　know　our　friend　Gombeeree；　of　whom　he　often　spoke。　　He　said　his　name　was　Deedora。　He　presented　us　with　two　spears　and　a　throwing…stick；　and　in　return　we　gave　him　some　bread　and　beef。　　Finding　that　our　route　lay　up　the　river；　he　offered　to　accompany　us　and；　getting　into　his　canoe；　paddled　up　abreast　of　us。　　When　we　arrived　at　Richmond　Hill　it　became　necessary　to　cross　the　river；　but　the　question　was；　how　this　should　be　effected？　Deedora　immediately　offered　his　canoe。　　We　accepted　of　it　and；　Mr。　Dawes　and　the　soldier　putting　their　clothes　into　it；　pushed　it　before　them；　and　by　alternately　wading　and　swimming；　soon　passed。　　On　the　opposite　shore　sat　several　natives；　to　whom　Deedora　called；　by　which　precaution　the　arrival　of　the　strangers　produced　no　alarm。　　On　the　contrary；　they　received　them　with　every　mark　of　benevolence。　　Deedora；　in　the　meanwhile；　sat　talking　with　the　sergeant　and　me。　　Soon　after；　another　native；　named　Morunga；　brought　back　the　canoe；　and　now　came　our　turn　to　cross。　　The　sergeant　（from　a　foolish　trick　which　had　been　played　upon　him　when　he　was　a　boy）　was　excessively　timorous　of　water；　and　could　not　swim。　　Morunga　offered　to　conduct　him；　and　they　got　into　the　canoe　together；　but；　his　fears　returning；　he　jumped　out　and　refused　to　proceed。　　I　endeavoured　to　animate　him；　and　Morunga　ridiculed　his　apprehensions；　making　signs　of　the　ease　and　dispatch　with　which　he　would　land　him；　but　he　resolved　to　paddle　over　by　himself；　which；　by　dint　of　good　management　and　keeping　his　position　very　steadily；　he　performed。　　It　was　now　become　necessary　to　bring　over　the　canoe　a　third　time　for　my　accommodation；　which　was　instantly　done；　and　I　entered　it　with　Deedora。　　But；　like　the　sergeant；　I　was　so　disordered　at　seeing　the　water　within　a　hair's　breadth　of　the　level　of　our　skiff　（which　brought　to　my　remembrance　a　former　disaster　I　had　experienced　on　this　river）　that　I　jumped　out；　about　knee…deep；　and　determined　to　swim　over；　which　I　effected。　　My　clothes；　half　our　knapsacks；　and　three　of　our　guns　yet　remained　to　be　transported　across。　　These　I　recommended　to　the　care　of　our　grim　ferrymen；　who　instantaneously　loaded　their　boat　with　them　and　delivered　them　on　the　opposite　bank；　without　damage　or　diminution。

During　this　long　trial　of　their　patience　and　courtesyin　the　latter　part　of　which　I　was　entirely　in　their　power；　from　their　having　possession　of　our　armsthey　had　manifested　no　ungenerous　sign　of　taking　advantage　of　the　helplessness　and　dependance　of　our　situation；　no　rude　curiosity　to　pry　into　the　packages　with　which　they　were　entrusted；　or　no　sordid　desire　to　possess　the　contents　of　them；　although　among　them　were　articles　exposed　to　view；　of　which　it　afterwards　appeared　they　knew　the　use；　and　longed　for　the　benefit。　　Let　the　banks　of　those　rivers；　〃known　to　song〃；　let　him　whose　travels　have　lain　among　polished　nations　produce　me　a　brighter　example　of　disinterested　urbanity　than　was　shown　by　these　denizens　of　a　barbarous　clime　to　a　set　of　destitute　wanderers　on　the　side　of　the　Hawkesbury。

On　the　top　of　Richmond　Hill　we　shot　a　hawk；　which　fell　in　a　tree。　Deedora　offered　to　climb　for　it　and　we　lent　him　a　hatchet；　the　effect　of　which　delighted　him　so　much　that　he　begged　for　it。　　As　it　was　required　to　chop　wood　for　our　evening　fire；　it　could　not　be　conveniently　spared；　but　we　promised　him　that　if　he　would　visit　us　on　the　following　morning；　it　should　be　given　to　him。　Not　a　murmur　was　heard；　no　suspicion　of　our　insincerity；　no　mention　of　benefits　conferred；　no　reproach　of　ingratitude。　　His　good　humour　and　cheerfulness　were　not　clouded　for　a　moment。