a complete account of the settlement-第30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！


erred；　no　reproach　of　ingratitude。　　His　good　humour　and　cheerfulness　were　not　clouded　for　a　moment。　　Punctual　to　our　appointment；　he　came　to　us　at　daylight　next　morning　and　the　hatchet　was　given　to　him；　the　only　token　of　gratitude　and　respect　in　our　power　to　bestow。　　Neither　of　these　men　had　lost　his　front　tooth。

THE　LAST　EXPEDITION

Which　I　ever　undertook　in　the　country　I　am　describing　was　in　July　1791；　when　Mr。　Dawes　and　myself　went　in　search　of　a　large　river　which　was　said　to　exist　a　few　miles　to　the　southward　of　Rose　Hill。　　We　went　to　the　place　described；　and　found　this　second　Nile　or　Ganges　to　be　nothing　but　a　saltwater　creek　communicating　with　Botany　Bay；　on　whose　banks　we　passed　a　miserable　night　from　want　of　a　drop　of　water　to　quench　our　thirst；　for　as　we　believed　that　we　were　going　to　a　river　we　thought　it　needless　to　march　with　full　canteens。

On　this　expedition　we　carried　with　us　a　thermometer　which　（in　unison　with　our　feelings）　shewed　so　extraordinary　a　degree　of　cold　for　the　latitude　of　the　place　that　I　think　myself　bound　to　transcribe　it。

Monday；　18th　July　1791。　　The　sun　arose　in　unclouded　splendor　and　presented　to　our　sight　a　novel　and　picturesque　view。　　The　contiguous　country　as　white　as　if　covered　with　snow；　contrasted　with　the　foliage　of　trees　flourishing　in　the　verdure　of　tropical　luxuriancy*。　　Even　the　exhalation　which　steamed　from　the　lake　beneath　contributed　to　heighten　the　beauty　of　the　scene。　Wind　SSW。　　Thermorneter　at　sunrise　25degrees。　　The　following　night　was　still　colder。　　At　sunset　the　thermometer　stood　at　45　degrees；　at　a　quarter　before　four　in　the　morning；　it　was　at　26degrees；　at　a　quarter　before　six　at　24　degrees；　at　a　quarter　before　seven；　at　23　degrees；　at　seven　o'clock；　22。7　degrees；　at　sunrise；　23　degrees；　after　which　it　continued　gradually　to　mount；　and　between　one　and　two　o'clock；　stood　at　59。6　degrees　in　the　shade。　　Wind　SSW。　　The　horizon　perfectly　clear　all　day；　not　the　smallest　speck　to　be　seen。　　Nothing　but　demonstration　could　have　convinced　me　that　so　severe　a　degree　of　cold　ever　existed　in　this　low　latitude。　　Drops　of　water　on　a　tin　pot；　not　altogether　out　of　the　influence　of　the　fire；　were　frozen　into　solid　ice　in　less　than　twelve　minutes。　　Part　of　a　leg　of　kangaroo　which　we　had　roasted　for　supper　was　frozen　quite　hard；　all　the　juices　of　it　being　converted　into　ice。　On　those　ponds　which　were　near　the　surface　of　the　earth；　the　covering　of　ice　was　very　thick；　but　on　those　which　were　lower　down　it　was　found　to　be　less　so；　in　proportion　to　their　depression；　and　wherever　the　water　was　twelve　feet　below　the　surface　（which　happened　to　be　the　case　close　to　us）　it　was　uncongealed。　　It　remains　to　be　observed　that　the　cold　of　both　these　nights；　at　Rose　Hill　and　Sydney；　was　judged　to　be　greater　than　had　ever　before　been　felt。

＇*All　the　trees　of　New　South　Wales；　may　I　apprehend；　be　termed　evergreen。　For　after　such　weather　as　this　journal　records；　I　did　not　observe　either　that　the　leaves　had　dropped　off；　or　that　they　had　assumed　that　sickly　autumnal　tint；　which　marks　English　trees　in　corresponding　circumstances。＇




CHAPTER　XV。



Transactions　of　the　Colony　to　the　end　of　November；　1791。


The　extreme　dryness　of　the　preceding　summer　has　been　noticed。　　It　had　operated　so　far　in　the　beginning　of　June　that　we　dreaded　a　want　of　water　for　common　consumption　most　of　the　little　reservoirs　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Sydney　being　dried　up。　　The　small　stream　near　the　town　was　so　nearly　exhausted　（being　only　the　drain　of　a　morass）　that　a　ship　could　not　have　watered　at　it；　and　the　'Supply'　was　preparing　to　sink　casks　in　a　swamp　when　rain　fell　and　banished　our　apprehensions。

June；　1791。　　On　the　second　instant；　the　name　of　the　settlement；　at　the　head　of　the　harbour　（Rose　Hill）　was　changed；　by　order　of　the　governor；　to　that　of　Parramatta；　the　native　name　of　it。　　As　Rose　Hill　has；　however；　occurred　so　often　in　this　book；　I　beg　leave；　to　avoid　confusion；　still　to　continue　the　appellation　in　all　future　mention　of　it。

Our　travelling　friend　Boladeree；　who　makes　so　conspicuous　a　figure　in　the　last　chapter；　about　this　time　committed　an　offence　which　we　were　obliged　to　notice。　　He　threw　a　spear　at　a　convict　in　the　woods；　and　wounded　him。　　The　truth　was；　some　mischievous　person　belonging　to　us　had　wantonly　destroyed　his　canoe；　and　he　revenged　the　injury　on　the　first　of　our　people　whom　he　met　unarmed。　　He　now　seemed　to　think　the　matter　adjusted；　and　probably　such　is　the　custom　they　observe　in　their　own　society　in　similar　cases。　　Hearing；　however；　that　an　order　was　issued　to　seize　him；　or　in　case　that　could　not　be　effected；　to　shoot　him；　he　prudently　dropped　all　connection　with　us　and　was　for　a　long　time　not　seen。

But　if　they　sometimes　injured　us；　to　compensate　they　were　often　of　signal　benefit　to　those　who　needed　their　assistance：　　two　instances　of　which　had　recently　occurred。　　A　boat　was　overset　in　the　harbour　Baneelon　and　some　other　natives；　who　saw　the　accident　happen；　immediately　plunged　in；　and　saved　all　the　people。　　When　they　had　brought　them　on　shore；　they　undressed　them；　kindled　a　fire　and　dried　their　clothes；　gave　them　fish　to　eat　and　conducted　them　to　Sydney。

The　other　instance　was　of　a　soldier　lost　in　the　woods；　when　he　met　a　party　of　natives。　　He　at　first　knew　not　whether　to　flee　from　them；　or　to　implore　their　assistance。　　Seeing　among　them　one　whom　he　knew；　he　determined　to　communicate　his　distress　to　him　and　to　rely　on　his　generosity。　The　Indian　told　him　that　he　had　wandered　a　long　way　from　home；　but　that　he　would　conduct　him　thither；　on　the　single　condition　of　his　delivering　up　a　gun　which　he　held　in　his　hand；　promising　to　carry　it　for　him　and　to　restore　it　to　him　at　parting。　　The　soldier　felt　little　inclination　to　surrender　his　arms；　by　which　he　would　be　put　entirely　in　their　power。　But　seeing　no　alternative；　he　at　last　consented；　on　which　the　whole　party　laid　down　their　spears　and　faithfully　escorted　him　to　the　nearest　part　of　the　settlement；　where　the　gun　was　given　up；　and　they　took　their　leave　without　asking　for　any　remuneration；　or　even　seeming　to　expect　it。

The　distressful　state　of　the　colony　for　provisions　continued　gradually　to　augment　until　the　9th　of　July；　when　the　Mary　Anne　transport　arrived　from　England。　　This　ship　had　sailed　from　the　Downs　so　lately　as　the　25th　of　February；　having　been　only　four　months　and　twelve　days　on　her　passage。　　She　brought　out　convicts；　by　contract；　at　a　specific　sum　for　each　person。　　But　to　demonstrate　the　effect　of　humanity　and　justice；　of　144　female　convicts　embarked　on　board　only　three　had　died；　and　the　rest　were　landed　in　perfect　health；　all　loud　in　praise　of　their　conductor。　The　master's　name　was　Munro；　and　his　ship；　after　fulfilling　her　engagement　with　government；　was　bound　on　the　southern　fishery。　　The　reader　must　not　conclude　that　I　sacrifice　to　dull　detail；　when　he　finds　such　benevolent　conduct　minutely　narrated。　　The　advocates　of　humanity　are　not　yet　become　too　numerous：　　but　those　who　practise　its　divine　precepts；　however　humble　and　unnoticed　be　their　station；　ought　not　to　sink　into　obscurity；　unrecorded　and　unpraised；　with　the　vile　monsters　who　deride　misery　and　fatten　on　calamity。

July；　1791。　　If；　however；　the　good　people　of　this　ship　delighted　us　with　their　benevolence；　here　gratification　ended。　　I　was　of　a　party　who　had　rowed　in　a　boat　six　miles　out　to　sea；　beyond　the　harbour's　mouth；　to　meet　them；　and　what　was　our　disappointment；　on　getting　aboard；　to　find　that　they　had　not　brought　a　letter　（a　few　official　ones　for　the　governor　excepted）　to　any　person　in　the　colony！　　Nor　had　they　a　single　newspaper　or　magazine　in　their　possession；　nor　could　they　conceive　that　any　person　wished　to　hear　news；　being　as　ignorant　of　everything　which　had　passed　in　Europe　for　the　last　two　years　as　ourselves；　at　the　distance　of　half　the　circle。　　〃No　warthe　fleet's　dismantled；〃　was　the　whole　that　we　could　learn。　　When　I　asked　whether　a　new　parliament　had　been　called；　they　stared　at　me　in　stupid　wonder；　not　seeming　to　comprehend　that　such　a　body　either　suffered　renovation　or　needed　it。

〃Have　the　French　settled　their　government？〃

〃As　to　that　matter　I　can't　say；　I　never　heard；　but；　damn　them；　they　were　ready　enough　to　join　the　Spaniards　against