a complete account of the settlement-第31章

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〃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　us。〃

〃Are　Russia　and　Turkey　at　peace？〃

〃That　you　see　does　not　lie　in　my　way；　I　have　heard　talk　about　it；　but　don't　remember　what　passed。〃

〃For　heaven's　sake；　why　did　you　not　bring　out　a　bundle　of　newspapers？　You　might　have　procured　a　file　at　any　coffee　house；　which　would　have　amused　you；　and　instructed　us？〃

〃Why；　really；　I　never　thought　about　the　matter　until　we　were　off　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope；　when　we　spoke　a　man　of　war；　who　asked　us　the　same　question；　and　then　I　wished　I　had。〃

To　have　prosecuted　inquiry　farther　would　have　only　served　to　increase　disappointment　and　chagrin。　　We　therefore　quitted　the　ship；　wondering　and　lamenting　that　so　large　a　portion　of　plain　undisguised　honesty　should　be　so　totally　unconnected　with　a　common　share　of　intelligence；　and　acquaintance　with　the　feelings　and　habits　of　other　men。

By　the　governor's　letters　we　learned　that　a　large　fleet　of　transports；　with　convicts　on　board；　and　His　Majesty's　ship　Gorgon；　（Captain　Parker）　might　soon　be　expected　to　arrive。　　The　following　intelligence　which　they　contained；　was　also　made　public。


That　such　convicts　as　had　served　their　period　of　transportation；　were　not　to　be　compelled　to　remain　in　the　colony；　but　that　no　temptation　should　be　offered　to　induce　them　to　quit　it；　as　there　existed　but　too　much　reason　to　believe；　that　they　would　return　to　former　practices；　that　those　who　might　choose　to　settle　in　the　country　should　have　portions　of　land；　subject　to　stipulated　restrictions；　and　a　portion　of　provisions　assigned　to　them　on　signifying　their　inclinations；　and　that　it　was　expected；　that　those　convicts　who　might　be　possessed　of　means　to　transport　themselves　from　the　country；　would　leave　it　free　of　all　incumbrances　of　a　public　nature。


The　rest　of　the　fleet　continued　to　drop　in；　in　this　and　the　two　succeeding　months。　　The　state　of　the　convicts　whom　they　brought　out；　though　infinitely　preferable　to　what　the　fleet　of　last　year　had　landed；　was　not　unexceptionable。　　Three　of　the　ships　had　naval　agents　on　board　to　control　them。　　Consequently；　if　complaint　had　existed　there；　it　would　have　been　immediately　redressed。　　Exclusive　of　these；　the　'Salamander'；　（Captain　Nichols）　who；　of　155　men　lost　only　five；　and　the　'William　and　Anne'　（Captain　Buncker）　who　of　187　men　lost　only　seven；　I　find　most　worthy　of　honourable　mention。　　In　the　list　of　convicts　brought　out　was　Barrington；　of　famous　memory。

Two　of　these　ships　also　added　to　our　geographic　knowledge　of　the　country。　The　'Atlantic'；　under　the　direction　of　Lieutenant　Bowen；　a　naval　agent；　ran　into　a　harbour　between　Van　Diemen's　land；　and　Port　Jackson；　in　latitude　35　degrees　12　minutes　south；　longitude　151　degrees　east；　to　which；　in　honour　of　Sir　John　Jervis；　Knight　of　the　Bath；　Mr。　Bowen　gave　the　name　of　Port　Jervis。　　Here　was　found　good　anchoring　ground　with　a　fine　depth　of　water；　within　a　harbour　about　a　mile　and　a　quarter　broad　at　its　entrance；　which　afterwards　opens　into　a　basin　five　miles　wide　and　of　considerable　length。　　They　found　no　fresh　water；　but　as　their　want　of　this　article　was　not　urgent；　they　did　not　make　sufficient　researches　to　pronounce　that　none　existed　there。*　　They　saw；　during　the　short　time　they　stayed；　two　kangaroos　and　many　traces　of　inhabitants。　　The　country　at　a　little　distance　to　the　southward　of　the　harbour　is　hilly；　but　that　contiguous　to　the　sea　is　flat。　　On　comparing　what　they　had　found　here　afterwards；　with　the　native　produce　of　Port　Jackson；　they　saw　no　reason　to　think　that　they　differed　in　any　respect。

＇*Just　before　I　left　the　country；　word　was　brought　by　a　ship　which　had　put　into　Port　Jervis；　that　a　large　fresh　water　brook　was　found　there。＇


The　second　discovery　was　made　by　Captain　Wetherhead；　of　the　'Matilda'　transport；　which　was　obligingly　described　to　me；　as　follows；　by　that　gentleman；　on　my　putting　to　him　the　underwritten　questions。

〃When　did　you　make　your　discovery？〃

〃On　the　27th　of　July；　1791。〃

〃In　what　latitude　and　longitude　does　it　lie？〃

〃In　42　degrees　15　minutes　south　by　observation；　and　in　148　1/2　east　by　reckoning〃

〃Is　it　on　the　mainland　or　is　it　an　island？〃

〃It　is　an　island；　distant　from　the　mainland　about　eight　miles。〃

〃Did　you　anchor？〃

〃Yes；　and　found　good　anchorage　in　a　bay　open　about　six　points。〃

〃Did　you　see　any　other　harbour　or　bay　in　the　island？〃

〃None。〃

〃Does　the　channel　between　the　island　and　the　main　appear　to　afford　good　shelter　for　shipping？〃

〃Yes；　like　Spithead。〃

〃Did　you　find　any　water　on　the　island？〃

〃Yes；　in　plenty。〃

〃Of　what　size　does　the　island　appear　to　be？〃

〃It　is　narrow　and　long；　I　cannot　say　how　long。　　Its　breadth　is　inconsiderable。〃

〃Did　you　make　any　observations　on　the　soil？〃

〃It　is　sandy；　and　many　places　are　full　of　craggy　rocks。〃

〃Do　you　judge　the　productions　which　you　saw　on　the　island　to　be　similar　to　those　around　Port　Jackson？〃

〃I　do　not　think　they　differ　in　any　respect。〃

〃Did　you　see　any　animals？〃

〃I　saw　three　kangaroos。〃

〃Did　you　see　any　natives；　or　any　marks　of　them？〃

〃I　saw　no　natives；　but　I　saw　a　fire；　and　several　huts　like　those　at　Port　Jackson；　in　one　of　which　lay　a　spear。〃

〃What　name　did　you　give　to　your　discovery？〃

〃I　called　it；　in　honour　of　my　ship；　Matilda　Bay。〃

November；　1791。　　A　very　extraordinary　instance　of　folly　stimulated　to　desperation　occurred　in　the　beginning　of　this　month　among　the　convicts　at　Rose　Hill。　　Twenty　men　and　a　pregnant　woman；　part　of　those　who　had　arrived　in　the　last　fleet；　suddenly　disappeared　with　their　clothes；　working　tools；　bedding；　and　their　provisions；　for　the　ensuing　week；　which　had　been　just　issued　to　them。　　The　first　intelligence　heard　of　them；　was　from　some　convict　settlers；　who　said　they　had　seen　them　pass；　and　had　enquired　whither　they　were　bound。　　To　which　they　had　received　for　answer；　〃to　China。〃　The　extravagance　and　infatuation　of　such　an　attempt　was　explained　to　them　by　the　settlers；　but　neither　derision；　nor　demonstration　could　avert　them　from　pursuing　their　purpose。　　It　was　observed　by　those　who　brought　in　the　account　that　they　had　general　idea　enough　of　the　point　of　the　compass　in　which　China　lies　from　Port　Jackson；　to　keep　in　a　northerly　direction。

An　officer　with　a　detachment　of　troops；　was　sent　in　pursuit　of　them；　but　after　a　harassing　march　returned　without　success。　　In　the　course　of　a　week　the　greatest　part　of　them　were　either　brought　back　by　different　parties　who　had　fallen　in　with　them；　or　were　driven　in　by　famine。　Upon　being　questioned　about　the　cause　of　their　elopement；　those　whom　hunger　had　forced　back；　did　not　hesitate　to　confess　that　they　had　been　so　grossly　deceived　as　to　believe　that　China　might　easily　be　reached；　being　not　more　than　100　miles　distant；　and　separated　only　by　a　river。　The　others；　however；　ashamed　of　the　merriment　excited　at　their　expense；　said　that　their　reason　for　running　away　was　on　account　of　being　overworked　and　harshly　treated；　and　that　they　preferred　a　solitary　and　precarious　existence　in　the　woods　to　a　return　to　the　misery　they　were　compelled　to　undergo。　　One　or　two　of　the　party　had　certainly　perished　by　the　hands　of　the　natives；　who　had　also　wounded　several　others。

I　trust　that　no　man　would　feel　more　reluctant　than　myself　to　cast　an　illiberal　national　reflection；　particularly　on　a　people　whom　I　regard　in　an　aggregate　sense　as　brethren　and　fellow…citizens；　and　among　whom；　I　have　the　honour　to　number　many　of　the　most　cordial　and　endearing　intimacies　which　a　life　passed　on　service　could　generate。　　But　it　is　certain　that　all　these　people　were　Irish。




CHAPTER　XVI



Transactions　of　the　colony　until　18th　of　December　1791；　when　I　quitted　it；　with　an　Account　of　its　state　at　that　time。


The　Gorgon　had　arrived　on　the　21st　of　September；　and　the　hour　of　departure　to　England；　for　the　marine　battalion；　drew　nigh。　　If　I　be　allowed　to　speak　from　my　own　feelings　on　the　occasion；　I　will　not　say　that　we　contemplated　its　approach　with　mingled　sensations：　　we　hailed　it　with　rapture　and　exultation。

The　'Supply'；　ever　the　harbinger　of　welcome　and　glad　tidings；　proclaimed　by　her　own　departure；　th