a complete account of the settlement-第36章

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　　　　0　　　　　7　　　　　　　　　2　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1　　　　　　　　　　　　　　2　Total　number　of　persons　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1440　　　149　　　　　　　　　3　　　　　　　　　　　　　15　　　　　　　　　　　　　21　


＇*The　convicts　who　are　become　settlers；　are　included　in　this　number。＇

Of　my　Sydney　journal；　I　find　no　part　sufficiently　interesting　to　be　worth　extraction。　　This　place　had　long　been　considered　only　as　a　depot　for　stores。　　It　exhibited　nothing　but　a　few　old　scattered　huts　and　some　sterile　gardens。　　Cultivation　of　the　ground　was　abandoned；　and　all　our　strength　transferred　to　Rose　Hill。　　Sydney；　nevertheless；　continued　to　be　the　place　of　the　governor's　residence；　and　consequently　the　headquarters　of　the　colony。　No　public　building　of　note；　except　a　storehouse；　had　been　erected　since　my　last　statement。　　The　barracks；　so　long　talked　of；　so　long　promised；　for　the　accommodation　and　discipline　of　the　troops；　were　not　even　begun　when　I　left　the　country；　and　instead　of　a　new　hospital；　the　old　one　was　patched　up　and；　with　the　assistance　of　one　brought　ready…framed　from　England；　served　to　contain　the　sick。

The　employment　of　the　male　convicts　here；　as　at　Rose　Hill；　was　the　public　labour。　　Of　the　women；　the　majority　were　compelled　to　make　shirts；　trousers　and　other　necessary　parts　of　dress　for　the　men；　from　materials　delivered　to　them　from　the　stores；　into　which　they　returned　every　Saturday　night　the　produce　of　their　labour；　a　stipulated　weekly　task　being　assigned　to　them。　　In　a　more　early　stage；　government　sent　out　all　articles　of　clothing　ready　made；　but；　by　adopting　the　present　judicious　plan；　not　only　a　public　saving　is　effected；　but　employment　of　a　suitable　nature　created　for　those　who　would　otherwise　consume　leisure　in　idle　pursuits　only。

On　the　26th　of　November　1791；　the　number　of　persons；　of　all　descriptions；　at　Sydney；　was　1259；　to　which；　if　1628　at　Rose　Hill　and　1172　at　Norfolk　Island　be　added；　the　total　number　of　persons　in　New　South　Wales　and　its　dependency　will　be　found　to　amount　to　4059。*

＇*A　very　considerable　addition　to　this　number　has　been　made　since　I　quitted　the　settlement；　by　fresh　troops　and　convicts　sent　thither　from　England。＇

On　the　13th　of　December　1791；　the　marine　battalion　embarked　on　board　His　Majesty's　ship　Gorgon；　and　on　the　18th　sailed　for　England。




CHAPTER　XVII。



Miscellaneous　Remarks　on　the　country。　　On　its　vegetable　productions。　On　its　climate。　　On　its　animal　productions。　　On　its　natives；　etc。


The　journals　contained　in　the　body　of　this　publication；　illustrated　by　the　map　which　accompanies　it　（unfortunately；　there　is　no　map　accompanying　this　etext）；　are；　I　conceive；　so　descriptive　of　every　part　of　the　country　known　to　us；　that　little　remains　to　be　added　beyond　a　few　general　observations。

The　first　impression　made　on　a　stranger　is　certainly　favourable。　He　sees　gently　swelling　hills　connected　by　vales　which　possess　every　beauty　that　verdure　of　trees；　and　form；　simply　considered　in　itself；　can　produce；　but　he　looks　in　vain　for　those　murmuring　rills　and　refreshing　springs　which　fructify　and　embellish　more　happy　lands。　　Nothing　like　those　tributary　streams　which　feed　rivers　in　other　countries　are　here　seen；　for　when　I　speak　of　the　stream　at　Sydney；　I　mean　only　the　drain　of　a　morass；　and　the　river　at　Rose　Hill　is　a　creek　of　the　harbour；　which　above　high　water　mark　would　not　in　England　be　called　even　a　brook。　　Whence　the　Hawkesbury；　the　only　fresh　water　river　known　to　exist　in　the　country；　derives　its　supplies；　would　puzzle　a　transient　observer。　　He　sees　nothing　but　torpid　unmeaning　ponds　（often　stagnant　and　always　still；　unless　agitated　by　heavy　rains）　which　communicate　with　it。　　Doubtless　the　springs　which　arise　in　Carmarthen　mountains　may　be　said　to　constitute　its　source。　To　cultivate　its　banks　within　many　miles　of　the　bed　of　the　stream　（except　on　some　elevated　detached　spots）　will　be　found　impracticable；　unless　some　method　be　devised　of　erecting　a　mound；　sufficient　to　repel　the　encroachments　of　a　torrent　which　sometimes　rises　fifty　feet　above　its　ordinary　level；　inundating　the　surrounding　country　in　every　direction。

The　country　between　the　Hawkesbury　and　Rose　Hill　is　that　which　I　have　hitherto　spoken　of。　　When　the　river　is　crossed；　this　prospect　soon　gives　place　to　a　very　different　one。　　The　green　vales　and　moderate　hills　disappear　at　the　distance　of　about　three　miles　from　the　river　side；　and　from　Knight　Hill；　and　Mount　Twiss；*　the　limits　which　terminate　our　researches；　nothing　but　precipices；　wilds　and　deserts；　are　to　be　seen。　　Even　these　steeps　fail　to　produce　streams。　　The　difficulty　of　penetrating　this　country；　joined　to　the　dread　of　a　sudden　rise　of　the　Hawkesbury；　forbidding　all　return；　has　hitherto　prevented　our　reaching　Carmarthen　mountains。

＇*Look　at　the　Map。　（There　is　no　map　accompanying　this　etext）＇

Let　the　reader　now　cast　his　eye　on　the　relative　situation　of　Port　Jackson。　He　will　see　it　cut　off　from　communication　with　the　northward　by　Broken　Bay；　and　with　the　southward　by　Botany　Bay；　and　what　is　worse；　the　whole　space　of　intervening　country　yet　explored；　（except　a　narrow　strip　called　the　Kangaroo　Ground）　in　both　directions；　is　so　bad　as　to　preclude　cultivation。

The　course　of　the　Hawkesbury　will　next　attract　his　attention。　To　the　southward　of　every　part　of　Botany　Bay　we　have　traced　this　river；　but　how　much　farther　in　that　line　it　extends　we　know　not。　　Hence　its　channel　takes　a　northerly　direction；　and　finishes　its　course　in　Broken　Bay；　running　at　the　back　of　Port　Jackson　in　such　a　manner　as　to　form　the　latter　into　a　peninsula。

The　principal　question　then　remaining　is；　what　is　the　distance　between　the　head　of　Botany　Bay　and　the　part　of　the　Hawkesbury　nearest　to　it？　And　is　the　intermediate　country　a　good　one；　or　does　it　lead　to　one　which　appearances　indicate　to　be　good？　　To　future　adventurers　who　shall　meet　with　more　encouragement　to　persevere　and　discover　than　I　and　my　fellow　wanderer＇s＇　did；　I　resign　the　answer。　　In　the　meantime　the　reader　is　desired　to　look　at　the　remarks　on　the　map　（there　is　no　map　accompanying　this　etext）；　which　were　made　in　the　beginning　of　August　1790；　from　Pyramid　Hill；　which　bounded　our　progress　on　the　southern　expedition；　when；　and　when　only；　this　part　of　the　country　has　been　seen。

It　then　follows　that　from　Rose　Hill　to　within　such　a　distance　of　the　Hawkesbury　as　is　protected　from　its　inundations；　is　the　only　tract　of　land　we　yet　know　of；　in　which　cultivation　can　be　carried　on　for　many　years　to　come。　　To　aim　at　forming　a　computation　of　the　distance　of　time；　of　the　labour　and　of　the　expense；　which　would　attend　forming　distinct　convict　settlements；　beyond　the　bounds　I　have　delineated；　or　of　the　difficulty　which　would　attend　a　system　of　communication　between　such　establishments　and　Port　Jackson；　is　not　intended　here。

Until　that　period　shall　arrive；　the　progress　of　cultivation；　when　it　shall　have　once　passed　Prospect　Hill；　will　probably　steal　along　to　the　southward；　in　preference　to　the　northward；　from　the　superior　nature　of　the　country　in　that　direction；　as　the　remarks　inserted　in　the　map　will　testify。

Such　is　my　statement　of　a　plan　which　I　deem　inevitably　entailed　on　the　settlement　at　Port　Jackson。　　In　sketching　this　outline　of　it　let　it　not　be　objected　that　I　suppose　the　reader　as　well　acquainted　with　the　respective　names　and　boundaries　of　the　country　as　long　residence　and　unwearied　journeying　among　them；　have　made　the　author。　　To　have　subjoined　perpetual　explanations　would　have　been　tedious　and　disgusting。　　Familiarity　with　the　relative　positions　of　a　country　can　neither　be　imparted；　or　acquired；　but　by　constant　recurrence　to　geographic　delineations。

On　the　policy　of　settling；　with　convicts　only；　a　country　at　once　so　remote　and　extensive；　I　shall　offer　no　remarks。　　Whenever　I　have　heard　this　question　agitated；　since　my　return　to　England；　the　cry　of；　〃What　can　we　do　with　them！　Where　else　can　they　be　sent！〃　　has　always　silenced　me。

Of　the　soil；　opinions　have　not　differed　widely。　　A　spot　eminently　fruitful　has　never　been　discovered。　　That　there　are　many　spots　cursed　with　everlasting　and　unconquerable　sterility　no　one　who　has　seen　the　country　will　deny。　At　the　same　time　I　am　decidedly　of　opinion　that　many　large　tracts　of　land　between　Rose　Hill　and　the　Hawkesbury；　even　now；　are　of