a complete account of the settlement-第4章

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e　his　gloom　was　chased　away；　and　he　parted　from　his　friends　without　testifying　reluctance。　　His　vivacity　and　good　humour　continued　all　the　evening；　and　produced　so　good　an　effect　on　his　appetite；　that　he　ate　for　supper　two　kangaroo　rats；　each　of　the　size　of　a　moderate　rabbit；　and　in　addition　not　less　than　three　pounds　of　fish。

Two　days　after　he　was　taken　on　a　similar　excursion；　but　to　our　surprise　the　natives　kept　aloof；　and　would　neither　approach　the　shore；　or　discourse　with　their　countryman：　　we　could　get　no　explanation　of　this　difficulty；　which　seemed　to　affect　us　more　than　it　did　him。　　Uncourteous　as　they　were；　he　performed　to　them　an　act　of　attentive　benevolence；　seeing　a　basket　made　of　bark；　used　by　them　to　carry　water；　he　conveyed　into　it　two　hawks　and　another　bird；　which　the　people　in　the　boat　had　shot；　and　carefully　covering　them　over；　left　them　as　a　present　to　his　old　friends。　　But　indeed　the　gentleness　and　humanity　of　his　disposition　frequently　displayed　themselves：　when　our　children；　stimulated　by　wanton　curiosity；　used　to　flock　around　him；　he　never　failed　to　fondle　them；　and；　if　he　were　eating　at　the　time；　constantly　offered　them　the　choicest　part　of　his　fare。

February；　1789。　　His　reserve；　from　want　of　confidence　in　us；　continued　gradually　to　wear　away：　　he　told　us　his　name；　and　Manly　gave　place　to　Arabanoo。　　Bread　he　began　to　relish；　and　tea　he　drank　with　avidity：　strong　liquors　he　would　never　taste；　turning　from　them　with　disgust　and　abhorrence。　　Our　dogs　and　cats　had　ceased　to　be　objects　of　fear；　and　were　become　his　greatest　pets；　and　constant　companions　at　table。　One　of　our　chief　amusements；　after　the　cloth　was　removed；　was　to　make　him　repeat　the　names　of　things　in　his　language；　which　he　never　hesitated　to　do　with　the　utmost　alacrity；　correcting　our　pronunciation　when　erroneous。　Much　information　relating　to　the　customs　and　manners　of　his　country　was　also　gained　from　him：　　but　as　this　subject　will　be　separately　and　amply　treated；　I　shall　not　anticipate　myself　by　partially　touching　on　it　here。

On　the　2nd　of　February　died　Captain　John　Shea　of　the　marines；　after　a　lingering　illness：　　he　was　interred　on　the　following　day；　with　the　customary　military　honours；　amidst　the　regret　of　all　who　knew　him。　In　consequence　of　his　decease；　appointments　for　the　promotion　of　the　oldest　officer　of　each　subordinate　rank　were　signed　by　the　major　commandant　of　the　marine　battalion；　until　the　pleasure　of　the　lords　of　the　admiralty　should　be　notified。*

＇*These　appointments　were　confirmed　by　the　admiralty。＇

On　the　17th　of　February　the　'Supply'　again　sailed　for　Norfolk　Island。　The　governor　went　down　the　harbour　in　her；　and　carried　Arabanoo　with　him；　who　was　observed　to　go　on　board　with　distrust　and　reluctance；　when　he　found　she　was　under　sail；　every　effort　was　tried　without　success　to　exhilarate　him；　at　length；　an　opportunity　being　presented；　he　plunged　overboard；　and　struck　out　for　the　nearest　shore：　　believing　that　those　who　were　left　behind　would　fire　at　him；　he　attempted　to　dive；　at　which　he　was　known　to　be　very　expert：　but　this　was　attended　with　a　difficulty　which　he　had　not　foreseen：　his　clothes　proved　so　buoyant；　that　he　was　unable　to　get　more　than　his　head　under　water：　　a　boat　was　immediately　dispatched　after　him；　and　picked　him　up；　though　not　without　struggles　and　resistance　on　his　side。　　When　brought　on　board；　he　appeared　neither　afraid　or　ashamed　of　what　he　had　done；　but　sat　apart；　melancholy　and　dispirited；　and　continued　so　until　he　saw　the　governor　and　his　other　friends　descend　into　a　boat；　and　heard　himself　called　upon　to　accompany　them：　　he　sprang　forward；　and　his　cheerfulness　and　alacrity　of　temper　immediately　returned；　and　lasted　during　the　remainder　of　the　day。　　The　dread　of　being　carried　away；　on　an　element　of　whose　boundary　he　could　form　no　conception；　joined　to　the　uncertainty　of　our　intention　towards　him；　unquestionably　caused　him　to　act　as　he　did。

One　of　the　principal　effects　which　we　had　supposed　the　seizure　and　captivity　of　Arabanoo　would　produce；　seemed　yet　at　as　great　a　distance　as　ever；　the　natives　neither　manifested　signs　of　increased　hostility　on　his　account；　or　attempted　to　ask　any　explanation　of　our　conduct　through　the　medium　of　their　countryman　who　was　in　our　possession；　and　who　they　knew　was　treated　with　no　farther　harshness　than　in　being　detained　among　us。　　Their　forbearance　of　open　and　determined　attack　upon　can　be　accounted　for　only　by　recollecting　their　knowledge　of　our　numbers；　and　their　dread　of　our　fire…arms：　that　they　wanted　not　sufficient　provocation　to　do　so；　will　appear　from　what　I　am　about　to　relate。

March；　1789。　　Sixteen　convicts　left　their　work　at　the　brick…kilns　without　leave；　and　marched　to　Botany　Bay；　with　a　design　to　attack　the　natives；　and　to　plunder　them　of　their　fishing…tackle　and　spears：　　they　had　armed　themselves　with　their　working　tools　and　large　clubs。　　When　they　arrived　near　the　bay；　a　body　of　Indians；　who　had　probably　seen　them　set　out；　and　had　penetrated　their　intention　from　experience；　suddenly　fell　upon　them。　Our　heroes　were　immediately　routed；　and　separately　endeavoured　to　effect　their　escape　by　any　means　which　were　left。　　In　their　flight　one　was　killed；　and　seven　were　wounded；　for　the　most　part　very　severely：　　those　who　had　the　good　fortune　to　outstrip　their　comrades　and　arrive　in　camp；　first　gave　the　alarm；　and　a　detachment　of　marines；　under　an　officer；　was　ordered　to　march　to　their　relief。　　The　officer　arrived　too　late　to　repel　the　Indians；　but　he　brought　in　the　body　of　the　man　that　was　killed；　and　put　an　end　to　the　pursuit。　　The　governor　was　justly　incensed　at　what　had　happened；　and　instituted　the　most　rigorous　scrutiny　into　the　cause　which　had　produced　it。　At　first　the　convicts　were　unanimous　in　affirming；　that　they　were　quietly　picking　sweet…tea*；　when　they　were　without　provocation　assaulted　by　the　natives；　with　whom　they　had　no　wish　to　quarrel。　　Some　of　them；　however；　more　irresolute　than　the　rest；　at　last　disclosed　the　purpose　for　which　the　expedition　had　been　undertaken；　and　the　whole　were　ordered　to　be　severely　flogged：　　Arabanoo　was　present　at　the　infliction　of　the　punishment；　and　was　made　to　comprehend　the　cause　and　the　necessity　of　it；　but　he　displayed　on　the　occasion　symptoms　of　disgust　and　terror　only。

＇*A　vegetable　creeper　found　growing　on　the　rocks；　which　yields；　on　infusion　in　hot　water；　a　sweet　astringent　taste；　whence　it　derives　its　name：　　to　its　virtues　the　healthy　state　of　the　soldiery　and　convicts　must　be　greatly　attributed。　　It　was　drank　universally。＇

On　the　24th　instant　the　'Supply'　arrived　from　Norfolk　Island；　and　Lord　Flowe　Island；　bringing　from　the　latter　place　three　turtles。

An　awful　and　terrible　example　of　justice　took　place　towards　the　close　of　this　month；　which　I　record　with　regret；　but　which　it　would　be　disingenuous　to　suppress。　　Six　marines；　the　flower　of　our　battalion；　were　hanged　by　the　public　executioner；　on　the　sentence　of　a　criminal　court；　composed　entirely　of　their　own　officers；　for　having　at　various　times　robbed　the　public　stores　of　flour；　meat；　spirits；　tobacco；　and　many　other　articles。




CHAPTER　IV。



Transactions　of　the　Colony　in　April　and　May；　1789。


An　extraordinary　calamity　was　now　observed　among　the　natives。　　Repeated　accounts　brought　by　our　boats　of　finding　bodies　of　the　Indians　in　all　the　coves　and　inlets　of　the　harbour；　caused　the　gentlemen　of　our　hospital　to　procure　some　of　them　for　the　purposes　of　examination　and　anatomy。　　On　inspection；　it　appeared　that　all　the　parties　had　died　a　natural　death：　　pustules；　similar　to　those　occasioned　by　the　small　pox；　were　thickly　spread　on　the　bodies；　but　how　a　disease；　to　which　our　former　observations　had　led　us　to　suppose　them　strangers；　could　at　once　have　introduced　itself；　and　have　spread　so　widely；　seemed　inexplicable。*　　Whatever　might　be　the　cause；　the　existence　of　the　malady　could　no　longer　be　doubted。　　Intelligence　was　brought　that　an　Indian　family　lay　sick　in　a　neighbouring　cove：　the　governor；　attended　by　Arabanoo；　and　a　surgeon；　went　in　a　boat　immediately　to　the　spot。　　Here　they　found　an　old　man　stretched　before　a　few　lighted　sticks；　and　a　boy　of　nine　or　ten　years　old　pouring　water　on　his　head；　from　a　shell　which　he　held　in　his　hand：　　near