a complete account of the settlement-第6章

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tant；　after　languishing　in　it　six　days。　　From　some　imperfect　marks　and　indents　on　his　face；　we　were　inclined　to　believe　that　he　had　passed　this　dreaded　disorder。　　Even　when　the　first　symptoms　of　sickness　seized　him；　we　continued　willing　to　hope　that　they　proceeded　from　a　different　cause。　But　at　length　the　disease　burst　forth　with　irresistible　fury。　It　were　superfluous　to　say；　that　nothing　which　medical　skill　and　unremitting　attention　could　perform；　were　left　unexerted　to　mitigate　his　sufferings；　and　prolong　a　life；　which　humanity　and　affectionate　concern　towards　his　sick　compatriots；　unfortunately　shortened。

During　his　sickness　he　reposed　entire　confidence　in　us。　　Although　a　stranger　to　medicine；　and　nauseating　the　taste　of　it；　he　swallowed　with　patient　submission　innumerable　drugs；*　which　the　hope　of　relief　induced　us　to　administer　to　him。　　The　governor；　who　particularly　regarded　him；　caused　him　to　be　buried　in　his　own　garden；　and　attended　the　funeral　in　person。

＇*Very　different　had　been　his　conduct　on　a　former　occasion　of　a　similar　kind。　Soon　after　he　was　brought　among　us　he　was　seized　with　a　diarrhoea；　for　which　he　could　by　no　persuasion　be　induced　to　swallow　any　of　our　prescriptions。　　After　many　ineffectual　trials　to　deceive；　or　overcome　him；　it　was　at　length　determined　to　let　him　pursue　his　own　course；　and　to　watch　if　he　should　apply　for　relief　to　any　of　the　productions　of　the　country。　　He　was　in　consequence　observed　to　dig　fern…root；　and　to　chew　it。　　Whether　the　disorder　had　passed　its　crisis；　or　whether　the　fern…root　effected　a　cure；　I　know　not；　but　it　is　certain　that　he　became　speedily　well。

**The　regard　was　reciprocal。　　His　excellency　had　been　ill　but　a　short　time　before；　when　Arabanoo　had　testified　the　utmost　solicitude　for　his　case　and　recovery。　　It　is　probable　that　he　acquired；　on　this　occasion；　just　notions　of　the　benefit　to　be　derived　from　medical　assistance。　A　doctor　is；　among　them；　a　person　of　consequence。　　It　is　certain　that　he　latterly　estimated　our　professional　gentlemen　very　highly。＇

The　character　of　Arabanoo；　as　far　as　we　had　developed　it；　was　distinguished　by　a　portion　of　gravity　and　steadiness；　which　our　subsequent　acquaintance　with　his　countrymen　by　no　means　led　us　to　conclude　a　national　characteristic。　In　that　daring；　enterprising　frame　of　mind；　which；　when　combined　with　genius；　constitutes　the　leader　of　a　horde　of　savages；　or　the　ruler　of　a　people；　boasting　the　power　of　discrimination　and　the　resistance　of　ambition；　he　was　certainly　surpassed　by　some　of　his　successors；　who　afterwards　lived　among　us。　　His　countenance　was　thoughtful；　but　not　animated：　his　fidelity　and　gratitude；　particularly　to　his　friend　the　governor；　were　constant　and　undeviating；　and　deserve　to　be　recorded。　Although　of　a　gentle　and　placable　temper；　we　early　discovered　that　he　was　impatient　of　indignity；　and　allowed　of　no　superiority　on　our　part。　He　knew　that　he　was　in　our　power；　but　the　independence　of　his　mind　never　forsook　him。　　If　the　slightest　insult　were　offered　to　him；　he　would　return　it　with　interest。　　At　retaliation　of　merriment　he　was　often　happy；　and　frequently　turned　the　laugh　against　his　antagonist。　He　did　not　want　docility；　but　either　from　the　difficulty　of　acquiring　our　language；　from　the　unskillfulness　of　his　teachers；　or　from　some　natural　defect；　his　progress　in　learning　it　was　not　equal　to　what　we　had　expected。　　For　the　last　three　or　four　weeks　of　his　life；　hardly　any　restraint　was　laid　upon　his　inclinations：　　so　that　had　he　meditated　escape；　he　might　easily　have　effected　it。　　He　was；　perhaps；　the　only　native　who　was　ever　attached　to　us　from　choice；　and　who　did　not　prefer　a　precarious　subsistence　among　wilds　and　precipices；　to　the　comforts　of　a　civilized　system。

By　his　death；　the　scheme　which　had　invited　his　capture　was　utterly　defeated。　Of　five　natives　who　had　been　brought　among　us；　three　had　perished　from　a　cause　which；　though　unavoidable；　it　was　impossible　to　explain　to　a　people；　who　would　condescend　to　enter　into　no　intercourse　with　us。　　The　same　suspicious　dread　of　our　approach；　and　the　same　scenes　of　vengeance　acted　on　unfortunate　stragglers；　continued　to　prevail。




CHAPTER　V。



Transactions　of　the　Colony　until　the　Close　of　the　Year　1789。


The　anniversary　of　his　majesty's　birth…day　was　celebrated；　as　heretofore；　at　the　government…house；　with　loyal　festivity。　　In　the　evening；　the　play　of　'The　Recruiting　Officer'　was　performed　by　a　party　of　convicts；　and　honoured　by　the　presence　of　his　excellency；　and　the　officers　of　the　garrison。　　That　every　opportunity　of　escape　from　the　dreariness　and　dejection　of　our　situation　should　be　eagerly　embraced；　will　not　be　wondered　at。　　The　exhilarating　effect　of　a　splendid　theatre　is　well　known：　and　I　am　not　ashamed　to　confess；　that　the　proper　distribution　of　three　or　four　yards　of　stained　paper；　and　a　dozen　farthing　candles　stuck　around　the　mud　walls　of　a　convict…hut；　failed　not　to　diffuse　general　complacency　on　the　countenances　of　sixty　persons；　of　various　descriptions；　who　were　assembled　to　applaud　the　representation。　　Some　of　the　actors　acquitted　themselves　with　great　spirit；　and　received　the　praises　of　the　audience：　　a　prologue　and　an　epilogue；　written　by　one　of　the　performers；　were　also　spoken　on　the　occasion；　which；　although　not　worth　inserting　here；　contained　some　tolerable　allusions　to　the　situation　of　the　parties；　and　the　novelty　of　a　stage…representation　in　New　South　Wales。

Broken　Bay；　which　was　supposed　to　be　completely　explored；　became　again　an　object　of　research。　　On　the　sixth　instant；　the　governor；　accompanied　by　a　large　party　in　two　boats；　proceeded　thither。　　Here　they　again　wandered　over　piles　of　mis…shapen　desolation；　contemplating　scenes　of　wild　solitude；　whose　unvarying　appearance　renders　them　incapable　of　affording　either　novelty　or　gratification。　　But　when　they　had　given　over　the　hope　of　farther　discovery；　by　pursuing　the　windings　of　an　inlet；　which；　from　its　appearance；　was　supposed　to　be　a　short　creek；　they　suddenly　found　themselves　at　the　entrance　of　a　fresh　water　river；　up　which　they　proceeded　twenty　miles；　in　a　westerly　direction；　and　would　have　farther　prosecuted　their　research；　had　not　a　failure　of　provisions　obliged　them　to　return。　　This　river　they　described　to　be　of　considerable　breadth；　and　of　great　depth；　but　its　banks　had　hitherto　presented　nothing　better　than　a　counterpart　of　the　rocks　and　precipices　which　surround　Broken　Bay。

June；　1789。　　A　second　expedition；　to　ascertain　its　course；　was　undertaken　by　his　excellency；　who　now　penetrated　（measuring　by　the　bed　of　the　river）　between　60　and　70　miles；　when　the　farther　progress　of　the　boats　was　stopped　by　a　fall。　　The　water　in　every　part　was　found　to　be　fresh　and　good。　Of　the　adjoining　country；　the　opinions　of　those　who　had　inspected　it　（of　which　number　I　was　not）　were　so　various；　that　I　shall　decline　to　record　them。　　Some　saw　a　rich　and　beautiful　country；　and　others　were　so　unfortunate　as　to　discover　little　else　than　large　tracts　of　low　land；　covered　with　reeds；　and　rank　with　the　inundations　of　the　stream；　by　which　they　had　been　recently　covered。　　All　parties；　however；　agreed；　that　the　rocky；　impenetrable　country；　seen　on　the　first　excursion；　had　ended　nearly　about　the　place　whence　the　boats　had　then　turned　back。　　Close　to　the　fall　stands　a　very　beautiful　hill；　which　our　adventurers　mounted；　and　enjoyed　from　it　an　extensive　prospect。　　Potatoes；　maize；　and　garden　seeds　of　various　kinds　were　put　into　the　earth；　by　the　governor's　order；　on　different　parts　of　Richmond…hill；　which　was　announced　to　be　its　name。　The　latitude　of　Richmond…hill；　as　observed　by　captain　Hunter；　was　settled　at　33　degrees　36　minutes　south。

Here　also　the　river　received　the　name　of　Hawkesbury；　in　honour　of　the　noble　lord　who　bears　that　title。

Natives　were　found　on　the　banks　in　several　parts；　many　of　whom　were　labouring　under　the　smallpox。　　They　did　not　attempt　to　commit　hostilities　against　the　boats；　but　on　the　contrary　shewed　every　sign　of　welcome　and　friendship　to　the　strangers。

At　this　period；　I　was　unluckily　invested　with　the　command　of　the　outpost　at　Rose　Hill；　which　prevented　me　from　being　in　the　list　of　discoverers　of　the　Hawkesbury。　　Stimulated；　however；　by　a　desire　of　acquiring　a　further