a complete account of the settlement-第7章

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the　list　of　discoverers　of　the　Hawkesbury。　　Stimulated；　however；　by　a　desire　of　acquiring　a　further　knowledge　of　the　country；　on　the　26th　instant；　accompanied　by　Mr。　Arndell；　assistant　surgeon　of　the　settlement；　Mr。　Lowes；　surgeon's　mate　of　the　'Sirius'；　two　marines；　and　a　convict；　I　left　the　redoubt　at　day…break；　pointing　our　march　to　a　hill；　distant　five　miles；　in　a　westerly　or　inland　direction；　which　commands　a　view　of　the　great　chain　of　mountains；　called　Carmarthen　hills；　extending　from　north　to　south　farther　than　the　eye　can　reach。　　Here　we　paused；　surveying　〃the　wild　abyss；　pondering　our　voyage。〃　Before　us　lay　the　trackless　immeasurable　desert；　in　awful　silence。　　At　length；　after　consultation；　we　determined　to　steer　west　and　by　north；　by　compass；　the　make　of　the　land　in　that　quarter　indicating　the　existence　of　a　river。　　We　continued　to　march　all　day　through　a　country　untrodden　before　by　an　European　foot。　　Save　that　a　melancholy　crow　now　and　then　flew　croaking　over　head；　or　a　kangaroo　was　seen　to　bound　at　a　distance；　the　picture　of　solitude　was　complete　and　undisturbed。　　At　four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　we　halted　near　a　small　pond　of　water；　where　we　took　up　our　residence　for　the　night；　lighted　a　fire；　and　prepared　to　cook　our　supper：　that　was；　to　broil　over　a　couple　of　ramrods　a　few　slices　of　salt　pork；　and　a　crow　which　we　had　shot。

At　daylight　we　renewed　our　peregrination；　and　in　an　hour　after　we　found　ourselves　on　the　banks　of　a　river；　nearly　as　broad　as　the　Thames　at　Putney；　and　apparently　of　great　depth；　the　current　running　very　slowly　in　a　northerly　direction。　　Vast　flocks　of　wild　ducks　were　swimming　in　the　stream；　but　after　being　once　fired　at；　they　grew　so　shy　that　we　could　not　get　near　them　a　second　time。　　Nothing　is　more　certain　than　that　the　sound　of　a　gun　had　never　before　been　heard　within　many　miles　of　this　spot。

We　proceeded　upwards；　by　a　slow　pace；　through　reeds；　thickets；　and　a　thousand　other　obstacles；　which　impeded　our　progress；　over　coarse　sandy　ground；　which　had　been　recently　inundated；　though　full　forty　feet　above　the　present　level　of　the　river。　　Traces　of　the　natives　appeared　at　every　step；　sometimes　in　their　hunting…huts；　which　consist　of　nothing　more　than　a　large　piece　of　bark；　bent　in　the　middle；　and　open　at　both　ends；　exactly　resembling　two　cards；　set　up　to　form　an　acute　angle；　sometimes　in　marks　on　trees　which　they　had　climbed；　or　in　squirrel…traps*；　or；　which　surprised　us　more；　from　being　new；　in　decoys　for　the　purpose　of　ensnaring　birds。　These　are　formed　of　underwood　and　reeds；　long　and　narrow；　shaped　like　a　mound　raised　over　a　grave；　with　a　small　aperture　at　one　end　for　admission　of　the　prey；　and　a　grate　made　of　sticks　at　the　other：　　the　bird　enters　at　the　aperture；　seeing　before　him　the　light　of　the　grate；　between　the　bars　of　which；　he　vainly　endeavours　to　thrust　himself；　until　taken。　　Most　of　these　decoys　were　full　of　feathers；　chiefly　those　of　quails；　which　shewed　their　utility。　　We　also　met　with　two　old　damaged　canoes　hauled　up　on　the　beach；　which　differed　in　no　wise　from　those　found　on　the　sea　coast。

＇*A　squirrel…trap　is　a　cavity　of　considerable　depth；　formed　by　art；　in　the　body　of　a　tree。　　When　the　Indians　in　their　hunting　parties　set　fire　to　the　surrounding　country　（which　is　a　very　common　custom）　the　squirrels；　opossums；　and　other　animals；　who　live　in　trees；　flee　for　refuge　into　these　holes；　whence　they　are　easily　dislodged　and　taken。　　The　natives　always　pitch　on　a　part　of　a　tree　for　this　purpose；　which　has　been　perforated　by　a　worm；　which　indicates　that　the　wood　is　in　an　unsound　state；　and　will　readily　yield　to　their　efforts。　　If　the　rudeness　and　imperfection　of　the　tools　with　which　they　work　be　considered；　it　must　be　confessed　to　be　an　operation　of　great　toil　and　difficulty。＇


Having　remained　out　three　days；　we　returned　to　our　quarters　at　Rose…hill；　with　the　pleasing　intelligence　of　our　discovery。　　The　country　we　had　passed　through　we　found　tolerably　plain；　and　little　encumbered　with　underwood；　except　near　the　river　side。　　It　is　entirely　covered　with　the　same　sorts　of　trees　as　grow　near　Sydney；　and　in　some　places　grass　springs　up　luxuriantly；　other　places　are　quite　bare　of　it。　　The　soil　is　various：　　in　many　parts　a　stiff　and　clay；　covered　with　small　pebbles；　in　other　places；　of　a　soft　loamy　nature：　　but　invariably；　in　every　part　near　the　river；　it　is　a　coarse　sterile　sand。　　Our　observations　on　it　（particularly　mine；　from　carrying　the　compass　by　which　we　steered）　were　not　so　numerous　as　might　have　been　wished。　　But；　certainly；　if　the　qualities　of　it　be　such　as　to　deserve　future　cultivation；　no　impediment　of　surface；　but　that　of　cutting　down　and　burning　the　trees；　exists；　to　prevent　its　being　tilled。

To　this　river　the　governor　gave　the　name　of　Nepean。　　The　distance　of　the　part　of　the　river　which　we　first　hit　upon　from　the　sea　coast；　is　about　39　miles；　in　a　direct　line　almost　due　west。

A　survey　of　Botany　Bay　took　place　in　September。　　I　was　of　the　party；　with　several　others　officers。　　We　continued　nine　days　in　the　bay；　during　which　time；　the　relative　position　of　every　part　of　it；　to　the　extent　of　more　than　thirty　miles；　following　the　windings　of　the　shore；　was　ascertained；　and　laid　down　on　paper；　by　captain　Hunter。

So　complete　an　opportunity　of　forming　a　judgment；　enables　me　to　speak　decisively　of　a　place；　which　has　often　engaged　conversation　and　excited　reflection。　　Variety　of　opinions　here　disappeared。　　I　shall；　therefore；　transcribe　literally　what　I　wrote　in　my　journal；　on　my　return　from　the　expedition。　　〃We　were　unanimously　of　opinion；　that　had　not　the　nautical　part　of　Mr。　Cook's　description；　in　which　we　include　the　latitude　and　longitude　of　the　bay；　been　so　accurately　laid　down；　there　would　exist　the　utmost　reason　to　believe；　that　those　who　have　described　the　contiguous　country；　had　never　seen　it。　　On　the　sides　of　the　harbour；　a　line　of　sea　coast　more　than　thirty　miles　long；　we　did　not　find　200　acres　which　could　be　cultivated。〃

September；　1789。　　But　all　our　attention　was　not　directed　to　explore　inlets；　and　toll　for　discovery。　　Our　internal　tranquillity　was　still　more　important。　To　repress　the　inroads　of　depredation；　and　to　secure　to　honest　industry　the　reward　of　its　labour；　had　become　matter　of　the　most　serious　consideration；　hardly　a　night　passing　without　the　commission　of　robbery。　　Many　expedients　were　devised；　and　the　governor　at　length　determined　to　select　from　the　convicts；　a　certain　number　of　persons；　who　were　meant　to　be　of　the　fairest　character；　for　the　purpose　of　being　formed　into　a　nightly…watch；　for　the　preservation　of　public　and　private　property；　under　the　following　regulations；　which；　as　the　first　system　of　police　in　a　colony；　so　peculiarly　constituted　as　ours；　may　perhaps　prove　not　uninteresting。


I。　　　A　night…watch；　consisting　of　12　persons；　divided　into　four　parties；　is　appointed；　and　fully　authorized　to　patrol　at　all　hours　in　the　night；　and　to　visit　such　places　as　may　be　deemed　necessary；　for　the　discovery　of　any　felony；　trespass；　or　misdemeanor；　and　for　the　apprehending　and　securing　for　examination；　any　person　or　persons　who　may　appear　to　them　concerned　therein；　either　by　entrance　into　any　suspected　hut　or　dwelling；　or　by　such　other　measure　as　may　seem　to　them　expedient。

II。　　Those　parts　in　which　the　convicts　reside　are　to　be　divided　and　numbered；　in　the　following　manner。　　The　convict　huts　on　the　eastern　side　of　the　stream；　and　the　public　farm；　are　to　be　the　first　division。　　Those　at　the　brick…kilns；　and　the　detached　parties　in　the　different　private　farms　in　that　district；　are　to　be　the　second　division。　　Those　on　the　western　side　of　the　stream；　as　far　as　the　line　which　separates　the　district　of　the　women　from　the　men；　to　be　the　third　division。　　The　huts　occupied　from　that　line　to　the　hospital；　and　from　there　to　the　observatory；　to　be　the　fourth　division。

III。　Each　of　these　districts　or　divisions　is　to　be　under　the　particular　inspection　of　one　person；　who　may　be　judged　qualified　to　inform　himself　of　the　actual　residence　of　each　individual　in　his　district；　as　well　as　of　his　business；　connections；　and　acquaintances。

IV。　　Cognizance　is　to　be　taken　of　such　convicts　as　may　sell　or　barter　their　slops　or　provisions；　and　also　of　such　as　are　addi