The _Francis_ returns from the wreck of the _Sydney Cove_
The _Eliza_ long-boat missing
Gale of wind
Cattle from the Cape landed
Station altered
Public works
An officer dies
Accident on board the _Schooner_
The ships sail for China
Coal discovered
Natives
Bennillong
Courts Of justice assembled
The _Supply_ condemned
The _Cumberland_ seized and carried off to sea
Is pursued, but not retaken
More coal found; and a new river
The people left by Capt. Bampton at New Zealand arrive at Norfolk Is.
Several runaway convicts landed there by the _Britannia_
The _Deptford_ arrives from Madras
Excursion to the Cow-Pastures
Walk from Mount Taurus to the sea coast
Public works
Weather
July.] In the beginning of July, the _Francis_ returned from the wreck of
the _Sydney Cove_, bringing the remainder of her crew, except six,
whom Captain Hamilton, her commander (and the only European belonging to
her, then alive,) had left in charge of the part of her cargo which had
been saved. The _Eliza_ long-boat, which sailed from the island with
them, had on board a few Lascars and some property; but having had to
encounter a very heavy gale of wind, and not arriving with the schooner,
many doubts were entertained of her safety. She was under the direction
of Mr. Armstrong, the master of the _Supply_.
On the 17th, twelve days after the return of the _Francis_, it came
on to blow exceedingly hard at SE and SSE by which many large trees and
several chimneys were blown down. The gale was attended with a deluge of
rain, and was so heavy, that some of the ships, even in that secure cove,
brought their anchors home. In addition to other damage done at this
time, two of the vanes of the wind-mill were torn off by the violence of
the wind. This gale considerably increased the apprehensions of every.
one concerned for the safety of the long-boat.
The cattle which arrived in the _Reliance_ were landed, and,
considering that they had experienced much bad weather on the passage,
looked extremely well. The two Colonial ships had been employed eight
months on this voyage to and from the Cape, and had added 51 cows, 3
bulls, a few horses, and about 90 sheep, to the stock of domestic cattle
in the colony.
This species of provisions was multiplying largely; but the salt meat was
decreasing so fast, that it became necessary to issue only half the usual
ration of pork.
The convicts were employed in enclosing the new ship yard, shingling the
barracks for the assistant surgeons, clearing ground at Portland-place,
where seventy men were at work, and completing the repair of the public
roads, in which necessary labour, the settlers again assisted, having
finished the cropping of their grounds for the ensuing season.
The dry weather had been followed by several days' rain, by which the
appearance of the wheat-grounds was very much improved.
Ensign Birch, of the New South Wales corps, died on the 5th, and was
buried with military honours. He arrived in the _Britannia_.
August.] The Colonial schooner, having been dispatched with some stores
which were wanted at Norfolk Island, left the Cove on the 7th; but the
wind failing, she anchored in the lower part of the harbour. While lying
here, some of her people became drunk, and insisted on taking the boat
ashore. This being resisted, one of the crew fired a pistol at a soldier
who was on board, which, it being dark at the time, missed him, but the
ball went through the leg of a seaman belonging to the _Supply_, who
had been lent to the schooner. He was brought up to the hospital, and the
man who fired the pistol was conducted to prison, to answer for his
rashness.
The _Britannia_ and the _Ganges_ sailed on their respective
voyages. The commander of the latter was permitted to take on board
several convicts who had become free, and some of the marine soldiers who
had been discharged from the New South Wales corps, having completed
their second engagement in that regiment. They had talked of becoming
settlers, and remaining some years longer in the country; but the
restless love of change prevailed, and they quitted the colony by this
opportunity.
Mr. Clark, the supercargo of the ship _Sydney Cove_, having
mentioned that, two days before he had been met by the people in the
fishing boat, he had fallen in with a great quantity of coal, with which
he and his companions made a large fire, and had slept by it during the
night, a whale-boat was sent off to the southward, with Mr. Bass, the
surgeon of the _Reliance_, to discover where an article so valuable
was to be met with. He proceeded about seven leagues to the southward of
Point Solander, where he found, in the face of a steep cliff, washed by
the sea a stratum of coal, in breadth about six feet, and extending eight
or nine miles to the southward. Upon the summit of the high land, and
lying on the surface, he observed many patches of coal, from some of
which it must have been that Mr. Clarke was so conveniently supplied with
fuel. He also found in the skeletons of the mate and carpenter of the
_Sydney Cove_, an unequivocal proof of their having unfortunately
perished, as was conjectured.
By the specimens of the coal which were brought in by Mr. Bass, the
quality appeared to be good; but, from its almost inaccessible situation,
no great advantage could ever be expected from it; and indeed, were it
even less difficult to be procured, unless some small harbour should be
near it, it could not be of much utility to the settlement.
No circumstance deserving of attention had occurred for some time among
the natives. On the 27th of this month, however, one of their young men
stood the trial practised by his countrymen, for having, as it was said,
killed some person in a quarrel. He stood manfully up against all their
spears, and defended himself with great skill and address. Having had two
shields split in his hand, by the spear passing quite through them, his
friends, who were numerous, attacked his opponents, whom they disarmed,
and broke their shields, with many of their spears.
It had been intended to have thrown some spears at Bennillong at this
time, from its having been reported that a woman, when she was dying, had
declared she dreamed that Bennillong had killed her. Her friends,
therefore, resolved to call him to an account, taking the business up on
the supposition that the woman must have had some cause of complaint
against him, or she would not have dreamed of his doing her an injury. To
this accusation Bennillong pleaded not guilty, declaring that he was an
entire stranger to the woman, and had never in his life offended her; but
there were some who said that he actually wounded this very woman, and
had been the cause of her death.
To those gentlemen who were acquainted with the temper and disposition of
this savage, there appeared much reason to credit the assertions of his
countrymen; for he was now observed to have become so fond of drinking,
that, whenever invited by any of the officers to their houses, he was
eager to be intoxicated, and in that state was so savage and violent as
to be capable of any mischief. On such occasions he amused himself with
annoying the women and insulting the men, who, from fear of offending his
white friends, spared those notices of his conduct which he so often
merited, and which sooner or later he would certainly meet with.
The court of criminal judicature was assembled once during this month,
when three prisoners, one of whom was a seaman belonging to the
_Britannia_, were transported to Norfolk Island for seven years.
The civil court was also assembled, and went through much troublesome and
litigious business, the effect of the spirit of trade which every where
prevailed.
The _Reliance_ having been cleared of her stores, and being now
quite light, was yet found to make as much water as before; and it
appeared, upon opening the ceiling, that the leak was in the guardboard
streak, abreast of the main-mast, the water rushing in there with great
force.
A survey had been held upon her consort, the _Supply_, after which
she was pronounced wholly unfit for further sea service.
The brickmakers, bricklayers, carpenters, and blacksmiths, were all fully
and variously employed at this time. For the latter, a large and
convenient shop, capable of working six or seven forges, was erecting at
Sydney. The different works which were in hand went on with a greater
spirit and more expedition than could have been expected, when the great
want of artificers and labouring people was considered. Some, though but
a few, mechanics had arrived in the last ships.
September.] This month began with a very vexatious circumstance. A boat
named the _Cumberland_, the largest and best in the colony belonging
to government, was, on her passage to the Hawkesbury, whither she was
carrying a few stores, taken possession of by a part of the boat's crew;
being at the same time boarded by a small boat from the shore, the people
in which seized her and put off to sea, first landing the coxswain and
three others, who were unwilling to accompany them, in Pitt Water in
Broken Bay. Those men proceeded overland to Port Jackson, where they gave
the first information of this daring and piratical transaction. Two
boats, well manned and armed, were immediately dispatched after them,
under the command of Lieutenant Shortland of the _Reliance_.
One of these boats returned in a few days, without having seen any thing
of them; but Lieutenant Shortland proceeded with the other, a whale boat,
as far as Port Stephens, where he thought it probable they might have
taken shelter; but on the 19th, having been absent thirteen days, he
returned without discovering the smallest trace of them or the boat. His
pursuit, however, had not been without its advantage; for on his return
he entered a river which he named Hunter river, about ten leagues to the
southward of Port Stephens into which he carried three fathoms water, in
the shoalest part of its entrance, finding deep water and good anchorage
within. The entrance of this river was but narrow, and covered by a high
rocky island, lying right off it, so as to leave a good passage round the
north end of the island, between that and the shore. A reef connects the
south part of the island with the south shore of the entrance of the
river. In this harbour was found a very considerable quantity of coal of
a very good sort, and lying so near the water side as to be conveniently
shipped; which gave it, in this particular, a manifest advantage over
that discovered to the southward. Some specimens of this coal were
brought up in the boat.
About this time a small decked long boat arrived from Norfolk island, and
brought an account that the master of the American snow _Mercury_
had landed there the remainder of the people who had been left by Captain
Bampton in Dusky Bay. When the _Endeavour_ was wrecked there about
20 months before*, the governor, not having any vessel at Port Jackson
fit for such a purpose, had expressed a wish to the master of the snow,
to this effect, when he was about leaving New South Wales. The master
made no objection, only stipulating that he might be permitted to take
from the wreck such stores as he might be in want of, but to this the
governor could not give his sanction, leaving him only to make what terms
he could with any of the people belonging to her whom he might find
alive. This service he performed under many difficulties, and brought off
all that now remained of these unfortunate people, amounting to 35 in
number, and landed them at Norfolk Island.
[* Vide Vol I Ch. XXX Page 384, viz: 'By letters received from
Mr. Bampton, who sailed from his place in the _Endeavour_ in
the month of September last, we now heard, that on his reaching Dusky Bay
in New Zealand his ship unfortunately proved so leaky, that with the
advice and consent of his officers and people she was run on shore and
scuttled.' and
Vol I Ch. XXX Page 388, viz: 'On the 17th the vessel built by the
shipwright Hatherleigh at Dusky Bay arrived, with some of the people left
behind by Mr. Bampton. They were so distressed for provisions, that the
person who had the direction of the vessel could not bring away the
whole; and it was singularly fortunate that he arrived as he did, for
with all the economy that could be used, his small stock of provisions
was consumed to the last mouthful the day before he made the land.']
By this conveyance the governor was also informed, that the
_Britannia_ had touched at the Island, and landed several convicts
who had secreted themselves on board her while she lay in this harbour.
Disappointed as these people generally were in their attempts to escape
from the settlement in this manner, yet it had become so certain a
system, that all the vigilance which could be exerted both on shore and
afloat was insufficient to prevent them. As the masters were seldom
refused permission to ship such as were free, it was their business to
receive no more on board than they could feed; and during the run between
Sydney and Norfolk island, the supernumeraries were generally discovered
and brought up from below. Indeed, considering the description of people
who formed the major or part of these deserters, it was not safe to have
many of them on board, being a lawless, abandoned, daring set of
wretches, to whom the commission of every crime was more familiar than
the practice of any one virtue.
On the 20th of the month, the _Deptford_, a small brig, arrived from
Madras, with a cargo of goods upon speculation for the Sydney market. The
spirit of trade which had for some time obtained in the colony afforded
an opening for adventurers to bring their goods to this settlement. The
voyage from India was short and direct; and, from the nature of their
investments, they were always certain of finding a ready sale, and an
ample return upon the original invoice. But this intercourse was found to
be pregnant with great evil to the colony; for, preferring spirits to any
other article that could be introduced from India, the owners never
failed to make the rum of that country an essential part of every cargo
which they sent upon speculation. And, though every necessary measure was
adopted to prevent all that arrived from being landed, yet, such was the
avidity with which it was sought after, that, if not permitted, it was
generally got on shore clandestinely, and very few ships carried back any
of what they had brought down. To this source might be traced all the
crimes which disgraced, and all the diseases that injured the colony.
Toward the latter end of the month a party set off on an excursion to the
cow pasture plains. On reaching mount Taurus, a distinct herd of the wild
cattle, 67 in number, was seen. It was conjectured, that this valuable
collection of cattle had so considerably increased, as to find a
convenience in dividing into different herds, thereby preventing those
quarrels which might frequently happen among their males. This was
confirmed by their falling-in with, in another place, a herd, in which
there could not have been fewer than 170 of these animals. A couple of
days were pleasantly occupied in examining this part of the country,
which exhibited the beautiful appearance of a luxuriant and well-watered
pasturage. The latitude of mount Taurus was found to be 34 degrees 16
minutes S and the river Nepean was discovered to take its course close
round the south side of this hill. Two gentlemen who were of this party
having, at their setting out, proposed to walk from mount Taurus in as
direct a line as the country would admit, to the seacoast, a whale boat
was ordered to wait for them about five leagues to the southward of
Botany Bay. They expected to have reached the coast in one day, but they
did not reckon on having full 25 miles of a rugged and mountainous road
to cross. Making their course a little to the southward of east, they
fell in with the boat very conveniently, and Mr. Bass, one of the
gentlemen, described their route to have laid, the greatest part of the
way, over nothing but high and steep ridges of hills, the land becoming
more rocky and barren as they drew near the sea coast. In each of the
valleys formed by these hills they found a run of fresh water, in some
places of considerable depth and rapidity. The direction of these streams
or runs being to the northward, they were supposed to fall into a harbour
which lay about five or six miles to the southward of Port Solander, and
had obtained the name of Port Hacking, the pilot of that name having had
the honour of the discovery.*
[* See the chart prefixed to this volume, where the route from Mount Taurus
is laid down.]
A church clock having been brought to the settlement in the _Reliance_
when that ship arrived from England, and no building fit for its
reception having been since erected, preparations were now making
for constructing a tower fit for the purpose; to which might be added a
church, whenever at a future day the increase of labourers might enable
the governor to direct such an edifice to be built.
One mill not being sufficient to grind the flour required by the
inhabitants at Sydney, the stone masons were employed in breaking out and
preparing stone for another at that place.
The blacksmith's shop, begun in the last month, was nearly completed at
the end of this.
The weather was observed to be growing warm. Toward the middle of the
month strong southerly winds, with rainy and unsettled weather,
prevailed, particularly at the change of the moon.