Governor Phillip wounded by a native
Intercourse opened with the natives
Great haul of fish
Convicts abscond with a boat
Works
Want of rain
Natives
_Supply_ returns from Batavia
Transactions there
Criminal Courts
James Bloodworth emancipated
Oars found in the woods
A convict brought back in the _Supply_
A boat with five people lost
Public works
A convict wounded by a native
Armed parties sent out to avenge him
A Dutch vessel arrives with supplies from Batavia
Decrease by sickness and casualties in 1790
September.] Since the escape of Bennillong the native in May last,
nothing had been heard of him, nor had any thing worthy of notice
occurred among the other natives. In the beginning of this month,
however, they were brought forward again by a circumstance which seemed
at first to threaten the colony with a loss that must have been for some
time severely felt; but which was succeeded by an opening of that
amicable intercourse with these people which the governor had always
laboured to establish, and which was at last purchased by a most
unpleasant accident to himself, and at the risk of his life.
The governor, who had uniformly directed every undertaking in person
since the formation of the colony, went down in the morning of the 7th to
the South Head, accompanied by Captain Collins and Lieutenant Waterhouse,
to give some instructions to the people employed in erecting a column at
that place. As he was returning to the settlement, he received
information, by a boat which had landed Mr. White and some other
gentlemen in the lower part of the harbour (they were going on an
excursion towards Broken Bay) that Bennillong had been seen there by Mr.
White, and had sent the governor as a present a piece of the whale which
was then lying in the wash of the surf on the beach. Anxious to see him
again, the governor, after taking some arms from the party at the
Look-out, which he thought the more requisite in this visit as he heard
the cove was full of natives, went down and landed at the place where the
whale was lying. Here he not only saw Bennillong, but Cole-be also, who
had made his escape from the governor's house a few days after his
capture. At first his excellency trusted himself alone with these people;
but the few months Bennillong had been away had so altered his person,
that the governor, until joined by Mr. Collins and Mr. Waterhouse, did
not perfectly recollect his old acquaintance. Bennillong had been always
much attached to Mr. Collins, and testified with much warmth his
satisfaction at seeing him again. Several articles of wearing apparel
were now given to him and his companions (taken for that purpose from the
people in the boat, who, all but one man, remained on their oars to be
ready in case of any accident), and a promise was exacted from the
governor by Bennillong to return in two days with more, and also with
some hatchets or tomahawks. The cove was full of natives allured by the
attractions of a whale feast; and it being remarked during the conference
that the twenty or thirty which appeared were drawing themselves into a
circle round the governor and his small unarmed party (for that was
literally and most inexcusably their situation) the governor proposed
retiring to the boat by degrees; but Bennillong, who had presented to him
several natives by name, pointed out one, whom the governor, thinking to
take particular notice of, stepped forward to meet, holding out both his
hands toward him. The savage not understanding this civility, and perhaps
thinking that he was going to seize him as a prisoner, lifted a spear
from the grass with his foot, and fixing it on his throwing-stick, in an
instant darted it at the governor. The spear entered a little above the
collar bone, and had been discharged with such force, that the barb of it
came through on the other side. Several other spears were thrown, but
happily no further mischief was effected. The spear was with difficulty
broken by Lieutenant Waterhouse, and while the governor was leading down
to the boat the people landed with the arms, but of four muskets which
they brought on shore one only could be fired.
The boat had five miles to row before it reached the settlement; but the
people in her exerting themselves to the utmost, the governor was landed
and in his house in something less than two hours. The spear was
extracted with much skill by Mr. Balmain, one of the assistant-surgeons
of the hospital, who immediately pronounced the wound not mortal. An
armed party was dispatched that evening toward Broken Bay for Mr. White,
the principal surgeon, who returned the following day, and reported that
in the cove where the whale lay they saw several natives; but being armed
nothing had happened.
No other motive could be assigned for this conduct in the savage, than
the supposed apprehension that he was about to be seized by the governor,
which the circumstance of his advancing toward him with his hands held
out might create. But it certainly would not have happened had the
precaution of taking even a single musket on shore been attended to. The
governor had always placed too great a confidence in these people, under
an idea that the sight of fire arms would deter them from approaching; he
had now, however, been taught a lesson which it might be presumed he
would never forget.
This accident gave cause to the opening of a communication between the
natives of this country and the settlement, which, although attended with
such an unpromising beginning, it was hoped would be followed with good
consequences.
A few days after the accident, Bennillong, who certainly had not any
culpable share in the transaction, came with his wife and some of his
companions to a cove on the north shore not far from the settlement,
where, by means of Boo-roong, the female who lived in the clergyman's
house, an interview was effected between the natives and some officers,
Mr. White, Mr. Palmer, and others, who at some personal risk went over
with her.
At this time the name of the man who had wounded the governor was first
known, Wil-le-me-ring; and Bennillong made many attempts to fix a belief
that he had beaten him severely for the aggression. Bennillong declared
that he should wait in that situation for some days, and hoped that the
governor would be able, before the expiration of them, to visit him. On
the tenth day after he had received the wound, his excellency was so far
recovered as to go to the place, accompanied by several officers all
armed, where he saw Bennillong and his companions. Bennillong then
repeated his assurances of his having, in conjunction with his friend
Cole-be, severely beaten Wille-me-ring; and added that his throwing the
spear at the governor was entirely the effect of his fears, and done from
the impulse of self-preservation.
The day preceding the governor's visit, the fishing boats had the
greatest success which had yet been met with; near four thousand of a
fish, named by us, from its shape only, the salmon, being taken at two
hauls of the seine. Each fish weighed on an average about five pounds;
they were issued to this settlement, and to that at Rose Hill; and thirty
or forty were sent as a conciliating present to Bennillong and his party
on the north shore.
These circumstances, and the visit to the natives, in which it was
endeavoured to convince them that no animosity was retained on account of
the late accident, nor resentment harboured against any but the actual
perpetrator of the fact, created a variety in the conversation of the
day; and those who were desirous of acquiring the language were glad of
the opportunity which the recently-opened intercourse seemed to promise
them.
In the night of the 26th a desertion of an extraordinary nature took
place. Five male convicts conveyed themselves, in a small boat called a
punt, from Rose Hill undiscovered. They there exchanged the punt, which
would have been unfit for their purpose, for a boat, though very small
and weak, with a mast and sail, with which they got out of the harbour.
On sending to Rose Hill, people were found who could give an account of
their intentions and proceedings, and who knew that they purposed
steering for Otaheite. They had each taken provisions for one week; their
cloaths and bedding; three iron pots, and some other utensils of that
nature. They all came out in the last fleet, and took this method of
speedily accomplishing their sentences of transportation, which were for
the term of their natural lives. Their names were, John Tarwood, a
daring, desperate character, and the principal in the scheme; Joseph
Sutton, who was found secreted on board the _Neptune_ and punished; George
Lee; George Connoway, and John Watson. A boat with an officer was sent to
search for them in the north-west branch of this harbour, but returned,
after several hours search, without discovering the least trace of them.
They no doubt pushed directly out upon that ocean which, from the
wretched state of the boat wherein they trusted themselves, must have
proved their grave.
The governor purposing to erect a capacious storehouse and a range of
barracks at Rose Hill, a convict who understood the business of
brickmaking was sent up for the purpose of manufacturing a quantity
sufficient for those buildings, a vein of clay having been found which it
was supposed would burn into good bricks. A very convenient wharf and
landing place were made at that settlement, and twenty-seven huts were in
great forwardness at the end of the month.
Very small hopes were entertained of the wheat of this season; extreme
dry weather was daily burning it up. Toward the latter end of the month
some rain fell, the first which deserved the name of a heavy rain since
last June.
October.] The little rain which fell about the close of the preceding
month soon ceased, and the gardens and the corn grounds were again
parching for want of moisture. The grass in the woods was so dried, that
a single spark would have set the surrounding country in flames; an
instance of this happened early in the month, with the wind blowing
strong at N W. It was however happily checked.
Bennillong, after appointing several days to visit the governor, came at
last on the 8th, attended by three of his companions. The welcome
reception they met with from every one who saw them inspired the
strangers with such a confidence in us, that the visit was soon repeated;
and at length Bennillong solicited the governor to build him a hut at the
extremity of the eastern point of the cove. This the governor, who was
very desirous of preserving the friendly intercourse which seemed to have
taken place, readily promised, and gave the necessary directions for its
being built.
19th.] While we were thus amusing ourselves with these children of
ignorance, the signal for a sail was made at the South Head, and shortly
after the _Supply_ anchored in the cove from Batavia, having been absent
from the settlement six months and two days. Lieutenant Ball arrived at
Batavia on the 6th of July last, where he hired a vessel, a Dutch snow,
which was to sail shortly after him with the provisions that he had
purchased for the colony. While the _Supply_ lay at Batavia the season
was more unhealthy than had ever been known before; every hospital was
full, and several hundreds of the inhabitants had died. Lieutenant Ball,
at this grave of Europeans, buried Lieutenant Newton Fowell, Mr. Ross the
gunner, and several of his seamen. He tried for some days to touch at
Norfolk Island, but ineffectually, being prevented by easterly winds.
Mr. King and Mr. Miller (the late commissary) had sailed on the 4th of
last August in a Dutch packet for Europe.
By the return of this vessel several comforts were introduced into the
settlement; her commander, with that attention to the wants of the
different officers which always characterised him, having procured and
taken on board their respective investments.
In his passage to Batavia, Lieutenant Ball saw some islands, to which,
conjecturing, from not finding them in any charts which he had on board,
that he might claim being the discoverer of them, he gave names
accordingly. Although anxious to make an expeditious passage, he had the
mortification to be baffled by contrary winds both to and from Batavia;
and at that settlement, instead of finding the governor-general (to whom
in his orders he was directed to apply for permission to purchase
provisions, and for a ship to bring them) ready to forward the service he
came on, which he represented as requiring the utmost expedition, he was
referred to the Sabandhaar, Mr. N. Engelhard, who, after much delay and
pretence of difficulty in procuring a vessel, produced one, a snow, which
they estimated at three hundred and fifty tons burden, and demanded to be
paid for at the rate of eighty rix dollars for every ton freight,
amounting together to twenty-eight thousand rix dollars, each rix dollar
being computed at forty-eight Dutch pennies; and the freight was to be
paid although the vessel should be lost on the passage.
As it was impossible to hire any vessel there upon cheaper terms,
Lieutenant Ball was compelled to engage for the _Waaksamheyd_ (that being
her name, which, englished, signified 'Good look out') upon the terms
they proposed. Of the provisions which he was instructed to procure, the
whole quantity of flour, two hundred thousand pounds, was not to be had,
he being able only to purchase twenty thousand and twenty-one pounds, for
which they charged ten stivers per pound, and an addition of about
one-third of a penny per pound was charged for grinding it*. Instead of
the flour Lieutenant Ball purchased two hundred thousand pounds of rice,
at one rix dollar and forty-four stivers per hundred weight over and
above the seventy thousand pounds he was directed to procure. The salt
provisions were paid for at the rate of seven stivers per pound, and the
amount of the whole cargo, including the casks for the flour, wood for
dunnage, hire of cooleys, and of craft for shipping the provisions, was
thirty thousand four hundred and forty-one rix dollars and thirty-three
stivers; which added to the freight (twenty-eight thousand rix dollars)
made a total of fifty-eight thousand four hundred and forty-one rix
dollars and thirty-three stivers, or £11,688 6s 9d sterling.
[* The flour, without the freight, including one hundred and ten rix
dollars which were charged for twenty-two half leagers in which it was
contained, amounted as nearly as possible to tenpence three farthings per
pound.]
Mr. Ormsby, a midshipman from the _Sirius_, was left to come on with the
snow, which it was hoped would sail in a few weeks after the _Supply_.
The criminal court was twice assembled during this month. At the first a
soldier was tried for a felony, but acquitted. At the second William
Harris and Edward Wildblood were tried for entering a hut at Parramatta,
in which was only one man, and that a sick person, whom they knocked
down, and then robbed the hut. They were clearly convicted of the
offence, and, being most daring and flagrant offenders, were executed at
Rose Hill, near the hut which they had robbed. These people had given a
great deal of trouble before they committed the offence for which they
suffered. At the latter end of the last month they took to the woods,
having more than once or twice robbed their companions at Rose Hill. As
they were well known, the watch soon brought them in to the settlement at
Sydney. They confessed, that the night before they were apprehended they
killed a goat belonging to Mr. White. The governor directed them
immediately to be linked together by the leg, and sent them back to Rose
Hill, there to labour upon bread and water. It was in this situation
that, taking advantage of their overseer's absence for a few minutes,
they went to the hut, of the situation of which they had previous
knowledge, and robbed it of every thing they could carry away.
While these people were suffering the punishment they deserved, James
Bloodworth, mentioned before in this narrative, received the most
distinguishing mark of approbation which the governor had in his power to
give him, being declared free, and at liberty to return to England
whenever he should choose to quit the colony. Bloodworth had approved
himself a most useful member of the settlement, in which there was not a
house or building that did not owe something to him; and as his loss
would be severely felt should he quit it while in its infancy, he bound
himself by an agreement with the governor to work for two years longer in
the colony, stipulating only to be fed and clothed during that time.
Encouraged by the facility with which Tarwood and his companions made
their escape from the colony, some others were forming plans for a
similar enterprise. A convict gave information that a scheme nearly ripe
for execution was framed, and that the parties had provided themselves
with oars, masts, sails, etc. for the purpose, which were concealed in
the woods; and as a proof of the veracity of his account, he so clearly
described the place of deposit, that on sending to the spot, four or five
rude unfinished stakes were found, which he said were to be fashioned
into oars. The person who gave the information dreaded so much being
known as the author, that no further notice was taken of it than
destroying the oars, and keeping a very vigilant eye on the conduct of
the people who had been named by him as the parties in the business.
Attempts of this sort were always likely to be made, at least as long as
any difficulty occurred in their quitting the colony after the term had
expired for which by law they were sentenced to remain abroad. There must
be many among them who would be anxious to return to their wives or
children, or other relations, and who, perhaps, might not resort again to
the companions of their idle hours. If these people found any obstacles
in their way, they would naturally be driven to attempt the attainment of
their wishes in some other mode; and it would then become an object of
bad policy, as well as cruelty, to detain them.
The weather about this period was evidently becoming warmer every day;
and although the trees never wholly lost their foliage, yet they gave
manifest signs of the return of spring.
November.] James Williams, who was missing on the sailing of the _Supply_
for Batavia, was found by Lieutenant Ball to have secreted himself on
board that vessel, and on her return he delivered him up as a prisoner to
the provost-marshal. Williams owned that his flight was to avoid a
punishment which he knew awaited him; and Lieutenant Ball spoke so
favourably of his conduct while he was under his observation, that the
governor would have forgiven him, had he not feared that others might,
from such an example, think to meet the same indulgence: he therefore
directed him to receive two hundred and fifty lashes, half of the
punishment which by the court that tried him he was sentenced to receive,
and remitted the remainder.
A small boat belonging to Mr. White, which had been sent out with a
seine, was lost this month somewhere about Middle Head. She had five
convicts in her; and, from the reports of the natives who were witnesses
of the accident, it was supposed they had crossed the harbour's mouth,
and, having hauled the seine in Hunter's Bay, were returning loaded,
when, getting in too close with the rocks and the surf under Middle Head,
she filled and went down. The first information that any accident had
happened was given by the natives, who had secured the rudder, mast, an
oar, and other parts of the boat, which they had fixed in such situations
as were likely to render them conspicuous to any boat passing that way.
Mr. White and some other gentlemen, going down directly, found their
information too true. One of the bodies was lying dead on the beach; with
the assistance of Cole-be and the other natives he recovered the seine
which was entangled in the rocks, and brought away the parts of his boat
which they had secured.
This appeared to be a striking instance of the good effect of the
intercourse which had been opened with these people; and there seemed
only to be a good understanding between us and them wanting to establish
an harmony which would have been productive of the best consequences, and
might have been the means of preventing many of the unfortunate accidents
that had happened. The governor, however, thought it necessary to direct,
that offensive weapons should not be given to these people in exchange
for any of their articles; being apprehensive that they might use them
among themselves, and not wishing by any means to arm them against each
other.
At Rose Hill a storehouse was begun and finished during the month,
without any rain; its dimensions were one hundred feet by twenty-four
feet. The bricks there, either from some error in the process, or defect
in the clay, were not so good in quality as those made at Sydney. In
their colour they were of a deep red when burned, but did not appear to
be durable.
At Sydney, a good landing-place on the east side was completed; and two
small brick huts, one for a cutler's shop, and another for the purpose of
boiling oil or melting tallow, were built on the same side. A wharf was
also marked out on the west side, which was to be carried far enough out
into deep water to admit of the loaded hoy coming along-side at any time
of tide. The hut, a brick one twelve feet square and covered with tiles,
was finished for Bennillong, and taken possession of by him about the
middle of the month.
Notwithstanding the accidents which had happened to many who had strayed
imprudently beyond the known limits of the different settlements, two
soldiers of the New South Wales corps, who had had every necessary
caution given them on the arrival of their detachment at Rose Hill,
strayed into the woods, and were missing for four or five days, in which
time they had suffered severely from anxiety and hunger.
December.] The temporary barrack which had been erected within the
redoubt at Rose Hill, formed only of posts and shingles nailed or
fastened with pegs on battens, going fast to decay, and being found
inadequate to guard against either the rain or wind of the winter months
and the heat of those of the summer, the foundation of a range of brick
buildings for the officers and soldiers stationed there was laid early in
the month. The governor fixed the situation contiguous to the storehouse
lately erected there, to which they might serve as a protection. They
were designed for quarters for one company, with the proper number of
officers, a guardroom, and two small store-rooms.
On the 10th, John McIntire, a convict who was employed by the governor to
shoot for him, was dangerously wounded by a native named Pe-mul-wy*,
while in quest of game in the woods at some considerable distance from
the settlement. When brought in he declared, and at a time when he
thought himself dying, that he did not give any offence to the man who
wounded him; that he had even quitted his arms, to induce him to look
upon him as a friend, when the savage threw his spear at about the
distance of ten yards with a skill that was fatally unerring. When the
spear was extracted, which was not until suppuration took place, it was
found to have entered his body under the left arm, to the depth of seven
inches and a half. It was armed for five or six inches from the point
with ragged pieces of shells fastened in gum. His recovery was
immediately pronounced by Mr. White to be very doubtful.
[* His name was readily obtained from the natives who lived among us, and
who soon became acquainted with the circumstances.]
As the attack on this man was wanton, and entirely unprovoked on the part
of McIntire, not only from his relation of the circumstance, but from the
account of those who were with him, and who bore testimony to his being
unarmed, the governor determined to punish the offender, who it was
understood resorted with his tribe above the head of Botany Bay. He
therefore directed that an armed party from the garrison should march
thither, and either destroy or make prisoners of six persons (if
practicable) of that tribe to which the aggressor belonged, carefully
avoiding to offer any injury to either women or children. To this measure
the governor resorted with reluctance. He had always wished that none of
their blood might ever be shed; and in his own case, when wounded by
Wille-me-ring, as he could not punish him on the spot, he gave up all
thoughts of doing it in future. As, however, they seemed to take every
advantage of unarmed men, some check appeared absolutely necessary.
Accordingly, on Tuesday the 14th a party, consisting of two captains,
Tench, of the marines, and Hill of the New South Wales corps, with two
subalterns, three sergeants, two corporals, one drummer, and forty
privates, attended by two surgeons, set off with three days' provisions
for the purpose abovementioned.
There was little probability that such a party would be able so
unexpectedly to fall in with the people they were sent to punish, as to
surprise them, without which chance, they might hunt them in the woods
for ever; and as the different tribes (for we had thought fit to class
them into tribes) were not to be distinguished from each other, but by
being found inhabiting particular residences, there would be some
difficulty in determining, if any natives should fall in their way,
whether they were the objects of their expedition, or some unoffending
family wholly unconnected with them. The very circumstance, however, of a
party being armed and detached purposely to punish the man and his
companions who wounded McIntire, was likely to have a good effect, as it
was well known to several natives, who were at this time in the town of
Sydney, that this was the intention with which they were sent out.
On the third day after their departure they returned, without having
wounded or hurt a native, or made a prisoner. They saw some at the head
of Botany Bay, and fired at them, but without doing them any injury.
Whenever the party was seen by the natives, they fled with incredible
swiftness; nor had a second attempt, which the governor directed, any
better success.
The governor now determining to avail himself as much as possible of the
health and strength of the working convicts, while by the enjoyment of a
full ration they were capable of exertion, resolved to proceed with such
public buildings as he judged to be necessary for the convenience of the
different settlements. Accordingly, during this month, the foundation of
another storehouse was laid, equal in dimensions and in a line with that
already erected on the east side of the cove at Sydney.
On the 17th the Dutch snow the _Waaksamheyd_ anchored in the cove from
Batavia, from which place she sailed on the 20th day of last September,
meeting on her passage with contrary winds. She was manned principally
with Malays, sixteen of whom she buried during the passage. Mr. Ormsby
the midshipman arrived a living picture of the ravages made in a good
constitution by a Batavian fever. He was in such a debilitated state,
that it was with great difficulty he supported himself from the wharf on
which he landed to the governor's house.
The master produced a packet from the sabandhaar (his owner) at Batavia,
inclosing two letters to the governor, one written in very good English,
containing such particulars respecting the vessel as he judged it for
his interest to communicate; the other, designed to convey such
information as he was possessed of respecting European politics, being
written in Dutch, unfortunately proved unintelligible; and we could only
gather from Mr. Ormsby and the master, who spoke bad English, that a
misunderstanding subsisted between Great Britain and Spain; but on what
account could not be distinctly collected.
On the first working day after her arrival the people were employed in
delivering the cargo from the snow. The quantity of rice brought in her
was found to be short of that purchased and paid for by Lieutenant Ball
42,900 weight, and the governor consented to receive in lieu a certain
proportion of butter*, the master having a quantity of that article on
board very good. This deficiency was ascertained by weighing all the
provisions which were landed; a proceeding which the master acquiesced in
with much reluctance and some impertinence.
[* One pound of butter to eighteen pounds of rice.]
The numbers who died by sickness in the year 1790, were two seamen, one
soldier, one hundred and twenty-three male convicts, seven females, and
ten children; in all, one hundred and forty-three persons.
In the above time four male convicts were executed; one midshipman, two
soldiers, and six male convicts were drowned; one male convict perished
in the woods, and two absconded from the colony, supposed to be secreted
on board a transport; making a total decrease of one hundred and
fifty-nine persons.