A Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson | Page 6

found to suit grain, and other seeds, which had been sown in it,
and that a species of flax-plant was discovered to grow spontaneously
on the island.
A survey of the harbour of Port Jackson was now undertaken, in order
to compute the number of canoes, and inhabitants, which it might
contain: sixty-seven canoes, and 147 people were counted. No estimate,
however, of even tolerable accuracy, can be drawn from so imperfect a
datum; though it was perhaps the best in our power to acquire.
In July and August, we experienced more inclement tempestuous
weather than had been observed at any former period of equal duration.
And yet it deserves to be remarked, in honour of the climate, that,
although our number of people exceeded 900, not a single death
happened in the latter month.
The dread of want in a country destitute of natural resource is ever
peculiarly terrible. We had long turned our eyes with impatience
towards the sea, cheered by the hope of seeing supplies from England
approach. But none arriving, on the 2d of October the 'Sirius' sailed for

the Cape of Good Hope, with directions to purchase provisions there,
for the use of our garrison.
A new settlement, named by the governor Rose Hill, 16 miles inland,
was established on the 3d of November, the soil here being judged
better than that around Sydney. A small redoubt was thrown up, and a
captain's detachment posted in it, to protect the convicts who were
employed to cultivate the ground.
The two last of the transports left us for England on the 19th of
November, intending to make their passage by Cape Horn. There now
remained with us only the 'Supply'. Sequestered and cut off as we were
from the rest of civilized nature, their absence carried the effect of
desolation. About this time a convict, of the name of Daly, was hanged,
for a burglary: this culprit, who was a notorious thief and impostor, was
the author of a discovery of a gold mine, a few months before: a
composition resembling ore mingled with earth, which he pretended to
have brought from it, he produced. After a number of attendant
circumstances, too ludicrous and contemptible to relate, which befell a
party, who were sent under his guidance to explore this second Peru, he
at last confessed, that he had broken up an old pair of buckles, and
mixed the pieces with sand and stone; and on assaying the composition,
the brass was detected. The fate of this fellow I should not deem worth
recording, did it not lead to the following observation, that the utmost
circumspection is necessary to prevent imposition, in those who give
accounts of what they see in unknown countries. We found the convicts
particularly happy in fertility of invention, and exaggerated
descriptions. Hence large fresh water rivers, valuable ores, and quarries
of limestone, chalk, and marble, were daily proclaimed soon after we
had landed. At first we hearkened with avidity to such accounts; but
perpetual disappointments taught us to listen with caution, and to
believe from demonstration only.
Unabated animosity continued to prevail between the natives and us: n
addition to former losses, a soldier and several convicts suddenly
disappeared, and were never afterwards heard of. Three convicts were
also wounded, and one killed by them, near Botany Bay: similar to the
vindictive spirit which Mr. Cook found to exist among their
countrymen at Endeavour River, they more than once attempted to set
fire to combustible matter, in order to annoy us. Early on the morning

of the 18th of December, word was brought that they were assembled
in force, near the brick-kilns, which stand but a mile from the town of
Sydney. The terror of those who brought the first intelligence
magnified the number to two thousand; a second messenger diminished
it to four hundred. A detachment, under the command of an officer was
ordered to march immediately, and reconnoitre them. The officer soon
returned, and reported, that about fifty Indians had appeared at the
brick-kilns; but upon the convicts, who were at work there, pointing
their spades and shovels at them, in the manner of guns, they had fled
into the woods.
Tired of this state of petty warfare and endless uncertainty, the
governor at length determined to adopt a decisive measure, by
capturing some of them, and retaining them by force; which we
supposed would either inflame the rest to signal vengeance, in which
case we should know the worst, and provide accordingly: or else it
would induce an intercourse, by the report which our prisoners would
make of the mildness and indulgence with which we used them. And
farther, it promised to unveil the cause of their mysterious conduct, by
putting us in possession of their reasons for harassing and