nillong and his companions. Bennillong repeated the assurances of his having, in conjunction with his friend Cole-be, severely beaten Wil-le-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.

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 here exchanged the punt 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, having each taken provisions for one week, their clothes and bedding, three iron pots, and some other utensils of that nature. They had all come 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. A boat was sent in search, but returned without discovering the least trace of them. They, no doubt, had pushed directly out upon that ocean which, from the wretched state of the boat wherein they trusted themselves, must have proved their grave.

Bennillong, after appointing several days to visit the Governor, at last made his appearance, attended by three of his companions. The welcome reception which they met with from every one who saw them, inspired the strangers with such a confidence in their entertainers, that the visit was soon repeated; and at length Bennillong solicited the Governor to build him a hut at the end of the eastern point of the cove. This the Governor, who was very desirous of preserving the friendly intercourse which now subsisted, readily promised, and gave the necessary directions for its being built.

While they were thus amusing themselves 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 had arrived at Batavia on the 6th of July, 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 his lieutenant, his gunner, and several of his seamen. He had tried for some days to touch at Norfolk Island, but ineffectually, being prevented by an easterly wind. By the return of this vessel several comforts were introduced into the settlement; her commander having paid the kindest attention to the wants of the officers by procuring their respective investments. After much delay and difficulty, Lieut. Ball was only able to purchase 2021 pounds of flour, which, exclusive of the freight, cost 104d. per pound. He also bought 200,000 pounds of rice, with some salt provisions; the whole cargo amounted to the enormous sum of £11,688.

A small boat which had been sent out with a seine was lost somewhere about the Middle Head. She had five convicts in her; and from the reports of the natives, who were witnesses of the accident, it was supposed that 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, the 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. Some gentlemen going down soon after found their information too true. One of the bodies was lying dead upon the beach.

On the 10th of December a convict, employed by Governor Phillip to shoot for him, was dangerously wounded by a native named Pe-mul-wy, while in quest of game at some considerable distance in the woods. 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 till suppuration took place) it was found to have entered his body under the left arm, to the depth of seven inches and a half, and was armed for five or six inches from the point with ragged pieces of shells fastened in gum. His recovery was pronounced by the surgeon to be very doubtful.

As the attack on this man appeared to have been wanton and entirely unprovoked, not only from the sufferer's own 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 his Excellency resorted with reluctance. He had always wished that none of their blood might be shed; and in his own case, when wounded by the native, 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 a party, consisting of two captains, 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 above-mentioned.

There was little probability that such a party would be able to fall in with the people whom they were sent to punish so unexpectedly, as to surprise them, without which chance

I

they might hunt them in the woods for ever; and as the different 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 had wounded a white man, was likely to have a good effect; as it was well known to several natives, who were at this time in the town of Sidney, that this was the intention with which they were sent out.

On the third day after their departure they returned without having hurt a native, or made a prisoner. They had seen some at the head of Botany Bay, and fired at them, but without doing 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.

On the 17th Dec. the Dutch snow the Waaksamheyd anchored in the cove from Batavia, having left that place on the 20th of Sept. and met on her passage with contrary winds. She had been manned principally with Malays, sixteen of whom died during the passage.

The quantity of rice brought in this vessel was weighed against the wish of the master, and found to be 42,009 cwt. less than what was purchased. The Governor agreed to receive 1lb. of butter (the master having a quantity of that article) for 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 the above time, four male convicts were executed; one midshipman, two soldiers, and six male convicts, were drowned; one convict perished in the woods, and two absconded; making a total decrease of one hundred and fifty-nine persons.

CHAP. X.

Commencement of 1791-A Native killed-Supply sails for Norfolk Island-Dutch Snow hired to proceed to England-Supply returns with Captain Hunter from Norfolk Island---Transactions thereThe Dutch Vessel sails to England, and the Supply to Norfolk Island-A Party of Convicts escape-Ration reduced-Various Regulations-State of Norfolk Island-Convicts wantonly destroy a

Canoe.

In January 1791, the Indian corn beginning to ripen at Rose Hill, the convicts commenced their depredations, for which several were punished; but nothing seemed to deter them, and they now committed thefts as if they stole from principle; for at this time they received the full ration, in which no difference was made between them and the Governor, or any other free person in the colony. On the arrival of the Dutch provisions, the Governor had altered the ration, and caused five pounds of rice to be issued in lieu of four pounds of flour.

Information having been received, that some natives had thrown a spear or fiz-gig at a convict in a garden on the west side, where they had met together to steal potatoes, an armed party was sent to disperse them; when a club being thrown by one of the natives at the party, the latter fired, and one man was wounded. This circumstance was at first only suranised, on tracing a quantity of blood from the spot to the water; but in a few days afterwards the natives in the town told the name of the wounded man, and added, that he was then dead, and to be found in a cove which they mentioned. On going to the place, a savage, well known in the town since the intercourse between them and the inhabitants had been opened, was found dead, and disposed of for burning. He had been shot under the arm, and the surgeon was of opinion that he had bled to death.