NEW SOUTH WALES. 63 



went near the Sirius were siiaved ; when they 

 landed on the Western point, they examined 

 every thing, and went away very friendly, 

 taking no notice of the murders, and seeming 

 to fear no resentment ; but the ■ Governor 

 thought it necessary to avenge it, so he set out 

 with a strong party well armed, and .landed 

 were the bodies were found, then proceeding 

 across the country to Botany Bay,. he saw on 

 the beech upwards of 50 canoes, but no natives 

 near them. However, in a cove between Bo- 

 tany Bay and Port Jackson, he fell in with 

 about 300 natives of both sexes, and a friendly 

 intercourse took place, but nothing which could 

 tend to discover the murderers. 



His Majesty's birth-day was kept with all the 

 honours the colony \v r ere capable of shewing ; 

 the Sirius and Supply fired several vollies, and 

 in honour of his Majesty's second brother, the 

 Governor-fixed the boundaries of the first county 

 on the island, and named it Cumberland County. 

 Each person in the colony drank his Majesty's 

 health, and those sent to the rocks as. a punish- 

 ment, received a free pardon, That vicious 

 minds, never lose an opportunity of taking an 

 advantage is universally admitted, and the little 

 liberty allowed the convicts this evening, af- 

 forded them an opportunity of plundering many 

 huts and tehrs. An officer on going to his tent, 

 found a convict, who he was obliged to wound 

 with his sword! before he could secure him. For- 

 tunately two were detected and executed, but 

 one of these was. oat.* of the way for 19 days, 



