NEW SOUTH WALES. 2i5 



At the conclusion of the harvest a slight dis- 

 turbance took place among the Irish convicts 

 at Toongabbe. Each man and woman who had 

 been employed, having received a small quan- 

 tity of spirits and water, which was ordered to 

 be given them, its first effect was cheerful 

 pleasantry, but it terminated in riot; a circum- 

 stance by no means uncommon with those peo- 

 ple. They were however soon separated and 

 sent to their huts. 



On the 19th, the Francis arrived from Nor- 

 folk Island, leaving all there in good health. 

 Lieut Shortland, agreeable to his directions, 

 searched for SirCha.Middleton Island and shoal, 

 and returned with his journal, and a chart of the 

 several traverses he made in quest of the island, 

 and compared them with some made by Lieut, 

 (now Captain) Ball, of his Majesty's armed 

 brig Supply, when sent by Governor Phillip 

 on the same pursuit. The extensive, range taken 

 by those officers in the search, and not having 

 met with any indications of land near that 

 situation, left little reafon to believe the exist- 

 ence of an island. That of the shoal was not 

 doubtful ; and, although Mr. Shortland did 

 not fall in with it, yet as a shoal had been seen 

 near the spot in which that reef was laid down, 

 there was every reason to believe that a bank 

 Or shoal did exist thereabout ; but its exact 

 situation in point of latitude and longitude 

 had not yet been correctly fixed, nor was its 

 extent supposed to be so great as was at first 

 believed. 



