NEW SOtJfH WALES. 271 



food from these birds, and were continu- 

 ally walking over their habitations, yet at the 

 end of that time the returning flights in the even- 

 ing were as numerous as they had been on their 

 first arrival* 



When Mr. Hamilton, the commander of the 

 Sydney- Cove, quitted the house, he left two hens 

 sitting upon their eggs, some breeding pigeons, 

 and a bag of rice; but no traces were now to be 

 discovered either of the birds or their food. Pro- 

 bably as long as they continued in doors, they 

 did well ; but that, when forced by necessity to 

 go abroad for food, they fell a sacrifice to the ra- 

 pacity of the hawks. 



Several snakes with venemous fangs wem 

 found ; but, no person had been bit by them, so 

 that the degree of their power was unknown. 



The water of the island was imagined to have 

 been injurious to the health of people of the 

 Sydney-Cove. Being supposed to contain arse- 

 nic, which seemed highly probable from an ex- 

 periment made with the metallic particles, which 

 were thought to be tin. A fume of which bore 

 many marks of arsenic arising from the crucible 

 during the time of smelting it. Water was ve- 

 ry scarce while these people were upon the 

 island ; but, owing to some unusual falls of rain, 

 several little runs and swamps were found by 

 Mr. Bass ; and a low piece of ground where they 

 deposited their dead was now a pond of an ex- 

 cellent quality. 



Although he had seen but few of the low 

 islands of Furneaux, yet Mr. Bass had not any 



