312 HISTORY OF 



To this effect of intoxication, a few days 

 added another victim, in the person of a female, 

 either the real or pretended wife of Simon Tay* 

 lor, a man who had ever been considered one of 

 the very few industrious settlers the colony 

 could boast. They had been drinking- together, 

 unfortunately, to great excess; and in that 

 state quarrelled, when the unhappy man put an 

 end to her existence. He was taken into cus- 

 tody directly, and confined for trial 



A grub-Avorm was found in several parts of 

 the cultivated ground, which did very consider- 

 able damage ; and at the Hawkesbury a eatery 

 pillar commenced its ravages, on the young 

 grain just as it was shooting out of the earth. 

 This circumstance occasioned some delay in 

 sowing that ground which belonged to govern- 

 ment. 



It was for some days reported, that the crews 

 of two boats, suffered to go to Hunter's river 

 for a load of coal, had been cut off by the na- 

 tives, the Governor ordered his whale-boat to 

 be well armed, and to proceed thither in quest 

 of the boats and their crews ; sending in her 

 Henry Hacking, who from his past services 

 still retained the Governor's confidence. On 

 his return, the information he gave his Excel* 

 lency was, that on arriving he found an attempt 

 had been made to burn the lesser boat, which 

 had only three men in her, who on leaving Syd- 

 ney, were provided with a musket each; the 

 *men were, however, not to be found* Going in 

 search of them, he met with a large body of 



