tfEW SOUTH WALES. 59$ 



ing the Governor, lie ordered them to be seized, 

 and returned to the flock of government 



Accounts of an alarming nature toward the 

 latter end of the month arrived from George's 

 river and the Hawkesbury. The weather had, 

 for upwards of twenty days, been very wet, 

 which was unfortunate, as the maize was now 

 ripe, the wind blew a heavy gale, accompanied 

 with so much rain that the river Hawkesbury, 

 and all the creeks, rose beyond their banks, 

 laying the flat country under water. The con- 

 sequent damage followed the desolation which 

 this flood spread over the cultivated grounds, 

 and some lives were lost, though considering 

 the extent of the flood they were few. 



The prospect of a fine maize harvest was now 

 at an end, and work of everykind was suspended, 

 for the purpose of preparing the ground for a se- 

 cond crop of wheat. The settlement had not 

 yet become so firmly established as to be en- 

 abled to withstand such a succession of ill-for- 

 tune without some assistance from the mother 

 country. Had the settlers been more indus- 

 trious, they must in some degree have been pre- 

 pared for accidents of this nature ; and it 

 was to be lamented, that, when they were 

 established on the banks of the Hawkesbury, 

 attention had not been paid to the evident figns 

 of the floods which the river appeared liable 

 to, had the dwellings been built on higher 

 ground, the inundations which had occurred 

 could have done no injury. The late overflows 



3e 



