t/B9.] OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 5? 



victualled on the ifland fixteen free people, fifty-one male convicts, 

 twenty-three female convicts, and four children. 



The arrival of the Supply with an account of thefe occurrences 

 created a temporary variety in the converfation of the day ; and a 

 general fatisfacYion appeared when the little vefTel that brought them 

 dropped her anchor again in the Cove. Lieutenant Ball, having loft 

 an anchor at Norfolk Iiland, did not deem it prudent to attempt to 

 fall in with the fhoal feen by the Golden Grove ftore-fhip ; his or- 

 ders on that head being difcretionary. 



We now return to the tranfactions of the principal fettlement. To- 

 war^i the latter end of this month, two of the birds diftinguifhed in 

 the colony by the name of Emus were brought in by fome of the 

 people employed to moot for the officers. The weight of each was 

 feventy pounds. 



The Governor thinking it probable that foreign mips might again 

 vifit this coaft, and perhaps run into this harbour for the purpofe of 

 procuring refreshments, directed Mr. Blackburn to furvey a large bay 

 on the north more, contiguous to this Cove ; and, a fufficient depth 

 of water being found, his Excellency inferted in the port orders, that 

 all foreign mips coming into this harbour mould anchor in that 

 bay, which he named Neutral Bay, bringing Rock Iiland to bear 

 S. S. E. and the hofpital on the weft fide of Sydney Cove to bear 

 S. V/. by W. 



Early in the month of April, and throughout its continuance, the 

 people whofe bufmefs called them down the harbour daily reported, 

 that they found, either in excavations of the rocks, or lying upon 

 the beaches and points of the different coves, the bodies of many of 

 the wretched natives of the country. The caufe of this mortality re- 

 mained unknown, until a family was brought into the fettlement and 

 the diforder pronounced to have been the fmall-pox. It was not a 

 defirable circumftance to introduce a diforder into the colony which 

 was raging with fuch fatal violence among the natives of the country; 

 but the faving the lives of any of thefe people was an object of no 



i fmali 



