6o s ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH COLONY [May, 



the colonics of New South Wales be denied the merit of endeavour- 

 ing to promote them, by eftabliming civilization in the favage world ; 

 by animating the children of idlenefs and vice to habits of laborious 

 and honeft induftry ; and by mewing the world that to Englifhmen no 

 difficulties are infuperable ? 



A Dutch (hip, bound for Europe, failing from the Cape of Good 

 Hope, Captain Hunter had taken the opportunity of forwarding the 

 difpatches with which he had been charged by Governor Phillip. He 

 was informed by the mafter of the Harpy Whaler, who put into 

 Table Bay, that in England there had been a general anxiety to hear 

 of the fafety and arrival of the adventurers at their deflined haven, 

 and that government only waited for this afiurance to fend out other 

 Ihips. Of thefe accounts it was hoped that minivers had been fome 

 time in poffeffion, and that in confequence fupplies were at this hour 

 on their paffage to New South Wales. 



From the fettlement on Rofe Hill, early in the month of May, two 

 foldiers of the detachment doing duty there were reported to be 

 miffing. It was fuppofed that they muft have loft their way in fome of 

 the thick and almoft impenetrable brumes which were in the vicinity 

 of Rofe Hill, and had there perimed miferably. They had gone in 

 fearch of the fweet tea plant already mentioned : probably, when 

 they refigned themfelves to the fate which they could not avoid, op- 

 preUed with hunger, and unable to wander farther, they might have 

 been but a fliort diftance from the relief which they fo earneftly 

 fought. A dog that was known to have left the fettlement with them 

 reached Rofe Hill, almoft famifhed, nine days after they had left it. 

 The extreme danger attendant on a man's going beyond the bounds 

 of his knowledge in the forefts of an unfettled country could nowhere 

 be more demonftrable than in this. To the weftward was an immenfe 

 open track before him, in which, if unbefriended by either fun or 

 moon, he might wander until life were at an end. Moft of the arms 

 which extended into the country from Port Jackfon, and the harbour 

 on each fide of Port Jackfon, were of great length, and to round them 



without 



