3 793-3 OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 213 



Tome, indeed, it was deemed fuperior to the land immediately about 

 Parramatta or Toongabbe. In this chain, on the Parramatta fide, 

 were placed thofe fettlers who had gone out in the Bellona; and, al- 

 though they had only taken pofTeffion of their farms about the middle 

 of February, they had got fome ground ready for wheat, and by their 

 mduftry had approved themfelves deferving of encouragement. 



The Kitty tranfport being fitted for her return to England, it was 

 intended that me mould fail on the fecond of June. Her departure 

 was, however, delayed by the appearance of a mutiny among the 

 failors at the very moment of being ordered to get the anchor up and 

 proceed to fea. The mafter, Mr. George Ramfay, had frequently 

 complained of fome of the failors of his fhip for various offences, and 

 feveral of them had been punifhed on fhore ; one, in particular, of the 

 name of Williams. This man and four others were found by the 

 mafter drinking, and with a light burning in the forecaftle, at the im- 

 proper hour of twelve at night. On being ordered to put out the 

 light, they refufed, fwearing that if the mafter put it out they would 

 light it again. This, however, he effected; when he was feized by 

 Williams and the other failors, and thrown into the water. For- 

 tunately he could fwim, (a circumftance unknown to thefe mifcreants) 

 and he reached the fhip's fide, whence, the mate coming to his affift- 

 ance, he was, though with fome difficulty, (being a very heavy man) 

 got into the £hip. The mafter, notwithstanding this outrage, would 

 have put to fea the next morning ; but when he ordered the topfails 

 to be hoifted, and the fhip got under way, Williams flood forward, 

 and, for himfelf and the reft, declared with much infolence, that the 

 anchor mould not be weighed until the proper number of hands be- 

 longing to the mip were on board (me was deficient three men and 

 two boys, the latter of whom had run away the night before). The 

 anchor, however, was got up by the afliftance of the paffengers and 

 fome people of the fettlement, who had boats alongfide. The Lieu- 

 tenant-Governor, on being informed of the dangerous and alarming 

 temper which the feamen manifested, refolved, by taking a firm and 



very 



/ 



