310 ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH COLONY [November, 



Being, however, at that moment too much engaged in perfecYing»the 

 civil regulations which he had in view for the fettlement, his Excel- 

 lency could not himfelf go to that part of the country where they were 

 faid to have been found, but he detached a perfon on whom he could 

 depend. His report was fo fatisfactory, that on the 8th the Governor 

 fet off for Parramatta, attended by a fmall party; when, after travel- 

 ling two days in a direction S. S. W. from the fettlement at Profpecl: 

 Hill, he croffed the river named by Mr. Phillip, the Nepean ; and, 

 to his great furprife and fatisfa£tion, fell in with a very fine herd of 

 cattle, upwards of forty in number, grazing in a pleafant and appa- 

 rently fertile pafturage. The day being far advanced when he faw 

 them, he refted for the night in the neighbourhood, hoping in th& 

 morning to be gratified with a fight of the whole herd. A doubt had 

 been ftarted of their being cattle produced from what had been brought 

 into that country by Governor Phillip from the Cape ; and it was fug- 

 gefted that they might be of longer (landing. The Governor thought 

 this a circumftance worth determining, and directed the attendants 

 who were with him to endeavour to get near enough to kill a calf. 

 This they were not able to effect j for while lying in wait for the 

 whole herd to pafs, which now confifted of upwards of fixty young 

 and old, they were furioufly fet upon by a bull, which brought up the 

 rear, and which in their own defence they were obliged to kill. This* 

 however, anfwered the purpofe perhaps better than a calf might have- 

 done ; for he had all the marks of the Cape cattle when full grown, 

 fuch as wide-fpreading horns, a moderate rifing or hump between his 

 ihoulders, and a mort thin tail. Being at this time feven or eight 

 and thirty miles from Parramatta, a very fmall quantity^ of the meat 

 only could be fent in ; the remainder was left to the crows and dog© 

 of the woods, much to the regret of the Governor and his party, who 

 ccnfidered that the prifoners, particularly the fick at the hofpital, had 

 not lately received any meat either fait or frefh. 



The country where they were found grazing was remarkably plea- 

 fant to the eye 5 every where the foot trod on thick and luxuriant 



grafs ; 



