OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 



4i7 



Mr. Clarke, of the fhip Sydney-Cove, having mentioned that, two 

 days before he had met the people of the boat which had brought 

 him to Port Jackfon, he had fallen in with a great quantity of coal, 

 with which he and his companions made a large fire, and had flept by 

 it during the night, a whale-boat was fent off to the fouthward, with 

 Mr. Bafs, the furgeon of the Reliance, to difcover where an article fo 

 valuable was to be met with. He proceeded about feven leagues to 

 the fouthward of Point Solander ; where he found, in the face of a 

 fleep cliff, warned by the fea, a flratum of coal, in breadth about fix 

 feet, and extending eight or nine miles to the fouthward. Upon the 

 fummit of the high land, and lying on the furface, he obferved many 

 patches of coal, from fome of which it muft have been that Mr. 

 Clarke was fo feafonably fupplied with fuel. He alfo found in the 

 Ikeletons of the mate and carpenter of the Sydney-Cove, an unequi- 

 vocal proof of their having unfortunately perifhed, as was conjeclured. 



From the fpecimens of the coal which were brought in by Mr. 

 Bafs, the quality appeared to be good ; but, from its almofl inacceffi- 

 ble fituation, no great advantage could ever be expecled from it ; 

 and, indeed, were it even lefs difficult to be procured, unlefs fome 

 fmall harbour mould be near it, it could not be of much utility to the 

 fettlement. 



No circumftance deferving of attention had occurred for fome time 

 among the natives. On the 27th of the month, however, one of their 

 young men flood the trial pra&ifed by his countrymen, for having 

 killed fome perfon in a quarrel. He flood manfully up againft all 

 their fpears, and defended himfelf with great fkill and addrefs. Hav- 

 ing had two fhields fplit in his hand, by the fpear paffing through 

 them, his friends, who were numerous, attacked his opponents, 

 whom they difarmed, and broke their fhields, with many of their 

 fpears. 



It had been intended to have thrown fome fpears at Ben-nil- 

 long at the fame time, from its having been reported that a female na- 

 tive, when dying, had declared fhe dreamed that Ben-nil-long had 



3 h killed 



