444 ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH COLONY [March, 



could carry but a fmall ftock of provifions, could not be very exten- 

 five ; he, however, went far enough to difcover that there was but 

 little good land near the fea ; but, had it even been fuperior to thofe 

 parts which were known, the want of harbours, even for -fmall vef- 

 fels, would leffen its value much. He regretted that he had not been 

 poffeffed of a better veffel, which would have enabled him to circum- 

 navigate Van Diemen's land. On his return, he picked up, on an 

 ifland near the coaft, the feven men who, it may be remembered, 

 were a part of thofe that had carried off a fettler's boat, and had been 

 left by their companions. Being utterly incapable of taking them 

 into his boat, he put them upon the main land, after furniming them 

 with what was neceffary for their fupport. Two, who were ill, he 

 took into his boat, and left the other five to begin their march of four 

 hundred miles to Port Jackfon. They were nearly naked, and almoft 

 ftarved, and muft have inevitably perifhed had not Mr. Bafs difcovered 

 them. 



Wifhing to obtain further information refpe£tin.g a falt-hill, feen 

 by the guides in their late excurfion with the Irifh convi&s, the Go- 

 vernor had fent a trufty perfon thither. At his return he produced 

 fome fpecimens of various veins of fait which he fell in with in dif- 

 ferent places, of ten and twelve feet in depth. He reported that he 

 found the country every where interfered with narrow, but deep and 

 rapid branches of frefh water rivers, over fome of which he was ob- 

 liged to fwirn ; others he was able to ford. 



Having been direded to feek for the wild cattle, he found them 

 about fix miles from the place where they had ufually been found ; 

 the herd was much more numerous than any that had hitherto been 

 feen, amounting to at ieaft 170, befides feveral ftragglers. It was a 

 fatisfa&ion to know that they were perfectly fafe. 



The men who, in the beginning of January, had boarded and car- 

 ried off a boat, were heard of in the latter end of March, when a 

 report was fpread that a piratical boat was inferring the harbour of 

 Broken Bay, and the Hawkefbury ; and -.the following day a letter, 



figned 



