452 ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH COLONY [October, 



women, who are themfelves equally deftrutYive to the meafure of po- 

 pulation, by the horrid and cruel cuftom of endeavouring to caufe 

 mifcarriage ; this their female acquaintance effect by preffing the 

 body in iuch a way, as to deftroy the infant in the womb ; which 

 violence not unfrequently occafions the death of the unnatural mother 

 alfo. To this they have recourfe, to avoid the trouble of carrying 

 the infant when born, which, when it is very young, or at the breaft, 

 is the duty of the woman. The operation for this deftructive purpofe 

 is termed mee-bra. The burying an infant (when at the breaft) with 

 the mother, if me mould die, is another mocking caufe of the thinnefs 

 of population among them. 



A fecond battle among the natives was fought during the month, 

 in which three were killed, and feveral wounded ; among the latter 

 was Ben- nil-long, who had but juft recovered from his former wound* 



The weather in July had been remarkably cold : in Auguft it was 

 as remarkably fultry, and the wind high, which fet many parts of 

 the country on fire, and deftroyed fome property. The furveyor- 

 general's houfe, with every article in it, was confumed. 



On the 17th the Barwell failed for China. By her the Governor 

 addrefled a letter to the Governor-general of India ; informing his 

 lordfhip, that having tranfmitted to the Secretary of State copies of the 

 letters upon the fubje£t of raifmg recruits in Port Jackfon for the army 

 in India, which had been received in the year 1796, by the officers 

 who were fent from Calcutta ; it was the opinion of his Majefty's 

 minifters, that the inconveniencies attending fuch a meafure would 

 more than counter-balance the advantages of it, and that permiffioa 

 for that purpofe could not therefore be granted. 



Another adventurer entered the port on the ift of October, viz. 

 the Semiramis, from Rhode Ifland, bound to China. She made her 

 paflage in three months and nine days. 



On the evening of the fame day the church on the eaft fide of the 

 Cove was difcovered to be on fire, and every effort to fave it proved 

 inefTe&ual 5 for the building being severed with thatch, which was 



at 



