526 ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH COLONY [January 



About this time a bird was taken near Broken Bay, of a fpecies 

 never feen before in New South Wales. It was a large Eagle, which 

 gave proof of his ftrength, by driving his talons through a man's foot, 

 while lying in the bottom of the boat with his legs tied together. It 

 flood about three feet in height, and during the ten days that it was a 

 prifoner, was remarkable for refufing to be fed by any but one par- 

 ticular perfon. Among the natives it was an object of wonder and 

 fear, and they could never be prevailed upon to go near it. They af- 

 ferted, that it would carry off a middling-fized kangooroo. It had 

 been intended to be fent to England ; but one morning it was found 

 to have divided the ftrands of a rope with which it was faftened, and 

 dcaped. A Drawing had been made of it while in captivity, of which 

 the annexed Engraving is a copy. 



Accounts of a moft alarming nature were received toward the latter 

 end of the month from George's river and the Hawkeflbury. The 

 weather had, unfortunately for the maize, now ripe, been uncom- 

 monly bad for three weeks, the wind blowing a heavy gale, accom- 

 panied with torrents of rain that very foon fwelled the river Hawkef- 

 bury, and the creeks in George's river, beyond their banks ; laying 

 all the adjacent flat country, with the corn on it, under water. Much 

 damage, of courfe, followed the defolation which this ill-timed flood 

 fpread over the cultivated grounds ; and, although fewer than could 

 have been expected, fome lives were loft. 



The profpecl: of an abundant maize harvefl was wholly deftroyed ; 

 and every other work was fufpended, to prepare the ground a fecond 

 time that feafon for wheat. The fettlement was yet too young to be 

 able to endure fuch a fucceflion of ill-fortune without its being felt, 

 in fome degree, an inconvenience and expence to the mother country. 

 Had the fettlers themfelves, in general, been of a more induftrious 

 turn, they would have been better prepared for fuch accidents ; and 

 it was much to be lamented, that, in eftablilhing them on the banks 

 of the Hawkelbury, they had not with more attention confidered the 

 manifeft ligns of the floods to which the river appeared to the firft 



difcoverers 



