A VOYAGE TO 
Oq the 2 2d of June was a flight fliock of an earth- 
quake, which did not laft more than two or three fe- 
conds. It was felt by mofl people in the camp, and by 
the Governor himfelf, who heard at the fame time a 
noife from the fouthward^ which he took at firft for the 
report of guns fired at a great diiiance. 
On the 24th, a convicl who had abfconded on the 
5th, having been guilty of a robbery, returned into the 
camp aimofl ftarved. He had hoped to fubfift in the 
woods, but found it impoffible. One of the natives gave 
him a fifii, and then made figns for him to go away. 
He faid, that afterwards he joined a party of the natives, 
who would have burnt him, but that with fome difficulty 
he made his efcape ; and he pretended to have feen the 
remains of a human body adtually lying on a fire, but 
little credit can be given to reports from fuch a quarter. 
He was of opinion that the natives were at this time in 
great diftrefs for food, and faid, that he had feen four of 
them dying in the w^oods, who made figns for fome- 
thing to eat, as if they were perifliing through hunger. It 
is certain that very litde fifii could be caught at this 
time, and the convidl feemed defirous to fuggeil the no- 
tion that they fupplied their neceffities occafionally with 
human flefii ; but there feems to be no good foundation 
for fuch an opinion. This man was tried for his offence, 
pleaded guilty, and fuffered with another criminal. 
It 
