360 
Account of 
female convicts: Mr. Evans, the Surveyor-General, also 
accompanied the expedition. 
After a thorough examination of the harbour, the 
Commandant fixed upon an island about 25 miles from 
the heads, as the most eligible spot for the new settlement. 
It had been named Sarah’s Island by Mr. Kelly, in 
honour of the lady of Mr. Birch.; and is distant about 
half a mile from a similar one, called Grunnet Island. 
On the latter the female prisoners were placed. 
Sarah’s Island was thickly covered with trees and brush¬ 
wood : some of the trees were soon levelled to the ground, 
a clear spot obtained, and huts erected. Part of the 
prisoners were for a considerable time employed in clear¬ 
ing the island, and erecting buildings; the remainder, 
comprising about 70 of the worst characters, were divided 
into parties and sent to the main land to cut timber, and 
in May the first raft was brought to the settlement. 
By this time quarters for the Commandant and Surgeon, 
and barracks for the military, had been completed ; and 
the settlement began to present a more comfortable as¬ 
pect. Several prisoners had attempted to make their 
escape; the first two, who were brothers, were never 
heard of, and we regret to add, the same fate happened 
to a military party and a guide : they had taken a fort¬ 
night’s rations, two kangaroo dogs, and ammunition. No 
traces of this party were ever met with; and it is to be 
apprehended that the dreadful ground they had to go over, 
added to a constant succession of seven weeks of heavy 
rain after their departure, must have overcome their 
strength, and that they perished miserably in the bush. 
The next party, four in number, attempted to form a 
catamaran—they succeeded in launching it; but before 
they had proceeded a mile it parted, and they were taken 
by the military whilst supporting themselves on the frag¬ 
ments of their raft. The almost unequalled hardships 
