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[Page 2]
forded some of those of water mentioned fornerly in my Journal, the Sea l had made its way thro' the Beaches & had filld those Lagoons which were become so deep as to render it very difficult to keep our feet thro': I was desirous of again visiting the Hawkesbury River, and had for this purpose Orderd Boats round to meet us, but contrary winds & Currents had detaind them unknown to us whilst on our March, untill we arriv'd there rather fatigu'd; there we remaind at the lower pat of the South Branch (Pitt Water) two Nights when our Boats Joind us, We caught fish & faird Well; We were four days in reaching so high up the River as our Settlements; Here I examind the different farms, and found many of them thriving, no appearence of want or any kind of distress, but that which proceeds from the depredations constantly committing by Worthless Characters who have absconded from their labor & live as a Banditti - We have had three of those Villians lately Shott in the Act of robbing the Houses of some of the Settlers, two of whom died on the Spott, the other is recover'd, & has again I am Just informd taken to the same life - Even those Serious examples are insufficient for preventing such Robberys, How strong the effect of long habit is a profligate & abandond Life is extraordinary as it may appear to you Sir, Some of those fellows have actually Joind large partys of the Natives, who from being exceedingly fond of our Indian Corn, Come into the fields in the Night directed by those Villians, and plunder the Settlers, if oppos'd by them, they have recourse to Violence, & have Speard several who did of their Wounds, in Consequence of these Acts of Hostility, some of the Natives have lost their lives, and we are now oblig'd to Arm the Settlers in their own defence, but under the Strictest regulations for presenting their wantonly Shooting at the Natives - Some of the Farms upon this River have been inconsiderately chosen upon