the day of his sailing, suspecting (as was reported) some design to
seize his vessel, he sent on shore three people whom he had shipped here.
They rendezvoused at a hut in the town occupied by one John Chapman
Morris; and, on searching it, in the bed of one of them were found a
dozen of new Indian shirts marked D. W.; twenty-two new pulicate
handkerchiefs; and three pieces of striped gingham. On the possessor
being questioned, he said, that they were sold to him while he was at
Norfolk Island by the steward of Captain Manning's ship, the _Pitt_. As
this was a very improbable story, the house they were in was ordered by
the commanding officer to be pulled down. The property, having been
disclaimed by Mr. McClennan, was lodged with the provost-marshal; and the
parties given to understand, that a reference would be made to Norfolk
Island by the first opportunity.

On the 26th, some of our people witnessed an extraordinary transaction
which took place among the natives at the brick-fields. A young man of
the name of Bing-yi-wan-ne, well known in the settlement, being detected
in the crisis of an amour with Maw-ber-ry, the companion of another
native, Ye-ra-ni-be Go-ru-ey, the latter fell upon him with a club, and
being a powerful man, and of superior strength, absolutely beat him to
death. Bing-yi-wan-ne had some friends, who on the following day called
Ye-ra-ni-be to an account for the murder; when, the affair being
conducted with more regard to honour than justice, he came off with only
a spear-wound in his thigh.

The farmers began gathering their Indian corn about the latter end of
this month. The weather during the former and latter part of it was wet.
About the time of the equinox, the tides in the cove were observed to be
very high.

On the 28th Thomas Webb, a settler, who had removed from his farm at
Liberty Plains to another on the banks of the Hawkesbury, was dangerously
wounded there, while working on his grounds by some of the wood natives,
who had previously plundered his but. About the same time a party of
these people threw a spear at some soldiers who were going up the river
in a small boat. All these unpleasant circumstances were to be attributed
to the ill treatment the natives had received from the settlers.

At Prospect Hill a woman was bitten by a snake; but by the timely
application of some volatile salts by Mr. Irving, her life was saved.

April.] It was determined to let the Toongabbie Hills rem