them away will not be easily surmounted, from the badness and danger of
the landing place. After the most exact search not a single plant of the
New Zealand flax could be found, though we had been taught to believe it
abounded there.

Lieutenant Ball, in returning to Port Jackson, touched at a small
island in latitude 31 deg 36 min south, longitude 159 deg 4 min east of
Greenwich, which he had been fortunate enough to discover on his passage
to Norfolk, and to which he gave the name of Lord Howe's Island. It
is entirely without inhabitants, or any traces of any having ever been
there. But it happily abounds in what will be infinitely more important
to the settlers on New South Wales: green turtle of the finest kind
frequent it in the summer season. Of this Mr. Ball gave us some very
handsome and acceptable specimens on his return. Besides turtle, the
island is well stocked with birds, many of them so tame as to be knocked
down by the seamen with sticks. At the distance of four leagues from
Lord Howe Island, and in latitude 31 deg 30 min south, longitude 159 deg
8 min east, stands a remarkable rock, of considerable height, to which
Mr. Ball gave the name of Ball's Pyramid, from the shape it bears.

While the 'Supply' was absent, Governor Phillip made an excursion to
Broken Bay, a few leagues to the northward of Port Jackson, in order to
explore it. As a harbour it almost equals the latter, but the adjacent
country was found so rocky and bare, as to preclude all possibility of
turning it to account. Some rivulets of fresh water fall into the head
of the Bay, forming a very picturesque scene. The Indians who live
on its banks are numerous, and behaved attentively in a variety of
instances while our people remained among them.

CHAPTER XIII.

Transactions at Port Jackson in the Months of April and May.

As winter was fast approaching, it became necessary to secure ourselves
in quarters, which might shield us from the cold we were taught to
expect in this hemisphere, though in so low a latitude. The erection
of barracks for the soldiers was projected, and the private men of
each company undertook to build for themselves two wooden houses, of
sixty-eight feet in length, and twenty-three in breadth. To forward the
design, several saw-pits were immediately set to work, and four ship
carpenters attached to the battalion, for the purpose of directing and
completing this necessary undertaking. In prosecuting it, h