to have traced it
down to where it empties itself into the Hawkesbury, which it is
supposed to do above Richmond-Hill: indeed, during the first day
of this excursion, he supposed it possible that the river they
were then tracing might be the Nepean, but what they saw of it
afterwards, left no doubt but that they had fallen in with the
Hawkesbury some miles below Richmond-Hill.

In the morning of the 16th of April, at half past seven
o'clock, Governor Phillip and his party set off on their return
to Rose-Hill; and, as soon as they were clear of the creek, they
went south 40 deg. east, which, they supposed, would carry them
into the path leading from Rose-Hill to Prospect-Hill.--The face
of the country where they slept, and for several miles in their
road, was a poor soil, but finely formed, and covered with the
stately white gum-tree. At noon, they came to a hollow, in which
they found some very good water; here they stopped near an hour:
after passing this gully, and a rocky piece of ground, the soil
grew better, and they soon came to a brook of good water, which
they had occasion to cross twice; the soil was good, and covered
with long grass: they were now drawing near to Rose-Hill, where
they arrived a little before four o'clock.

The dry weather still continued, and though they had a few
showers, the quantity of rain which fell in the month of April,
was not sufficient to bring the dry ground into proper order for
sowing the grain; a few acres, however, of what was in the best
condition, were sown with wheat the last week in the month. This
long continuance of dry weather, not only hurt their crops of
corn very much, but the gardens likewise suffered greatly; many
being sown a second and a third time, as the seed never
vegetated, from the want of moisture in the soil; this was a
double misfortune, for vegetables were not only growing scarce,
but seed also.

The expected supply of provisions not arriving, Governor
Phillip was obliged to reduce the ratio of daily subsistence; but
this reduction did not extend to the women and children.

After saying that there were many of the convicts, who, if not
attended to, ate their week's allowance of provisions in two or
three days; it will be obvious that the labour hitherto drawn
from that class of people, must be greatly lessened by the
necessity the Governor was under of reducing even that allowance;
indeed, it was felt by every individual, for the daily ratio of
pro