y found plenty of fish towards the head of the
harbour.

The savage ferocity of these people shows itself whenever they
find themselves thwarted. Bannelong and Colebe with their wives,
dined at the governor's on the 8th of May, and came in as usual,
to have a glass of wine and a dish of coffee; after which they
left the house to go and sleep at Bannelong's hut on the point;
but, in the middle of the night, Governor Phillip was called up
by the cries of the young girl whom he had formerly rescued from
Bannelong: she, it seems, had gone to sleep in a shed at the back
of the governor's house, and Bannelong, Colebe, and two others
got over the paling, and were endeavouring to carry her off,
which the centinels prevented; and, as Governor Phillip did not
know at the moment, but that Bannelong and those who were with
him, had returned to sleep in the yard after he went to bed, and
before the gate was locked, they were permitted to escape; which,
indeed, could only have been prevented by ordering them to be put
to death.

One of these men was seen the next day, and, being taxed with
attempting to carry off the girl, he denied the charge; as the
natives always do when they are not caught in the fact. Bannelong
and Colebe were not seen for a week, and the latter appearing
first, when accused, said he was asleep at the time, and laid the
blame on Bannelong, who coming soon after, and not being able to
make any excuse, or to deny being in the yard, appeared sullen;
and when Governor Phillip told him that he was angry, and that
the soldiers should shoot him if he ever came again to take any
woman away, he very cooly replied, that then he would spear the
soldier; at the same time, he said he was very hungry; and, as no
advantage would have followed punishing him, he was ordered
something to eat, after the threat had been repeated of his being
shot, if ever he came again in the night.

It was probable, that the displeasure of Governor Phillip with
Bannelong would have a better effect than any corporal
punishment, which might only lead him to revenge himself on some
of those who frequently went into the woods unarmed; at the same
time, orders were given for the centinels to fire on any of the
natives who might be seen getting over the paling in the night,
and the sleeping of the women in the yard when their husbands
were not with them was discouraged,

The girl was asked if the natives were going to take her away
in order to b