f upwards of 400 miles
from Port Jackson. They were nearly naked, almost starved, and must
inevitably have perished on the island, had not Mr. Bass discovered a
smoke that they had made to attract his attention; which he, being at no
great distance, took for a smoke made by some natives, and went near to
converse with them.

During this month the beams of the third floor of the new wind-mill were
laid, and bricks were brought in for the new granary. At Parramatta the
people were employed in preparing for the erection of a granary for
Indian corn; which, when finished, would enable the governor to commute a
substantial building now employed for a store-house for that grain, into
a granary for wheat. Much of this latter article was brought round from
the Hawkesbury in this month.

Toward the latter end of the month there was an unusually heavy fall of
rain about ten o'clock at night.

CHAPTER X

Pe-mul-wy
Strange idea respecting him
Civil court meets; nature of the business brought before it
Advice of the governor to the settlers
The _Francis_ returns from Preservation Island
A trusty person sent to look for a salt hill said to be to the westward
The wild cattle seen
A new animal, the Wombat, found; described
Some Irish runaways give themselves up
A seizure made of timber for government
Transactions
Weather
April
The criminal court meets
Three men executed
Reflections
Accidents among the stock
Discoveries prosecuted
Settlers and their complaints
An old woman accused of dreaming
Works in hand
Weather

March.] A strange idea was found to prevail among the natives respecting
the savage Pe-mul-wy, which was very likely to prove fatal to him in the
end. Both he and they entertained an opinion, that, from his having been
frequently wounded, he could not be killed by our fire-arms. Through this
fancied security, he was said to be at the head of every party that
attacked the maize grounds; and it certainly became expedient to convince
them both that he was not endowed with any such extraordinary exemption.

On the 5th, the court of civil judicature was held at Parramatta. Several
writs were issued, and prosecutions for debt entered; and on the 7th the
court adjourned until the 19th. On that day it met, and continued sitting
until the 24th, when all the business before them was concluded. This
consisted chiefly of litigation about debts contracted between the retail
dealers and the settlers. As a pro