at Sydney, this unfortunate female was conjectured to be Mary Morgan, a
prisoner, who it was now said had failed in her attempt to get on board
the _Resolution_ store-ship, which sailed from hence in 1794. There
was indeed a woman, one Ann Smith, who ran away a few days after our
sitting down in this place, and whose fate was not exactly ascertained;
if she could have survived the hardships and wretchedness of such a life
as must have been hers during so many years residence among the natives
of New Holland, how much information must it have been in her power to
afford! But humanity shuddered at the idea of purchasing it at so dear a
price.']

A decked long boat, having been sent from Sydney to Norfolk island, in
her passage thither fell in with a considerable shoal bearing from ENE to
WNW distant from the vessel one mile. It extended to the northward as far
as the eye could discern from the masthead, the rocks in many places
appearing above the water. The south end of the shoal is in the latitude
of 29 degrees 52 minutes south, and the longitude of 160 degrees 13
minutes east, bearing from Lord Howe Island, which they had seen the day
before, north 27 degrees 40 minutes east, distant 39 leagues. This was
supposed to be the same shoal that had been formerly seen by Lieutenant
Shortland* in the _Alexander_, and by the master of the _Golden
Grove_ transport in the year 1786.

[* Vide Vol I Ch. VII, viz: 'Lieutenant Shortland, in his
letter, noticed some discoveries which he had made; particularly one of
an extensive and dangerous shoal, which obtained the name of Middleton
Shoal, and was reckoned to be in the latitude of 29 degrees 20 minutes
South, and in the longitude of 158 degrees 40 minutes East. He had also
discovered an island, which he placed in the latitude of 28 degrees 10
minutes South, and in the longitude of 159 degrees 50 minutes East, and
named Sir Charles Middleton Island: his other discoveries, not being so
immediately in the vicinity of this territory, were not likely to be of
any advantage to the settlement; but it was of some importance to it to
learn that an extensive reef was so near, and to find its situation
ascertained to be in the track of ships bound from hence to the
northward; for if Sir Charles Middleton Island should hereafter be found
to possess a safe and convenient harbour, it might prove an interesting
discovery for this colony.']

In the beginning of this month, the settlers at the H