d a
very noble one it is, being of great breadth, and a mile long, in a strait
line. In many places it is carried over gullies of considerable depth,
which have been filled up with trunks of trees covered with earth. All
the sawyers, carpenters and blacksmiths will soon be concentred under the
direction of a very adequate person of the governor's household. This plan
is already so far advanced as to contain nine covered sawpits, which change
of weather cannot disturb the operations of, an excellent workshed for the
carpenters and a large new shop for the blacksmiths. It certainly promises
to be of great public benefit. A new hospital has been talked of for the
last two years, but is not yet begun. Two long sheds, built in the form
of a tent and thatched, are however finished, and capable of holding 200
patients. The sick list of today contains 382 names. Rose Hill is less
healthy than it used to be. The prevailing disorder is a dysentery, which
often terminates fatally. There was lately one very violent putrid fever
which, by timely removal of the patient, was prevented from spreading.
Twenty-five men and two children died here in the month of November.

When at the hospital I saw and conversed with some of the 'Chinese
travellers'; four of them lay here, wounded by the natives. I asked these
men if they really supposed it possible to reach China. They answered
that they were certainly made to believe (they knew not how) that at a
considerable distance to northward existed a large river, which separated
this country from the back part of China; and that when it should be
crossed (which was practicable) they would find themselves among a
copper-coloured people, who would receive and treat them kindly. They
added, that on the third day of their elopement, one of the party died
of fatigue; another they saw butchered by the natives who, finding them
unarmed, attacked them and put them to flight. This happened near Broken
Bay, which harbour stopped their progress to the northward and forced them
to turn to the right hand, by which means they soon after found themselves
on the sea shore, where they wandered about in a destitute condition,
picking up shellfish to allay hunger. Deeming the farther prosecution of
their scheme impracticable, several of them agreed to return to Rose Hill,
which with difficulty they accomplished, arriving almost famished. On their
road back they met six fresh adventurers sallying forth to join them,