ginning of this month, in company with Mr. Dawes and
Mr. Worgan, late surgeon of the 'Sirius', I undertook an expedition to
the southward and westward of Rose Hill, where the country had never been
explored. We remained out seven days, and penetrated to a considerable
distance in a S.S.W. direction, bounding our course at a remarkable hill,
to which, from its conical shape, we gave the name of Pyramid-hill. Except
the discovery of a river (which is unquestionably the Nepean near its
source) to which we gave the name of the Worgan, in honour of one of our
party, nothing very interesting was remarked.

Towards the end of the month, we made a second excursion to the north-west
of Rose Hill, when we again fell in with the Nepean, and traced it to
the spot where it had been first discovered by the party of which I was
a member, fourteen months before, examining the country as we went along.
Little doubt now subsisted that the Hawkesbury and Nepean were one river.

We undertook a third expedition soon after to Broken Bay, which place
we found had not been exaggerated in description, whether its capacious
harbour, or its desolate incultivable shores, be considered. On all these
excursions we brought away, in small bags, as many specimens of the soil
of the country we had passed through, as could be conveniently carried, in
order that by analysis its qualities might be ascertained.

CHAPTER VIII.

Transactions of the Colony in the Beginning of September, 1790.

The tremendous monster who had occasioned the unhappy catastrophe just
recorded was fated to be the cause of farther mischief to us.

On the 7th instant, Captain Nepean, of the New South Wales Corps, and Mr.
White, accompanied by little Nanbaree, and a party of men, went in a boat
to Manly Cove, intending to land there, and walk on to Broken Bay. On
drawing near the shore, a dead whale, in the most disgusting state of
putrefaction, was seen lying on the beach, and at least two hundred Indians
surrounding it, broiling the flesh on different fires, and feasting on
it with the most extravagant marks of greediness and rapture. As the boat
continued to approach, they were observed to fall into confusion and to
pick up their spears, on which our people lay upon their oars and Nanbaree
stepping forward, harangued them for some time, assuring them that we were
friends. Mr. White now called for Baneelon who, on hearing his name, came
forth, and entered into conver