d attended with much
thunder and lightning. In the night of the 6th February, six sheep, two
lambs, and one pig, belonging chiefly to the lieutenant-governor, having
been placed at the foot of a large tree, were destroyed by the lightning.
But accidents of this kind were rather to be expected than wondered at,
until the woods around us could be opened and cleared.

CHAPTER II

Broken Bay visited
M. de la Perouse sails
Transactions
The _Supply_ returns
Lord Howe Island discovered
The ships for China sail
Some convicts wounded by the natives
Scurvy
New store-house
Necessary orders and appointments
Excursions into the country
New branch of the harbour into Port Jackson
Sheep

March.] Early in March the governor, accompanied by some officers from
the settlement and the _Sirius_, went round by water to the next
adjoining harbour to the northward of this port, which is laid down in
the charts by the name of Broken Bay, from the broken appearance of the
land by which it is formed. The intention of this visit was, not only to
survey the harbour, if any were found to exist, but to examine whether
there were within it any spots of ground capable of cultivation, and of
maintaining a few families; but in eight days that he was absent, though
he found an harbour equal in magnitude to Port Jackson, the governor saw
no situation that could at all vie with that which he had chosen for the
settlement at Sydney Cove, the land at Broken Bay being in general very
high and in most parts rocky and barren. The weather proved very
unfavourable to an excursion in a country where the residence for each
night was to be provided by the travellers themselves; and some of the
party returned with dysenteric complaints. The weather at Port Jackson
had been equally adverse to labour, the governor finding at his return
upwards of two hundred patients under the surgeon's care, in consequence
of the heavy rains that had fallen. A building for the reception of the
sick was now absolutely necessary, and one, eighty-four feet by
twenty-three, was put in hand, to be divided into a dispensary, (all the
hospital stores being at that time under tents,) a ward for the troops,
and another for the convicts. It was to be built of wood, and the roof to
be covered in with shingles, made from a species of fir that is found
here. The heavy rains also pointed out the necessity of sheltering the
detachment, and until barracks could be built, most of