for a rape on a child
of eight years of age; of which heinous offence being found guilty, he
received sentence to die; but being recommended by the court to the
governor, his excellency was pleased to pardon him, on condition of his
residing, during the term of his natural life, at Norfolk Island. This
was an offence that did not seem to require an immediate example; the
chastity of the female part of the settlement had never been so rigid, as
to drive men to so desperate an act; and it was believed, that beside the
wretch in question there was not in the colony a man of any description
who would have attempted it.

On the 12th, the butter, which had hitherto been served at six ounces per
week to each man in the settlement, being expended, the like quantity of
sugar was directed to be issued in its stead. This was the first of the
provisions brought from England which had wholly failed; and, fortunately,
the failure was in an article which could be the best spared. It never
had been very good, and was not, strictly speaking, a necessary of life.

A small boat belonging to a gentleman of the settlement, having been too
deeply laden with cabbage-trees which had been collected in a bay down
the harbour for the purpose of building, was overset on her return to the
cove, by touching on a rock which lay off one of the points. There were
three people in her, two of whom swam on shore; the third remained five
hours on her keel, and was accidentally met with and picked up by the
people of a fishing boat.

Captain Hunter, unwilling to lose any opportunity of rendering a service
to the colony, while the repairs of his ship were going on, surveyed the
two adjoining harbours of Broken Bay and Botany Bay; and correct charts
were thus obtained of these two harbours, so admirably situated with
relation to Port Jackson.

The natives, who had for some time past given very little interruption,
toward the end of the month attacked Henry Hacking, one of the
quarter-masters of the _Sirius_, who, being reckoned a good shot, was
allowed to shoot for the officers and ship's company. His account was,
that, being in the woods, a stone was thrown at him from one of two
natives whom he perceived behind him, and that on looking about he found
dispersed among the trees a number that could not be less than forty.
Wishing to intimidate them, he several times only presented his piece
toward them; but, finding that they followed him, he at last gave