n held upon her consort, the _Supply_, after which
she was pronounced wholly unfit for further sea service.

The brickmakers, bricklayers, carpenters, and blacksmiths, were all fully
and variously employed at this time. For the latter, a large and
convenient shop, capable of working six or seven forges, was erecting at
Sydney. The different works which were in hand went on with a greater
spirit and more expedition than could have been expected, when the great
want of artificers and labouring people was considered. Some, though but
a few, mechanics had arrived in the last ships.

September.] This month began with a very vexatious circumstance. A boat
named the _Cumberland_, the largest and best in the colony belonging
to government, was, on her passage to the Hawkesbury, whither she was
carrying a few stores, taken possession of by a part of the boat's crew;
being at the same time boarded by a small boat from the shore, the people
in which seized her and put off to sea, first landing the coxswain and
three others, who were unwilling to accompany them, in Pitt Water in
Broken Bay. Those men proceeded overland to Port Jackson, where they gave
the first information of this daring and piratical transaction. Two
boats, well manned and armed, were immediately dispatched after them,
under the command of Lieutenant Shortland of the _Reliance_.

One of these boats returned in a few days, without having seen any thing
of them; but Lieutenant Shortland proceeded with the other, a whale boat,
as far as Port Stephens, where he thought it probable they might have
taken shelter; but on the 19th, having been absent thirteen days, he
returned without discovering the smallest trace of them or the boat. His
pursuit, however, had not been without its advantage; for on his return
he entered a river which he named Hunter river, about ten leagues to the
southward of Port Stephens into which he carried three fathoms water, in
the shoalest part of its entrance, finding deep water and good anchorage
within. The entrance of this river was but narrow, and covered by a high
rocky island, lying right off it, so as to leave a good passage round the
north end of the island, between that and the shore. A reef connects the
south part of the island with the south shore of the entrance of the
river. In this harbour was found a very considerable quantity of coal of
a very good sort, and lying so near the water side as to be conveniently
shipped; which gave