ered with snow, contrasted with the foliage of trees flourishing
in the verdure of tropical luxuriancy*. Even the exhalation which steamed
from the lake beneath contributed to heighten the beauty of the scene.
Wind SSW. Thermorneter at sunrise 25 degrees. The following night was still
colder. At sunset the thermometer stood at 45 degrees; at a quarter before
four in the morning, it was at 26 degrees; at a quarter before six at 24
degrees; at a quarter before seven, at 23 degrees; at seven o'clock, 22.7
degrees; at sunrise, 23 degrees, after which it continued gradually to
mount, and between one and two o'clock, stood at 59.6 degrees in the shade.
Wind SSW. The horizon perfectly clear all day, not the smallest speck to
be seen. Nothing but demonstration could have convinced me that so severe
a degree of cold ever existed in this low latitude. Drops of water on a
tin pot, not altogether out of the influence of the fire, were frozen into
solid ice in less than twelve minutes. Part of a leg of kangaroo which we
had roasted for supper was frozen quite hard, all the juices of it being
converted into ice. On those ponds which were near the surface of the
earth, the covering of ice was very thick; but on those which were lower
down it was found to be less so, in proportion to their depression; and
wherever the water was twelve feet below the surface (which happened to be
the case close to us) it was uncongealed. It remains to be observed that
the cold of both these nights, at Rose Hill and Sydney, was judged to be
greater than had ever before been felt.

[*All the trees of New South Wales, may I apprehend, be termed evergreen.
For after such weather as this journal records, I did not observe either
that the leaves had dropped off, or that they had assumed that sickly
autumnal tint, which marks English trees in corresponding circumstances.]

CHAPTER XV.

Transactions of the Colony to the end of November, 1791.

The extreme dryness of the preceding summer has been noticed. It had
operated so far in the beginning of June that we dreaded a want of water
for common consumption most of the little reservoirs in the neighbourhood
of Sydney being dried up. The small stream near the town was so nearly
exhausted (being only the drain of a morass) that a ship could not have
watered at it, and the 'Supply' was preparing to sink casks in a swamp when
rain fell and banished our apprehensions.

June, 1791. On the second instant,