Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 1.djvu/470

356 LAST LETTER FOR 1788. 1786 6 November. RoseHUl. Fine countrj'. Lost in the btuh. AU well. Flax and pepper. Black lead. Lut letter for the year. I had the honor of informing your lordship of my intentions of fixing a settlement near the head of the harbonr ; and I bve lately passed several days in examining the country. The land is good, though there is none we can take possession of at present which can be cultivated without clearing the ground of the timber, for if the trees are at the distance of thirty or even fifty feet the roots spread ; the labour there, nevertheless, will not exceed the fourth part of what is required in our present situation* The land appears to be the best I have seen in this country, and as fur as I could examine, which was for a couple of miles round the spot on which I have fixed, I think the country as fine as any I hare seen in England. I had an officer and ten men with me, wluch I left to finish a small redoubt ; &nd in a few days the remainder of the detachment will be sent up with some convicts. A soldier has been lately missing, who I suppose lost his vaj in the woods, and has either been killed by the natives or diedbja fit, to which he was subject. Except the old and those who brought incurable complaints with them, the people are very healthy; the weather is now settled, and the two store-ships are ready to sail, and intend going round the South Cape. A small quantity of flax, as I received it from Norfolk Isknd, is enclosed with the despatches. A plant that produces pepper (supposed to be the same as the East India pepper) is found in great plenty in Norfolk Island. Several roots of this plant and some of the pepper are sent to Sir Joseph Banks, who I have requested to inform your lordship or Mr. Nepean if it proves to be, as supposed, the black pepper used in England. In sinking a well the sand was supposed to contain a very Urge proportion of metal, a small quantity of which is sent by the tro ships. It has been twenty-four hours in a strong fire, but we conld not get it to melt. I suppose it to be blacklead.* This letter closed Phillip's official correspondence for the year. When the ships that carried his despatches had cleared the Heads, there was nothing left in the harbonr to remind him of the Fleet he had brought out, except the little brig Supply ; nor did any ship from the old countrr enter the port until the Lady Juliana arrived in June, 1790. ' Ante, p. 340. Digitized by Google