Two children, a boy of six or seven years of age, and a girl about ten, were lately picked up, labouring under the same disease; two old men, whom we had reason to believe were the fathers of the two children, were picked up at the same time, and brought to the hospital, and much care taken of them:  the two men lived but a few days, but the children both recovered, and seemed well satisfied with their very comfortable situation.  Through the means of these children, if they should retain their native language, a more intimate and friendly intercourse with the people of this country may in time be brought about.

Five or six days after my arrival, poor Ara-ba-noo was seized with the small-pox, and although every possible means for his recovery were used, he lived only till the crisis of the disease.  Every person in the settlement was much concerned for the loss of this man.

I was exceedingly concerned on hearing of the death of Captain Shea, of the marines, which happened while we were absent; his disorder was a general decay, which I think must have taken place very suddenly, for he was apparently strong and healthy when the Sirius sailed from Port Jackson.

Several people had been lost in the woods during our absence, and had either been killed by the natives, or perished there.

Another melancholy piece of information which we received on our arrival, was, that six marines had been tried by a criminal court, and found guilty of robbing the public stores:  they were sentenced to death, and executed accordingly.  It appeared upon the trial of these infatuated men, that they had carried on this iniquitous, (and I may add from our situation) dangerous practice to the settlement at large, for several months; and all originally occasioned by some unfortunate connections they had made with women convicts.

The settlement had been, during our absence, remarkably healthy.

Before the Sirius sailed from Port Jackson, the governor had determined to send a detachment of the marines, with a considerable number of convicts, for the purpose of clearing as much as might be necessary, and preparing a tract of land at the head of this harbour, (which place I have already mentioned) in order to sow corn.  When we returned from our voyage, I went up to see what progress was made at this farm, which had been named Rose Hill:  it certainly very much exceeded my expectations; the quantity of ground prepared for receiving grain at the proper time, was considerable; a number of huts were built, the gardens were in tolerable appearance, and there was altogether every prospect, in due time, of a very extensive farm; and we knew that if there were people enough to labour, it might be carried at least twenty miles to the westward, and every foot of the ground apparently as good as that on which they were now at work; but we found here, that although the land was tolerable, there would be great, and I think an insurmountable difficulty, in attempting an extensive farm, chiefly for want of water.