In our way, we put ashore to fill some fresh water, and in a cave near the stream we found a native woman, who appeared to have been dead some time, for her skin was as hard as a piece of leather; it was impossible to know whether she had died of the small-pox or not.

In the morning of the 13th, as we intended to land well up this branch, in order to avoid the most difficult and tiresome part of the road to Port Jackson.  We embarked, after we had breakfasted, and rowed up about a couple of miles, when the party for walking went on shore, each with his arms, and knapsack, containing two days provisions; we were about half an hour in getting through the wood, which led us to the sea-coast, where we fell into our old and well known path, and by four o’clock in the afternoon arrived at the north part of Port Jackson; but we might as well have been fifty leagues off, for here we could have no communication either with the Sirius or the settlement, and no boat had been ordered to meet us.  We went immediately to work and made a large fire, by which we lay all night, which happened to be very cold.

The next day we crossed the hills, and came to the mouth of the north-west harbour, but could not find the means of crossing it; muskets had been frequently fired during the night, in hopes that some boat might have been down the harbour fishing, and heard them.  We found this morning a canoe upon the beach, with which we had no doubt of getting two men across the water, who could in a short time walk over to the cove where the Sirius lay; but this prospect was disappointed by the first man who entered the canoe having overset her, and she immediately sunk, and he was obliged to swim ashore:  after this we went to work and made a catamaran, of the lightest wood we could find, but when finished and launched, it would not, although pretty large, bear the weight of one man.

It was now proposed to walk round the head of the north-west harbour, which would have been a good long journey for at least two days, and our provisions were nearly expended; to this proposal I was under the necessity of objecting, for want of shoes, the last march having tore all but the soals from my feet, and they were tied on with spun-yarn; I therefore declined the proposed walk, and determined to go back to Broken-bay and rejoin the boats; which I had no doubt of being able to effect in the course of that day, and with far more ease than I could, without shoes, climb such rocky mountains, and thick woods, as lay in the way round the head of the north-west harbour.  But as it was likely I might fall in with some parties of the natives in the way, I wished to have a companion.