To this river the governor gave the name of Nepean.  The distance of the part of the river which we first hit upon from the sea coast, is about 39 miles, in a direct line almost due west.

A survey of Botany Bay took place in September.  I was of the party, with several others officers.  We continued nine days in the bay, during which time, the relative position of every part of it, to the extent of more than thirty miles, following the windings of the shore, was ascertained, and laid down on paper, by captain Hunter.

So complete an opportunity of forming a judgment, enables me to speak decisively of a place, which has often engaged conversation and excited reflection.  Variety of opinions here disappeared.  I shall, therefore, transcribe literally what I wrote in my journal, on my return from the expedition.  “We were unanimously of opinion, that had not the nautical part of Mr. Cook’s description, in which we include the latitude and longitude of the bay, been so accurately laid down, there would exist the utmost reason to believe, that those who have described the contiguous country, had never seen it.  On the sides of the harbour, a line of sea coast more than thirty miles long, we did not find 200 acres which could be cultivated.”

September, 1789.  But all our attention was not directed to explore inlets, and toll for discovery.  Our internal tranquillity was still more important.  To repress the inroads of depredation; and to secure to honest industry the reward of its labour, had become matter of the most serious consideration; hardly a night passing without the commission of robbery.  Many expedients were devised; and the governor at length determined to select from the convicts, a certain number of persons, who were meant to be of the fairest character, for the purpose of being formed into a nightly-watch, for the preservation of public and private property, under the following regulations, which, as the first system of police in a colony, so peculiarly constituted as ours, may perhaps prove not uninteresting.

I. A night-watch, consisting of 12 persons, divided into four parties, is appointed, and fully authorized to patrol at all hours in the night; and to visit such places as may be deemed necessary, for the discovery of any felony, trespass, or misdemeanor; and for the apprehending and securing for examination, any person or persons who may appear to them concerned therein, either by entrance into any suspected hut or dwelling, or by such other measure as may seem to them expedient.

II.  Those parts in which the convicts reside are to be divided and numbered, in the following manner.  The convict huts on the eastern side of the stream, and the public farm, are to be the first division.  Those at the brick-kilns, and the detached parties in the different private farms in that district, are to be the second division.  Those on the western side of the stream, as far as the line which separates the district of the women from the men, to be the third division.  The huts occupied from that line to the hospital, and from there to the observatory, to be the fourth division.