Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 1.djvu/251

 AND EXPLORATION. 147 Phillip's satisfaction at this point may be easily imagined ; 1T89 his confident prediction of the year before that a great river J«"«- would be found flowing from the distant mountains was now confirmed ; and if he had had a doubt remaining in his mind as to the ultimate success of his settlement^ it left him here. For a large river meant a large stretch of fertile country on its banks, of a very difEerent character from that at Rose Hill v»i«e ot the or any other place in its neighbourhood, with easy carnage for produce by water. As soon as the river banks could be occupied and farmed — especially if free settlers could be sent out for the purpose— there would be an end to all fears as to the supply of food for the people at Sydney Cove ; nor would there be any necessity for sending the Sirius to the Cape or the Supply to Batavia for the purpose of obtaining provisions. This was the point which he had so long been struggling to reach; and having at last arrived at it, he lost no time in following up his latest discovery. As soon a« he had got back to Sydney Cove, he gave orders Another for the preparation of another expedition, being determined to the river, to trace the river to its distant source in the Blue Mountains. The party included the same men as before, with an addition of five marines, numbering altogether about forty, '' all well anned and capable of making a powerful resistance,'^ in case they should be attacked by the natives. They left Sydney Cove on the 28th of June, one boat being sent on to the south branch of Broken Bay. The land party walked, as before, from the north part of Port Jackson to Pittwater, which they reached in five hours — ^very good time, con- sidering that each man had to carry his knapsack and gun, waik to and that the country they had to pass through was very rough. No boat having made its appearance when they arrived at Pittwater, they had to walk round all the bays, woods, and swamps between the head and the entrance of that branch of the bay, in order to meet the boats ; and then they found the day so far gone that there was nothing left to do but to pitch their tents for the night. Digitized by Google