Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 2.djvu/304

 GBOSE AND THE ULNB. 1794 The seventy settlers increased in number rapidly, and the district became before long the most productive of the settle- ments — so far, at least, as maize was concerned. On one point Grose was seriously in error. The settlers, it appears, were unwilling at first to take up land on the Hawkeebury, because they were afraid of the river overflowing its banks. Evidences of The apprehension was, probably, founded on the reports brought in by the exploring party which examined the river during the winter of 1789. Phillip, who was at the liead of the party, stated, in his despatch of the 13th February, 1790, that the water near the head of the river sometimes rose thirty feet above the ordinary level.* The traces of recent floods were plainly seen ; large logs of timber were lying in the branches of trees from thirty to forty feet above the level at which the river then stood.t Grose had perhaps not seen these reports, and there was, apparently, no one at hand to give him trustworthy inform erroneoua mation ou the subjoct. No flood was known to have occurred oonoiuaion. q[j^qq the. foundation of the colony, and, making a deduction from insufficient facts, he arrived at an erroneous conclusion. Writing to Dundas, on the 5th July, 1794, he said : — " The overflowing of the river, so very much apprehended, and on which account the settlers did not wish to be placed there, appears to be without foundation. This is universally acknow- ledged to be the most rainy season that has ever been ezpeiienoed in the colony, and the river has but little exceeded in any parts its natural limits."! For a time the settlers prospered exceedingly, raising large crops from the fine rich mould of which Collins speaks so admiringly ; but before many years had gone by they leamt m^firet from painful experience how destructive a Hawkesbury flood could be.§ t Vol. i, p. 152. t Historical Records, yoI. ii, p. 288. § In September, 1795, Captain Faterson, who was administering the gOTezn- ment, reported that the river had risen twentj-fiye feet abore its usoaL lerel, " laying the grounds of seTeral settlers under -water." Four jears lalar, in
 * HiBtorical Beoorcis, voL i, part 2, p. 804.