But notwithstanding this, his intentions of establishing a friendly intercourse have hitherto been frustrated.

M.De la Peyrouse,* while he remained in Botany Bay, had some quarrel with the inhabitants, which unfortunately obliged him to use his fire-arms against them: this affair, joined to the ill behaviour of some of the convicts, who in spite of all prohibitions, and at the risque of all consequences, have wandered out among them, has produced a shyness on their parts which it has not yet been possible to remove, though the properest means have been taken to regain their confidence.

Their dislike to the Europeans is probably increased by discovering that they intend to remain among them, and that they interfere with them in some of their best fishing places, which doubtless are, in their circumstances, objects of very great importance.
Some of the convicts who have straggled into the woods have been killed, and others dangerously wounded by the natives, but there is great reason to suppose that in these cases the convicts have usually been the aggressors.
[* This is the right form of that officer's name; it was printed otherwise in a former passage by mistake.] As the month of February advanced heavy rains began to fall, which pointed out the necessity of procuring shelter for the people as soon as possible.

To have expedited this work in the degree which was desirable a great number of artificers would have been required.

But this advantage could not be had.