The following state of the settlement was made up to the 31st of last month: 

SALT PROVISIONS AND GRAIN IN STORE.

Quality To last at the established ration
                                Weeks Days
Beef 31 1
Pork 44 6

 Total of salt meat 76 0 (75 weeks + 7 days)

Peas 22 —
Wheat 29 1
Maize 41 4
Sugar 4 —

To consume this quantity of food,
there were victualled at Sydney 2219 persons
At Parramatta 965
At the Hawkesbury 454
Making a total of 3638

There were 321 people off the public stores, which, added to the 3638 who were victualled, gave a general total of 3959 persons in the different settlements, of all descriptions and ages; not including those at Norfolk Island, in which settlement were 119 persons; to which add 3959 persons in New South Wales; there will be found 4848 persons under the British government in New South Wales and its dependencies.

A few days previous to the sailing of the ships, information was received of a most inhuman murder having been perpetrated on the body of ——­ Williams, a settler’s wife, at the district of the Ponds.  A female neighbour of their’s was accused by an accomplice of having committed this diabolical act, for the purpose of enriching herself with the property which she knew this unfortunate woman had in the house.  She was immediately apprehended, and search made for the property which had been taken away.  Some of this was found, and there was little doubt but the avenging arm of Justice would soon fall upon the head of the murderer.

On the 29th his Majesty’s ship Reliance, the Britannia hired transport, and the Francis schooner, sailed from Port Jackson.  They were all to touch at Norfolk Island, whence the ships were to proceed to the Cape of Good Hope, and the schooner was to return to New South Wales.  The Britannia’s call at Norfolk Island was for the purpose of taking on board lieutenant-governor King, who, from a long state of ill health, had found himself compelled to apply to Governor Hunter for leave to return to England, to which the governor had consented.

On board of the Reliance were the commissary, the remainder of the military relief, and such part of the thousand bushels of wheat as the Supply did not receive.  In the transport were Captain Paterson; Lieutenants Abbott and Clephan; one sergeant and seventeen privates (invalids) of the New South Wales corps, with their wives and children; the judge-advocate of the settlement, who was charged with dispatches from the governor; Mr. Leeds, an assistant-surgeon; Thomas Clark, late a superintendant of convicts; James Thorp, the master millwright; and several other persons, male and female, who had been allowed a passage to England by the governor.