At Parramatta and Toongabbie also the heat was extreme; the country there too was every where in flames. Mr. Arndell was a great sufferer by it. The fire had spread to his farm; but by the efforts of his own people and the neighbouring settlers it was got under, and its progress supposed to be effectually checked, when an unlucky spark from a tree, which had been on fire to the topmost branch, flying upon the thatch of the hut where his people lived, it blazed out; the hut with all the out-buildings, and thirty bushels of wheat just got into a stack, were in a few minutes destroyed. The erecting of the hut and out-houses had cost £15 a short time before. The day preceding that of the excessive heat, James Castles, an industrious and thriving settler at Prospect Hill, had his hut accidentally burnt down, with all his comforts, and three bushels of wheat which he had just reaped. The governor ordered his hut to be rebuilt, and every assistance given which the stores afforded to repair his loss. There died between the 1st of January and 31st of December 1792, two of the civil department, six soldiers, four hundred and eighteen male convicts, eighteen female convicts, and twenty-nine children; one male convict was executed; and three male convicts were lost in the woods; making a decrease by death of four hundred and eighty-two persons. The following were the prices of stock, grain, and other articles, as they were sold at Sydney, and at Parramatta, at the close of the year: AT SYDNEY Maize per lb. 3d Rice per lb 3d Peas or dholl from 1½d to 2d per lb. Flour 9d per lb. Potatoes 3d per lb. Sheep £10 10s each. Milch goats from £8 8s to £10 10s Kids from £2 10s to £4 Breeding sows from £6 6s to £7 7s and £10 10s Young ditto from £3 to £4 Laying hens 10s Full grown fowls from 5s to 7s 6d Chickens 1s 6d Fresh pork per lb 1s Prime salt pork from 6d to 8d Salt beef 4d Eggs per dozen from 2s to 3s Moist sugar per lb 1s 6d Tea from 8s to 16s Soap 1s Butter from 1s 6d to 2s Cheese from 1s 6d to 2s Hams from 1s 6d to 2s Bacon from 1s 6d to 2s AT PARRAMATTA Maize per lb. 3d Rice per lb. 3d Peas or dholl 2d per lb. Flour 6d per lb Potatoes 2d per lb Sheep £10 10s each Milch goats from £5 5s to £10 Breeding sows from £6 6s to £10 10s Pigs of a month old 12s Laying hens from 7s to 10s Full grown fowls from 7s to 10s Chickens 1s 6d Fresh pork per lb 1s Prime salt pork 6d Salt beef 4d Eggs per dozen 2s Moist sugar per lb 1s 6d Tea from 6s to 16s Soap 1s Coffee 2s Tobacco, American Brazil, 4s Tobacco of the colony 2s The price of fish and vegetables varied from day to day; spirits in exchange were estimated at from twelve to twenty shillings per gallon; porter was sold from nine to ten pounds per hogshead, or from one shilling to one shilling and three pence per quart. It did not appear that the settlers had brought any new wheat or other grain to market. CHAPTER XX