Alexander Berry to Governor Macquarie.

I beg leave to inform your Excellency that, while filling up with spars in this harbour, we received intelligence that a ship had been taken and destroyed by Tippahee, in the harbour of Wangarrooa.

I, therefore, went round in three armed boats in order to ascertain the truth of the report, when I found the remains of H.M. hired transport Boyd, Captain Thompson, lying in shoal water, and burnt down to the copper sheathing.

I was able to rescue the only four survivors from the hands of the natives, consisting of a boy,^* a woman, and two children, the rest of the crew and passengers having been killed and eat.

I brought away the two principal chiefs, prisoners, and through their means have obtained a box containing Government dispatches, which I will forward.

Tippahee has betaken to the bush and eluded my researches. As there is no opportunity of sending the chiefs to Port Jackson it will be necessary to liberate them.