not, for fear of the natives, trefpafs beyond our bounds; the New
Hollanders ftill continue very hoftile. Fifh is found in plenty, but
the turtle, on which we feetned to have fome dependence, is a
very precarious article.
T h e colony looks up for fupport to a little fpot called .Norfolk
Ijland, in Lat. 29° fouth, Long. 168“ eaft. It,contains from twelve
to thirteen thoufand acres, and does not exceed in circumference
fixteen miles, is very mountanous, and covered with a thick wood,
clioaked -up with u n d e rw o od it is furrounded with cliffs forty
fathoms high, and quite perpendicular, excepting at a few
creeks, dignified with the name o f bays, to which often a raging
furf denies all .approach.
T he ifland is happy in many ilreams o f fine water, fome copious
enough to turn'a mill. The mold, in places freed by our
people from trees, is the richeft and deepeft in the world; abundance
of pumice-ftones and porous red lava is fcattered over its
furface, and even mixed with the foil, giving flrong reafon to
fuppofe it to have been o f volcanic origin.
A s m a l l colony was detached, on February 14th, 1788, from
Jack/on Port to this ifland, in hopes o f its contributing in time
to the fupport o f the parent fiate. It confifted only of a fu-
baltern officer, a furgeon, two men who underflood the cultivation
and drefling o f flax, nine male and fix female convi&s; and
over them was appointed Lieutenant King, of the navy, foie governor
of-this fea-girt reign, With his little colony he paffed
the Angular interval of above two years, till he received, on
March 6th, 1790, a mighty reinforcement o f two companies of
marines, five men and three women from the civil department,
and
and a hundred and fixteen male and fixty-feven female convitfts.
This 'detachment fowed wheat and barley from May to Augujl,
and got in their harveft in Becember, which produced twenty-
five fold. Mayz fucceeds w e ll; the fugar-cane, vines, and
oranges thrive exceedingly; and potatoes produce two crops
in a year. All kinds o f garden plants come to good perfedtion.
The rat (its only quadruped) was at firft a peft to the colony.
I f this ifle proves the nurfing mother to our eftablifhment at Fort
Jack/on, as the ifle o f Anglefea, or Mon mam Cymru, is faid to
have been to Wales, I fhali think it the prodigy of the age.
Norfolk ifland, feated as it is, midway between New Zealand
and the New Hebrides, produces the birds of both ; but my lift
will be very, fmall: Parrots and Hawks are found there.
T h e noify Roller *. inhabits this ifle in great flocks; is a very
ftupid bird, watches during night, is very reftlefs, and makes
the woods refound with its cries: it is nearly of the fize o f a
crow, and wholly black, except the vent, the bafe, and tip of the
tail.
T he bronzed wing Pigeon f if o f a grey color, with a rich
bronzed fpot on the wing, varying with red and green.
H e r e are variety o f fmall birds, among others fome that ling
moft delightfully, and enliven this fequeftered fpot: the red-
bellied Fly Catcher % is one of great beauty; the forehead is
white, a. white band croffes the wings, all above (befides) is
black, the lower part of a rich fcarlet.
A m o s t curious milk-white Gallinule§, in fize larger than a
dunghill fow l; bill, crown o f the head, and irides red,
»Latham, Index, i. 173. f Phillip, 162, tab. 26. i Latham, iii. 343. § Phillip, 273. tab.44.
Vol.-IV. Q XHE
B i r d s .
A WHITE
G a l l i n u l e .