C H A P . X I I .
NEW YEAR’ S DAY«-—A CONVICT DROWNED.----A NATIVE KILLED.— SIGNAL
COLOURS STOLEN.— SUPPLY SAILS FOR NORFOLK ISLAND.— H. E. DODD,
SUPERINTEND ANT A T ROSE HILL, DIES.— PUBLIC WORKS.— TERMS OFFERED
FOR THE HIRE OF THE DUTCH SNOW TO ENGLAND.— THE SUPPLY
RETURNS.— STATE OF, NORFOLK ISLAND.— FISHING-BOAT OVERSET.— EXCESSIVE
HEATS.— OFFICERS AND SEAMEN OF THE SIRIUS EMBARK IN THE
SNOW.— SUPPLY SAILS. FOR NORFOLK ISLAND, AND THE WAAKSAMHEYD
FOR ENGLAND.— WILLIAM BRYANT AND OTHER CONVICTS ESCAPE FROM
NEW SOUTH WALES. — RUSE, A SETTLER, DECLARES HE CAN MAINTAIN
HIMSELF WITHOUT ASSISTANCE FROM THE PUBLIC STORES.— RATION REDUCED.—
ORDERS RESPECTING MARRIAGE.— PORT REGULATIONS.— SETTLERS.—
PUBLIC WORKS.
J a n u a r y 1 7 9 1 . ] O n th e fir ft d a y o f th e n ew y e a r th e convhfts w e r e
e x cu fe d from all k in d o f la b ou r . A t R o fe H i l l , h ow e v e r , this h o lid a y
p ro v e d fatal to a y o u n g man , a co n v id t, w h o , g o in g to a p on d to w a lh
•his fh ir t , flipp ed from th e fid e , and w a s u n fo r tu n a te ly d row n ed .
T h e In d ian co rn b e g in n in g to r ip en at that fettlement, the convid ts
com m enc ed th e ir depredations, and fev eral o f th em , b e in g ta k en w i th co rn
in th e ir p ofle ffion, w e r e p u n ilh ed ; b u t n o th in g feemed to d eter th em ,
an d th e y n ow com m itted thefts as i f th e y Hole from p r in c ip le ; fo r at
th is tim e th e y re c e iv ed the fu ll ra tio n , in w h ic h .n o difference was
mad e b e tw e en th em and th e g o v e rn o r , o r a n y o th e r free pe rfon in the
c o lo n y . W h e n all th e p ro v ifio n s b ro u g h t b y th e D u tc h fn o w w e re rec
e iv ed in to th e p u b lic ftores, th e g o v e rn o r altered th e ra tion , and caufed
f iv e p oun d s o f ric e to be iffued in lie u o f fo u r p ou n d s o f flo u r , w h ic h
w e r e ta k en off.
In fo rm a tio n h a v in g be en received tow ard th e clo fe o f th e laft m on th ,
th a t fom e nativ es h ad th row n a fp ear o r fiz -g ig at a co n v ic t in a ga rd en
on th e w e f t fid e , w h e r e th e y h ad m e t to g e th e r to fteal p otatoes, the
g o v e r n o r fen t an armed p a r ty to difperfe th em , w h en a club be in g
th row n b y on e o f th e n ativ e s at th e p a r ty , th e latter fired , and one man
w a s w o u n d ed . T h is c ircum ftan ce w a s at firft o n ly furmifed , from
tra c in g a q u a n tity o f b lo o d from th e fp ot to th e w a t e r ; b u t in a few
d ay s
d a y s a fte rw ard th e nativ es in the tow n told us th e name o f th e w o u n d e d
m an , and ad d ed , th a t h e w a s then dead, and to be fo u n d in a co v e
w h ic h th e y mentioned . O n g o in g to the p la c e , a man w e ll k n ow n in
th e tow n fin ce th e intercourfe between us and his co u n t rym en had been
o pened w a s fo u n d dead, and difpofed o f fo r bu rn in g. H e h ad been
{hot u n d e r the arm, th e ball d iv id in g the fu b c la v ian a r te ry , and M r .
W h i te w a s o f o p in ion th a t h e bled to death.
I t was m u ch to be regretted th a t a n y neceffity e x ifte d fo r ad o p tin g
thefe fan g u in a ry p u nilhm en ts , and th a t w e h ad n o t y e t be en a b le to
reconc ile th e natives to th e d ep r iv a tio n o f th o fe parts o f th is h a rb ou r
w h ic h w e occupied. W h i le th e y enter tained th e id ea o f o u r h a v in g
difpoffeffed them o f th e ir refid ences, th e y muft a lw a y s con fid e r us as
en em ie s ; and u p on th is p r in c ip le th e y made a p o in t o f ' a tta ck in g th e
w h it e p eop le w h en e v e r o p p o r tu n ity and fa fe ty con curred . It w a s alfo
u n fo r tu n a te ly fo u n d , th a t ou r k n ow le d g e o f th e ir lan gu a g e con fifted
a t this tim e o f o n ly a few terms fo r fu ch th in g s as, b e in g v ifib le ,
could n o t w e ll be m if ta k e n ; b u t no o n e had y e t attained w o rd s en o u gh
to c o n v e y an id ea in con n e cted terms. I t w a s alfo co n c e iv ed b y fom e
am o n g u s , that thofe natives w h o came o c c a fio n a lly in to th e tow n did
no t defire th a t a n y o f th e o th e r tribes Ihould participate in th e e n jo y m
en t o f th e few trifles th e y p rocured from us. I f th is w e r e tru e , it
w o u ld fo r a lo n g tim e retard th e g enera l u n d e r ftan d in g o f ou r fr ien d ly
in ten tion s tow a rd th em ; and it w a s n o t improbab le b u t th a t th e y
m ig h t fo r the fame reafon rep refent us in e v e r y un fa v o u rab le lig h t th e y
cou ld imagine .
A b o u t th e mid d le o f th e mon th a th e ft o f an e x tra o rd in a ry nature
w a s committed b y fom e o f th e n atives. I t had be en th e cu ltom to
le a ve th e fign a l colours d u r in g th e d a y at th e fla g - fta ff o n th e fo u th head ,
at w h ic h place th e y w e re feen b y fom e o f thefe p e o p le , w h o , w a tc h in g
th e ir o p p o r tu n ity , ran aw a y w i th th em , and th e y w e r e afterwards feen
d iv id ed am o n g th em in th e ir canoes, and ufed as co v e r in g s .
O n th e 18th th e S u p p ly quitted th e c o v e , p rep a ra tory to h e r fa ilin g
fo r N o r fo lk Ifland, w h ic h {he did on th e 2 2 d , h a v in g fom e p rov ifion s
on board for that fettlement. S h e w a s to b r in g b a ck C ap tain H u n te r ,
w ith th e officers and c r ew o f h is M a je fty ’ s late Ihip Sir ius. H e r com -
u 2 m an d e r,