[ 1 7 9 1 .
In adj ufHng th e co n t ra c t o r ch a r te r -p a r ty , th e mafter d ifp la y ed the
g re a te ft ign o ran c e and th e m o ft tire fom e perverfenefs, th row in g ob-
ftacles in th e w a y o f e v e r y claufe th a t was inferted. I t w a s h ow e v e r
at len g th fin a lly fettled and figned b y the g o v e rn o r o n the p art o f th e
c r ow n , and b y D e tm e r Sm ith , th e m afte r, o n th e p a r t o f his ow n e rs ,
h e cd n fen tin g to be p aid fo r o n ly thre e h und red tons inftead o f three
h u n d re d and f if t y , fo r w h ic h ftie had been impofed u p on L ieu ten an t
B a ll at B a ta y ia . T h e ca rp enter o f the S u p p ly meafured h e r in
th is co v e .
D ire c tio n s w e r e n o w g iv e n fo r fittin g h e r u p as a tranfport to rec
e iv e 'th e S ir iu s s late fhip s com p a n y and officers ;• and L ie u ten an t
E d g a r , w h o came ou t in th e L a d y Ju lian a tranfp ort, Was ordered to
fup e rin ten d th e fittin g h e r , as an a g e n t ; in w h ic h fituation h e w a s to
em b a rk on board h e r and re tu rn to E n g lan d .
2 6 th . T h e S u p p ly , after an ab fence o f ju f t fiv e w e e k s , returned
from N o r fo lk I llan d , h a v in g on board C a p ta in H u n fc r , w i th th e
officers and p eo p le o f th e S i r iu s ; an d L ie u ten an t J o h n J o h n fon o f
th e marines, w h o fe ill ftate o f h e alth w o u ld no t p e rm it h im to rem ain
th e re a n y lo n g e r .
W e n o w fo u n d th a t o u r ap p rehenfions o f th e diftreffed fituation o f
th a t fe ttlem en t u n til it w a s re lie ved w e r e w e l l fou n d ed. T h e fu p -
p ly o f p ro v ifio n s w h ic h w a s difpatched in th e Ju ftin ian and Su rp r ife
re a ch ed th em at a c r itical p o in t o f tim e , th e re b e in g in ftore on the
y th o f A u g u f t , w h e n th e y appeared o f f th e illan d , p rov ifio n s but fo r
a few d a y s at th e ra tion th en iffu ed , w h ic h w a s three p oun d s o f flour
and one p in t o f r i c e ; o r , in lie u o f flour, three p oun d s o f In d ian meal
o r o f w h e a t, g ro u n d , and n o t feparated from th e h u fk s o r th e bran.
T h e i r fait p ro v ifio n s w e r e fo n e a r ly exp en d ed , th a t w h ile a b ird o r a
fiffi co u ld b e p rocured no fait meat w a s iffued. T h e w e e k ly ra tion o f
th is ar tic le w a s o n ly on e p ou n d and an h a l f o f b e e f, o r fe v en te en
o u n ce s o f p o rk . W h a t th e ir fituation m ig h t h a v e been b u t fo r th e
p ro v id en tia l fu p p ly o f birds w h ic h th e y m e t w i th , it w a s impoffible to
f a y ; to th em fe lv e s it w a s to o d iftre ffin g to be contemp lated . O n
M o u n t P itt th e y w e r e fo r tu n a te en o u g h to obtain, in an abundance
a lm o ft in c red ib le , a fpecies o f aq uatic birds, an fw e r in g the defcr iption
o f
o f th a t k n ow n b y th e name o f th e Puffin. T h e fe birds came in from
th e fea e v e r y e v en in g , in clouds lite ra lly d a rk en in g th e a ir , an d ,
d e f e n d in g o n M o u n t P it t, d epofited th e ir e g g s in deep holes mad e b y
th em fe lv e s in th e g ro u n d , g en e ra lly q u it tin g th em in th e m o rn in g ,
and re tu rn in g to fe e k th e ir fubfiftence in th e fea. F rom tw o to th re e
th ou fan d o f thefe birds w e r e often taken in a n igh t. T h e i r fe e k in g
th e ir fo od in th e ocean le ft no d oub t o f th e ir ow n flefh p a r tak in g o f
th e q u a lity o f th a t u p on w h ic h th e y fed ; b u t to p eo p le circumftanced'
as w e re the inhab itants on N o r fo lk I fla n d , th is leffened n o t th e ir im p
ortance ; and w h ile a n y M o u n t P itt birds (fuch b e in g th e nam e g iv e n
th em ) w e r e to be h ad , th e y w e r e e a g e r ly fo u gh t. T h e k n o t s o f th e
p in e tre e , fp lit and made in to fmall bun d le s , afforded the miferable
o ccu p ie r s o f a fmall fp e ck in th e ocean fuffic ient lig h t to g u id e th em
th ro u g h th e w o o d s , in fea rch o f w h a t w a s to fe rv e th em fo r th e ir
n e x t d a y ’ s meal. T h e y w e r e alfo fo r tu n a te en o u g h to lo fe b u t a few
c a lk s o f th e p rov ifion s b ro u g h t to the ifland in the Sir iu s , b y fa r th e
grea te r p a r t b e in g g o t fa fe ly o n fh o r e ; but fo hazard ous w a s at all
time s th e lan d in g in S y d n e y B a y , th a t in d ifch a rg in g th e tw o ih ip s ,
the la rg e cu tte r b e lo n g in g to th e S ir iu s w a s lo ft u p on th e re e f, as fhe'
w a s com in g in w ith a load o f c a lk s , and fom e w om en .; b y w h ich '
ac cid ent, tw o feamen o f th e Sir iu s , ( o f w h om James C o v e n t r y , tr ied
a t S y d n e y in 1 7 8 8 , fo r affaulting M ‘N e a l on Garden-Jdland, w a s one,)-
th re e w om e n , on e ch ild , (an in fant a t th e breatt w h o fe m oth e r g o t fa fe
o n fhore,) and o n e male c o n v ic t w h o fw am o f f to- th e ir affiftance,
w e r e u n fo r tu n a te ly d row n ed . T h e w e a th e r , n o tw ith fta n d in g this acc
id ent, w a s fo favou rab le at o th e r time s , th a t in one d a y tw o h u n d red
and n in e ty c a lk s o f p rov ifio n s w e r e landed from the fhips.
T h e exp e r ien c e o f thre e y ea rs h ad n ow {hewn,, th a t th e fum me r was:
th e o n ly p rop e r feafon fo r fen d in g ftores: and p ro v ifio n s to N o r fo lk
Ifland , as. d u r in g th a t p eriod th e paffage th ro u g h th e r e e f had b e en
fo u n d as g o od , and the lan d in g as p rac ticab le as in a n y co v e in. Port-
Jackfon. B u t th is w a s b y no means ce rtain o r c p n f t a n t f o r the fu r f
h ad been obferved to rife w h en th e fea b e y o n d it w a s p e r fe c t ly ca lm,
and w ith o u t th e fmalleft in d ication o f a n y ch a n g e in the w ea th e r ..
A ga le o f w in d at a d iftance from th e ifland w o u ld fu d d en ly o cc afion
fu c h a fw e ll, th a t lan d in g w o u ld be. either dangerous or. imprac ticable..