At Parramatta th e p r in c ip a l la b o u r w a s the g e t tin g in and hoofing,
the m a iz e , and p rep a r in g g ro u n d fo r th e n e x t y e a r ’ s gra in . T h e
fo u n d a tion s o f tw o m aterial b u ild in g s w e r e la id , a tow n -h a ll and an
h o fpital. I h e tow n -h a ll w a s in ten d ed to in c lu d e a m ark et-place fo r
th e fale o f g ra in , fith , p o u ltr y , liv e f lo c k , w e a r in g apparel, and e v e r y
o th e r ar ticle th a t convid ts m ig h t p u rch a fe o t fe ll. A n ord er eftablifh-
in g this regu la tion had been g iv e n o u t at Parramatta, and a cle rk o f
th e m ark e t ap p ointed to re g ifte r e v e r y c om m o d ity th a t w a s brought fo r
fale o r barter ; d ired lin g , in th e cafe o f n o n -c om p lia n c e , th e fo r fe itu re
b o th o f th e p u rch a fe -m o n e y and o f th e ar tic le , to be g iv e n , o n e m o ie ty
to th e in fo rm e r , and th e o th e r to th e h o ip ita l fo r th e benefit o f the lic k .
T h i s ord e r w a s meant to p re v en t th e fe llin g o r in te r ch an g in g o f
fto len g o od s am o n g th e c o n v i^ s ; a meafure that appeared to be d a ily
b e c om in g m ore n e ce fla ry . T h e depredations -which w e r e com m itted ,
h o u r ly it m ig h t be fa id , u p on th e m aize , w e r e v e r y fe r io u s , and called
fo r the in te rp o fition o f fom e meafure that m ig h t p re ven t th em , as p u -
n ifhm en ts , h ow e v e r fe v e re , w e r e n o t fo u n d e ffe c tu a lly to an fw e r th e
en d . A co n v id t w h o liv e d as a fe rv an t w i th an officer w a s tried b y
th e cr im in a l cou r t fo r ro b b in g h is matter, and b e in g fo u n d g u i l t y w a s
fen ten ced to re c e iv e three hun d red lafhes.
T h e c o lo n y h ad n ow been fo lo n g e ftablifhed, th a t m a n y convid ts
w h o had com e o u t in th e fir ft fleet, and m ig h t be termed th e firft fett
e r 8 in th e c o u n t r y , h ad fe rv ed th e fe v e ral terms o f tranfp ortation to
w h ic h th e y h ad be en fentenced. O f the p eop le o f this d e fcr iption,
fom e had become fe tt le r s ; fom e had le ft th e c o u n t r y ; others, to ufe
th e ir ow n e x p re flio n s , had tak en themfelv es o ff th e ftores, th a t is to
fa y , h ad d e clin ed r e c e iv in g a n y far th e r p ro v ifio n s from th e p u b lic
ftores o r d o in g a n y p u b lic labour, but d e riv ed th e ir fu p p o r t from fu ch
fettlers o r o th e r pe rfon s as cou ld em p lo y and main tain th em ; w h ile
o th e rs , w i th fom ew h a t more d ifc re tion , con tin u ed to labou r fo r g o v
e rnm en t , and to re c e iv e th e ir p ro v ifio n s as u fua l from th e com -
m ifla r y . - O f th e la tter d e fc r ip tion, fou r te en w h o w e r e in d u lg ed -w ith
th e ch o ic e o f the place w h e r e t h e y w e re to la b o u r , p referred the fet-
tlem en t at S y d n e y , and there had on e h u t affigned to th em fo r th e ir
re fid en c e . T o p re v en t a n y im p o fitio n on th e p a r t -o f tho fe w h o p ro -
fe fied to b e fu p p o r ted b y fe ttle rs , th e y w e r e d irec ted to ren d e r an
*4 a c c o u n t
ac co u n t at th e end o f each w e e k o f th e ir refpedtive em p lo ym en ts ; fo r
p e o p le w h o had n o t a n y v ifib le means o f liv in g w o u ld fo on h a v e becom
e nuifances in th e feulement.
I t requ ired fom e th in g more th an com m on ap p lication to adapt remedies
to the v a r io u s irregular ities w h ic h from tim e to tim e g r ew u p in
th e fettlement, and fom e th in g m ore than com m on in g e n u ity to co u n te
rac t th e artifices o f thofe w h o fe meditations w e r e h o u r ly d ire c ted to
fchemes o f e v afion o r depredation.
T h e natives had n o t la te ly g iv e n u s a n y in te r ru p tion b y a£ts o f
h o ftility . S e v e ra l o f th e ir y o u n g p eo p le con tin u ed to refid e am o n g
u s , and th e d ifferent h o u fe s in th e to w n w e r e fr e q u en t ly v ifited b y
th e ir relations. V e r y little in fo rm a tion th a t cou ld b e depended u p on
re fp eC lin g th e ir manners and cu ftoms w a s obtained th ro u g h this inter -
co u r fe ; and it w a s o b fe rv ed , th a t th e y co n v e r fed w i th us in a mutilated
an d incorredt la n g u a g e fo rm ed e n tir e ly on o u r imper feCt k n ow le d g e
and im p rop e r ap p lication o f th e ir wo rd s .
C H A P . X V I I .
MORTALITY IN A P R IL.— APPEARANCE AND STATE OF TH E CONVICTS.—
RATION AGAIN REDUCED.----QUANTITY OE FLO.UR IN STORE.— SETTLERS.—
STATE OF TRANSACTIONS W ITH THE NATIVES.----INDIAN CORN STOLEN.— v
PUBLIC WORKS.— AVERAGE PRICES OF G R AIN, &C. AT SYDN EY||A ND AT
PA R RAMA TTA.— MORTALITY DECREASES.— KING’S BIRTH-DAY.— THE A T LA
NTIC RETURNS FROM BENGAL.----ACCOUNT RECEIVED OF BRYANT AND
HIS COMPANIONS.— RATION FA RTH ER REDUCED— ATLA NTIC CLEARED.----
SHEEP-PENS AT PARRAMATTA A TTEMPTED.— QUALITY OF PROVISIONS
RECEIVED FROM CA LC U T TA .— TH E B R ITA NN IA ARRIVES FROM ENGLAND.—
RATION INCREASED.----A CONVICT EMANCIPATED.— PUBLIC
WORKS. :
M a y .] T h e m o r ta lity in th e laft m o n th h ad be en e x tr em e ly great.
D iftr e ffin g as it w a s , h ow e v e r , to fee th e p o o r w re tch e s d a ily d ro pp ing
in to th e g ra v e , it was fa r m ore a ff lic tin g to o b fe rv e th e countenances
and emac iated perfons o f m a n y that r em a in e d fo on to fo llo w th e ir
e e , miferable