th a t th e fu rg eo n fh o u ld re c e iv e a ce rta in q u an tity , and at h is difc retion
iffue it from tim e to tim e to fu ch f ic k u n d e r his care as h e th o u g h t
w o u ld d e r iv e ben e fit from i t ; th e rem a in d e r w a s ordered to be referv ed
fo r th e u fe o f the llo o p w h e n it m ig h t be n e c e fla ry to fend h e r to fea.
T h e fpirits at th is tim e in th e c o lo n y w e r e th e furp lus o f w h a t had
be en fen t o u t fo r h is m a je fty ’ s fh ip Sir iu s , and th e S u p p ly armed
ten d e r .
A s it h ad be en cu ftom a ry to o , on th is d a y , to g ran t a pard on to
fu ch offenders as m ig h t be in cu fto d y o r u n d e r fentence o f co rp o ra l
p u n ifhm en t,h is E x c e l le n c y w a s p leafed a few d ay s after to releafe fuch
c o n v ic t s as w e r e fen ten ced to w o r k in irons fo r a lim ited tim e at P a r rama
tta and th e N ew G ro u n d s , and w h o w e re n o t v e r y n otorious
offenders. T h is le n ity w a s th e rather fh ew n at th is time , as th e con v
ic t s w e r e in g enera l g iv in g p roo fs o f a g rea ter d ifp ofition to h o n e fty
th an had fo r fom e tim e be en v ifib le am o n g th em . T h e co n v ic t s at
th e N e w G ro u n d s b e in g affembled fo r this p u rp o fe , th e g o v e rn o r acq
ua in ted th em , “ that th e fta te o f th e 'c o lo n y re q u ir in g a ftill far th e r
“ r ed u c tio n in th e ra tio n , i t w o u ld v e r y fh o r t ly tak e p la c e ; bu t that
“ h e h o p e d fo on to h a v e it in his p ow e r to au gm en t it . T h e de fic ien -
“ cies in the eftablifhed ra tion , h e in fo rm ed th em , fh o u ld at a fu tu r e
“ p e r io d b e made u p ; but in th e me antime h e e x p e c ted th a t e v e r y
“ m an w o u ld co n tin u e to e x e r t h im fe lf and g e t th e co rn in to th e
“ g ro u n d to in fu re fu p p o r t fo r th e n e x t y e a r .” Ind e ed the fe e x e r tion
s became e v e r y d a y m ore n e ce fla ry . O n the 6 th o f th is m on th
th e re w a s o n ly a fu fE c ien c y o f flo u r in flo re to ferve till the 2d o f J u ly ,
and fait p ro v ifio n s till th e 6 th o f A u g u f t fo llow in g , at the ra tion then
iffued ; and n e ith e r th e A tla n tic fto re fhip from Ca lcu tta , n o r th e e x p
e c te d fupplies from E n g lan d , had ar rived.
N o tw ith fta n d in g th e m o r ta lity and ficknefs w h ic h h ad p reva iled
am o n g th e co n v ic t s w h o came ou t in th e laft fhip s, m u ch labou r had
b e en p e r formed at th e N ew G ro u n d s b y th o fe w h o w e r e capable o f
h a n d lin g th e h o e and the fpade. A t th is tim e th e q u a n tity o f g rou n d
in w h e a t , and cleared and b ro k en u p fo r m a iz e , the re and at Parram
atta, w a s fu ch as ( i f no t v ifited ag ain b y a d r y fea fon) w o u ld at leaft,
com p u t in g th e p rod u c e e v en at w h a t it w a s th e laft y e a r , y ie ld a fu f-
fic ien c y o f g ra in fo r a ll o u r numbers fo r a tw e lv em o n th . B u t e v e r y
one
o n e d oubted th e p o ffib ility o f g e t tin g all th e co rn in to th e g ro u n d
w i th in th e p ro p e r tim e , u n le fs th e c o lo n y fh ould b e v e r y fp e e d ily relie
v e d from its diftreffes, as th e red u c tion in th e ra tio n w o u ld in e v ita
b ly be fo llow e d b y a d im in u tion o f the d a ily labour.
O n the 20th h ow e v e r , to th e in expre ffib le j o y o f all ranks o f p eop le
in th e fettlements , the A tla n tic ftorefhip an ch ored fa fe ly in th e co v e ,
w i th a ca rgo o f rice , fou je e , and d h o ll, from C a lcu tta , h a v in g been
m u ch lo n g e r p e r fo rm in g h e r v o y a g e th an w a s e x p e c te d , o w in g to
fome d e la y s at C a lcu tta , in fe ttlin g and a r ran g in g the co n tra c t fo r the
fu p p ly o f p ro v ifio n s w h ic h h ad b e en requ ired . T h e merchants w h o ,
in the y e a r 1 7 9 0 , had made a ten d e r to fu p p ly th is c o lo n y w i th ce rta
in articles at a ftipulated p r ice , w e r e , from fe v e ral co n cu r r in g c ircum -
ftances, unab le to fu rn ifh w h a t was requ ired b y L ie u ten an t B ow e n ,
a g reeable to th e prices th en ft ip u la te d ; it w a s th e r e fo r e . determined b y
th e members o f th e co u n c il at C a lcu tta , to w h om L ie u ten a n t B ow e n
d e liv e red his letters and inftruCtions, (E a r l C o rnw a llis , w h o h ad , fe v e ra
l months p re viou s to his a r r iv a l, been defired b y th e fe c re ta ry o f ftate
to direCt a n y fup plies w h ic h m ig h t b e requ ired fo r th is fe ttlem en t,
b e in g abfent w i th th e a rm y ,) to in v ite offers fo r fu p p ly in g th e d ifferent
ar ticles w h ic h w e r e requ ired b y contrac t. L ie u ten an t B ow e n ar r iv ed
a t C a lcu tta on th e 4 th o f F eb ru a ry , and it w a s n o t till th e 2 7 th o f th e
fo llo w in g m on th th a t th e bufin e fs w a s fin a lly ar ran ged , and a con trac t
entered in to b y th e h o u fe o f L am b e r t, R o fs , and C o . fatisfaCtory to
th e co u n c il and to L ie u ten an t B ow e n .
I t ap p ear in g that th e flo u r o f B en g a l, unlefs it w a s dreffed fo r the
p u rp o fe , w h ic h w o u ld h a v e ta k en a grea t deal o f tim e , w a s no t o f a
q u a lity to keep e v en fo r th e v o y a g e from C a lcu tta to this c o u n t r y , a
la rg e p ro p o r tio n o f r ic e , o f th a t fo r t w h ic h Was faid to be th e fitteft fo r
p re fe rv ation , w a s p urchafed. A fin a ll q u a n tity o f flo u r to o w a s p u t
o n board, b u t m e r e ly fo r th e p u rp o fe o f e xp e r im en t. I t w a s called
fouje e b y th e n atives, b u t w a s m u ch in fe r io r in q u a lity to th e flou r
prepared in E u ro p e , and more difficult to m ake in to bread.
T h e A tla n tic le ft Ca lcu tta th e 28 th o f M a r c h , and o n h e r paffage
m e t w i th m uch bad w e a th e r , and fom e h e a v y ga le s o f w in d . She
b ro u g h t tw o bulls and a c o w o f th e ’B en g a l bre ed , to g e th e r With tw e n ty
fheep and tw e n ty g o a t s ; b u t th e fe were o f f e d im in u tiv e a fp ecies,
e f , th a t,