234 A C C O U N T O F TH E EN G L ISH C O L O N Y [ 1 7 9 a .
p e rm an en t fto reh ou fe s , ba rracks fo r th e m ilita ry , and o th e r n e ce fla ry
bu ild in g s . -4*
T h e w e a th e r had be en fo r fom e time p aft v e r y bad , m uch rain
h a v in g fallen a c companied w i th ftorms o f w in d , thunder,, and l ig h t n
in g . In fom e o f th e fe ftorms th e w r e c k o f h is M a je f ty ’ s Ihip S ir iu s
w e n t to pieces and d ifapp e ared , n o p a r t o f th a t u n fo r tu n a te fh ip b e in g
le ft to g e th e r , e x c e p t w h a t w a s con fin ed b y the iro n ballaft in h e r
b o ttom .
O n board o f th e A tla n tic came f ix t y - tw o pe rfon s from N o r fo lk
Ifland , am o n g w h om w e r e fe v e ral w h o fe terms o f tranfp ortation had
e x p i r e d ; th ir te en o ffen d e r s ; and n in e o f th e m arin e fettlers, w h o had
g iv e n u p th e h o e and th e fp ad e, returned to this p lace to embrace
o n c e m ore a life to w h ic h th e y ce r ta in ly w e r e , from lo n g h ab it, better
adapted th an to th a t o f in d ep en d en t fettlers. T h e y g a v e u p th e ir eftates,
and cam e h e re to en te r as foldiers in th e N e w So u th W a le s corps.
M r . C h a r le s G r im e s , th e d e p u ty - fu r v e y o r , ar r iv ed in th e A t la n tic ,
b e in g fen t b y M r . K in g to ftate to th e g o v e rn o r th e fituation o f th e
fettlers late b e lo n g in g to th e S ir iu s , w h o fe g ro u n d s h ad , on a ca re ful
fu r v e y b y - M r . G r im e s , be en fo u n d to interfedt each.o the r. T h e y h ad
be en o r ig in a lly laid d ow n w ith o u t th e afliftance o f p rop e r in ftrum en ts ,
and b e in g fituated o h th e fid e o f th e C a fcad e Stream, w h ic h ta k e s
feveral. w in d in g s in its co u r fe , th e d ifferent allo tments , b e in g clo fe tog
e th e r , n a tu ra lly in te r fe red w i th each o th e r w h e n th e y came to b e
ca rried ba ck . T h e fettlers th em fe lv e s faw h o w d ifad v an ta g e o u fly th e y
w e r e fituated, an d h o w u t te r ly impoffible it w a s fo r e v e r y one to
poffefs a d iftindt a llo tm en t o f f ix t y acres, unlefs th e y came to fom e
a g re em en t w h ic h had th e ir m utua l ac com m od a tion in v i e w ; b u t th is ,
w i th an o b ftin a c y p rop o rtioned to th e ir ign o ran c e , th e y a ll d e c l in e d : as
th e ir g ro u n d s w e r e mark ed b u t fo w o u ld th e y k e ep th em , n o t g iv in g
an in ch in o n e place, th o u g h ce rta in o f p o ffe ffm g i t w i th ad v an tage in
an o the r. T h e fe people proved- b u t in d iffe ren t fettlers ; failors and
fo ld ie rs , fe ld om bred in th e habits o f in d u ftr y , b u t ill b ro o k ed th e
p e rfon a l la b o u r w h ic h th e y fo u n d w a s required from th em d a y a fte r
d a y , and m on th after m on th . M e n w h o from th e ir in fa n c y h ad be en
ac cu ftom ed to h a v e th e ir d a i ly fubfiftenee fo u n d th em w e r e b u t ill
calculated
September-.] IN N E W S O U T H W A L E S .
calculated to p rocure it b y th e fw eat o f th e ir b row s , and m u ft v e r y
u n w i llin g ly find th a t w ith o u t grea t b o d ily e x e r tio n s th e y cou ld no t
p ro v id e it at all. A few months expe rien ce co n v in c e d them o f th e
tru th o f the fe obfervations, and th e y g r ew d ifc o n te n te d ; as a p r o o f o f
w h ic h th e y w r o te a letter to the ju d g e -ad v o c a te , to b e fu bm itted to the
g o v e rn o r , fta ting , as a fubjedt o f com p la in t am o n g o th e r g r ie v an c e s ,
th a t th e officers o f the fettlement bred fto c k fo r th e ir o w n ufe , and re-
q u e ft in g that th e y m ig h t be d ire c ted to d ifcon tin u e th a t p ra c tic e , and
p urcha fe fto c k o f them.
V e r y f e w o f th e convid ts at N o r fo lk Ifland w h o fe terms o f t r a n f p
or ta tion h ad e x p ired w e r e fo u n d de firous o f b e c om in g permanent
fe tt le r s ; th e foie objedt w i th th e m a jo r p a r t ap p ea r in g to b e , th a t o f
ta k in g g ro u n d fo r th e p u rp o fe o f ra ifin g b y th e fale o f th e p rod u c e a
fum fu ffic ien t to enable th em to pay- fo r th e ir paffages to E n g lan d .
T h e fe ttle r to ben e fit th is c o lo n y , th e bond Jtde fe ttle r , w h o fliould
be a m an o f fom e p ro p e r ty , m u ft com e from E n g lan d . H e is n o t to
be lo o k ed fo r am o n g d ifcha rged fold iers, fliip w r e ck ed fe am en , or
qu on d am convidts.
G o v e rn o r K in g fin d in g , after t r y in g e v e r y p rocefs th a t cam e w ith in
his k n ow le d g e fo r p rep a r in g and d re ffin g th e fla x -p la n t, th a t u n le fs
fom e o th e r means w e r e d e v ifed , it n e v e r w o u ld b e b r o u g h t to th e p e r -
fed tion n e ce flary to m ake th e canvas p rod u c ed from i t an objedt o f im p
o r tan c e , e ith e r as an ar tic le o f c lo th in g fo r th e conv id ts <or fo r maritim
e p urpo fe s , p rop o fed to M r , E b o r B u n k e r , th e matter o f th e
W il liam and A n n , w h o had fom e th o u g h ts o f to u c h in g at D u lk y B a y
in N ew Z e a lan d , to p rocu re h im tw o natives o f th a t c o u n t r y , i f th e y
cou ld be p re v a iled on to em b a rk w i th h im , and p rom ifed h im o n e
h und red pound s i f h e fuc ce ed ed , h o p in g from th e ir p erfedt k n ow le d g e
o f the fla x -p lan t, and the procefs n e c e fla ry to manufadture it in to c lo th ,
th a t h e m ig h t one d a y ren d e r it a v a lu a b le and benefic ial a r tic le to h is
c o lo n y ; but C aptain B u n k e r h ad n e v e r returned.
N o r fo lk Ifland had been v iiite d b y all th e w h a le r s w h ic h failed from
th is p o r t on that filh e r y . T h e A dm ira l B a r r in g to n and P itt le ft w i th
M r . K in g ele v en men and tw o female con v id ts , w h o had fecreted .
them fe lv e s at this port on board o f thofe Ihips.
H H 2 O d to b e r .]