250 A C C O U N T O F TH E EN G L ISH C O L O N Y [17 9 2 .
fto c k as cou ld b e fpared from th e p u b lic . T h e y w e r e lik ew ife to h a v e
aflign ed th em th e fe rv ice s o f fu ch a n um b e r o f co n v i& s as the g o v e rn o r
Ih ou ld th in k p rop e r , on th e ir m a k in g it appear that th e y could em p lo y ,
fe ed , and clo th e th em . E v e r y man had a h u t e ro d e d on his farm at
th e p u b lic e xp en c e . A t th e tim e o f th e g o v e rn o r ’ s departure, m an y o f
th em , b y th e ir ow n in d u ftr y , and th e aififtance h e had afforded th em ,
w e r e enabled to h a v e one o r tw o co n v id ts o f f th e fto re , and em p loy ed
b y th em a t th e ir f a rm s ; and fu ch as w e r e no t married w e r e allow ed
a co n v id t hutk e epe r. In g en e ra l th e y w e r e n o t id le , and th e m ajo r
p a r t w e r e com fo r ta b ly fituated.
A t th is tim e th e q u a n tity o f land w h ic h h a d paffed to fettlers * in
th is te r r ito ry u n d e r the feal o f th e c o lo n y amounted to th re e th ou fan d
fo u r hun d red and fe v e n ty a c r e s ; o f w h ic h q u a n tity fo u r hun d red and
fe v en te en acres and a h a l f w e r e in cu ltiv a tio n , and the timbe r cleared
from one h u n d red m ore , re a d y fo r lo w in g ; w h ic h , compared w i th
th e total o f th e public ground in cu ltiv a tio n , (one thoufand and tw e lv e
acres and th re e qua rte rs ,) w i ll be fo u n d to be b y e le v en acres m ore
th an equ a l to one h a l f o f it. A ftr ik in g p r o o f o f w h a t fom e fettlers
h ad th em fe lv e s de clared , on its b e in g h in ted to th em th a t th e y h ad n o t
a lw a y s be en fo d ilig en t w h e n la b o u r in g fo r th e w h o le— “ W e are n ow
« w o r k in g fo r ou r fe lv e s .” O n e material g o od w a s , h ow e v e r , to be
expedited from a t r a d o f lan d o f th a t e x ten t b e in g cu ltiv a ted b y in d iv
id u a ls , i f at a n y tim e an ac cid ent Ihould h ap pen to th e crop on th e
p u b lic g ro u n d , th e y m ig h t be a re fo u rc e , th o u g h an inconfid erable
o n e . F o r tu n a te ly , n o m is for tu n e o f th a t nature had e v e r fallen u p on
th e c o lo n y ; b u t it h ad b e en , at th e b e g in n in g o f this m on th , v e r y
n e a r e x p e r ie n c in g a c a lam ity th a t w o u ld h a v e blafted all th e p r o fp e d s
o f th e n e x t fe a fon , and in o n e m om en t h a v e rendered in e ffe d u a l the
labou r o f m a n y hands and o f m a n y months. T w o d a y s after th e
w h e a t had be en reaped, and g o t o f f th e g ro u n d a t T o o n g a b b e , the
Whole o f th e ftub ble w a s bu rn t. T h e d a y on w h ic h this hap pened
h a d be en u n u fu a lly h o t, and th e c o u n t r y w a s e v e r y w h e r e on fire.
H a d it b efa llen us w h ile th e w h e a t w a s u p o n th e g ro u n d , n o th in g
co u ld h a v e faved th e w h o le from b e in g d e ltro y ed . F rom this circum -
-* Some few had been added fince the furveyor’s return of the 16th October.,
* fiance,