a m ilita ry man m ig h t b e fu p p o fed to g iv e to c a r ry in g on the fe rv ice b y
means o f his o w n officers, ra th e r th an b y a n y other.
O n S a tu rd a y th e 1 5 th th e co n v ic t s re c e iv ed th e ir p rov ifion s accordin
g to the ra tion that w a s ifl'ued b e fo re th e g o v e rn o r ’s departure ; b u t
on th e M o n d a y fo llow in g , th e u fu a l d a y o f fe r v in g p rov ifion s to the
c iv il and m ilita ry , a diftinCtion w a s made, fo r th e firft tim e , in the
ra tion th e y r e c e iv e d ; the com m ifla ry b e in g d ire c ted to iflue to the
officers o f the c iv il and m ilita ry depa rtments, th e foldiers, fup e rin ten d -
ants, w a tchm en , ove rfe e r s , and fettlers from th e marines, f ix p oun d s o f
flo u r , and b u t tw o p oun d s o f rice p e r man , p e r w e e k , inftead o f three
p ou n d s o f flo u r , and fiv e p ou n d s o f r ic e , w h ic h was th e a llow an ce o f
th e co n v ic t s . T h is diftinCtion w a s in ten d ed to be d ifcon tin ued w h en e
v e r th e fu ll ra tion cou ld be ferved.
T h e f lo c k w h ic h had been diftributed am o n g th e married fettlers
and others b y G o v e rn o r P h illip fo r the p u rp o fe o f b re ed in g from , (as
has be en a lre ad y o b fe rv ed ,) appeared to h a v e be en th row n aw a y u p on
th em w h e n v iew e d as a b re ed in g f lo c k fo r fettlers. N o fo on e r had th e
A t la n t ic failed, than th e m a jo r p a r t o f th em w e r e offered fo r fale;. and
th e re w a s little d o u b t, (m an y o f th e ir ow n e rs m a k in g no fc ru p le to
p u b liffi th e ir in ten tion s,) that h ad th e y n o t be en b o u g h t b y th e officers,
in a v e r y few w e e k s m a n y o f th em w o u ld h a v e been d e ftroy ed . B y
th is conduCt, as fa r as th e ir in d iv id u a l benefit w a s con c e rn ed , th e y
h ad p u t it o u t o f th e ir ow n p ow e r , to reap a n y ad v an tage from th e
g o v e rn o r ’ s b o u n ty to th em ; b u t the f lo c k b y th is means was fav ed ,
and h ad fallen in to hands th a t ce r ta in ly w o u ld n o t w a n to n ly d e ftro y
it. T h e r e w e r e a few am o n g the fettlers w h o e x ch an g ed th e ir ffieep
fo r g o ats , d e em in g them a more p rofitab le f lo c k ; b u t, in general,
fp ir its w e r e th e p r ice required b y th e m ore ign o ran t and im p ru d en t
p a r t o f them ; and feveral o f th e ir farms, w h ic h had be en , and o u g h t
to h a v e a lw a y s been, th e p e a c e fu l retreats o f in d u ftr y , w e r e fo r a
tim e th e feats o f in eb r ie ty and con feq u en t diforder.
A b o u t th is tim e there an ch ored in th e co v e an Am e r ic an ffiip , th e
H o p e , command ed b y a M r . B en jam in P a g e , from R h o d e B lan d , w ith
a fmall c a rg o o f p rov ifio n s and Ipirits fo r fale. T h e caufe o f his p utt
in g in to this harb ou r , th e matter d eclared , w a s fo r th e p u rp o fe o f p ro cu
r in g w o o d and w a te r , o f w h ic h h e ftated his ffiip to be m uch in
1 4 w a n t ;
w a n t ; th us m a k in g th e fale o f his cargo appear to b e b u t a fe c on d a r y
objeCl w i th him .
A s th e c o lo n y h ad n o t y e t feen th e d a y w h e n i t cou ld h a v e indep
en d en t ly faid , “ W e are no t in w an t o f p r o v i f io n s ; p ro cu re y o u r
“ w o o d and y o u r wa ter , and g o y o u r w a y ,” th e lie u ten an t-g o v e rn o r
d ire c ted th e com m ifla ry to p urcha fe fu ch p a r t o f his ca rg o as th e
c o lo n y flo o d in need o f ; and tw o h u n d red barrels o f Am e r ic a n cu red
be e f, at fo u r p ounds p e r b a r r e l; e ig h ty barrels o f p o rk , at fo u r p ou n d s
ten ffiillin g s p e r b a r r e l ; fo r ty - fo u r barrels o f flo u r , at tw o p ou n d s p e r
barrel ; and fe v en th o u fan d fiv e h u n d red and n in e ty - fe v en g a llon s o f
(n ew Am e r ic an ) fpirits at fo u r ffiillin g s and fix p en c e p e r g a llo n , w e r e
p u r c h a fe d ; am o u n tin g in all to th e fum o f 2 9 5 7 I . 6 s. 6 d .
T h is ffiip h ad tou ched at th e F alk lan d Blan d s fo r th e p urpo fe o f
co lle c t in g Ik in s from th e different veffels em p lo y ed in th e feal trade
from th e U n ite d States o f Am e r ic a , w i th w h ic h ffie w a s to p roce ed to
th e C h in a mark et. F rom th e C ap e o f G o o d H o p e h e r p affage h ad
be en performed in tw o months and one d ay . T h e matter fa id , h e
fo u n d the p re v a ilin g w in d s w e r e from th e N . W . and d efcr ibed the
w e a th e r as the m oft boifterous h e h ad e v e r k n o w m fp r fu ch a len g th o f
time. B y on e fea, his caboofe w a s w a ffied o v e r th e fid e , and o n e o f
h is p eop le g o in g w i th it w a s d row n ed . H e o b fe rv ed , w h e n ab out th e
Sou th -c ap e o f this c o u n t ry , that th e w e a th e r w a s clear ; b u t after pairin
g th e latitude o f th e M a r ia B lan d s , h e fo u n d it c lo fe , h a z y , and heated
, and had e v e r y appearance o f th ic k fin o k e . A b o u t th a t tim e w e
h ad the fame fo r t o f w e a th e r h e r e ; and th e e x c e fliv e heats w h ic h a t
o th e r times h a v e been exp e r ien c ed in the fettlements h a v e been alfo
noticed at fea w h e n at fom e d iftance from the land.
B y this ffiip w e w e r e n o t fo r tu n a te en o u g h to re c e iv e a n y E u ro p e an
n ews . T h e matter faw o n ly one E n g liffi ffiip at th e C a p e , th e C h e f-
ter field w h a le r , command ed b y a M r . A l t , w h o had fo rm e r ly b e en a
m id ffiipman in his M a je f ty ’ s ffiip S ir iu s , and w h o w en t h om e o n b o ard
o f the N ep tu n e tranfport.
In a few days after th e a r r iv al o f th e H o p e , th e fign a l w a s again
mad e at th e Sou th -h ead, and in a few hou rs th e C h e fte r fie ld , th e ffiip
ju f t men tion ed to us b y th e Am e r ic a n , an ch ored in th e co v e . She
failed from the C ap e o f G o o d H o p e ffio r tly after M r . P a g e ; and th e
matter