a g a in to p u b lic v iew at th e clo fe o f th is m on th , and at a tim e w h e n
e v e r y o n e th o u g h t h im a re c laimed man. H e had been fent to N o r fo lk
Ifland as a p lace w h e r e h e w o u ld h a v e few e r o pp or tun itie s o f ex e r c ifin g
h is p red a to ry ab ilities th an a t S y d n e y ; b u t th e law h a v in g fp ent its
fo r c e ag a in ft h im , h e re turned to th is fettlement as a fre e man in Sep tem
b e r laft. O n h is d e c la r ing th a t h e w a s able to p ro v id e fo r h im fe lf,
h e w a s a llow e d to w o r k fo r his ow n fu p p o r t, and fo r fome tim e p aft
h e h ad cu t wood, and d raw n w a te r fo r a d rum me r in th e N ew S o u th
W a le s co rp s , a man w h o , b y m u ch fe lf-d en ia l and e c o n om y , h ad g o t
to g e th e r and laid u p th ir ty - th re e gu in e a s , fo r th e p ru d en t and laudable
p u rp o fe o f hereafter ap p ren tic in g h is c h ild r e n ; b u t h a v in g u n fo r tu n
a te ly and m o d in d ifc re e tly fuffe red th is man to k n o w , n o t o n ly that
h e h ad fu c h a fum , b u t w h e re h e k e p t it , G r a y availed h im fe lf o f a
c o n v en ien t o p p o r tu n ity , and carried o f f th e w h o le fum , to g e th e r w i th
a fh ir t w h ic h la y in h is w a y . O n b e in g ta k en u p , ( fo r fu fp ic io n w a s
d ir e c t ly fix e d on h im ,) h e r e a d ily a c kn ow led g ed the th e ft, and eithe r
w a s , o r p re ten d ed to be, v e r y m u ch in liq u or . O n b e in g u rg ed to
re ftore th e p ro p e r ty , h e fen t th e w a tchm en '[to fearch fo r it in d ifferent
p lace s , b u t w ith o u t d ire c tin g th em to th e fp ot w h e re h e had con ce aled
it . A t la ft h e w a s ta k en o u t h im fe lf, w h e n ac c id en ta lly m e e tin g th e
lie u ten an t -g o v e rn o r h e th r ew h im fe lf on the g ro u n d , p re ten d in g to b e
in a f i t ; o n w h ic h h e w a s direCtly ordered to be tied u p and p u niffied
w i th one h u n d red lafhes. A f te r th is h e w o u ld n o t m ake a n y d ifc o v e r y ,
an d w a s fen t to th e h o fpitah T h e d rum me r w h o had fuffered fo mate
r ia lly b y th is w r e tc h , a lth o u g h th e o b je d o f p ity , y e t , k n o w in g as
h e m u ft h a v e done th e ch a rac te r o f th e man , w a s c e r ta in ly entitled to
n o fm a ll d egree o f blame fo r tru ftin g w i th a fecret o f fu ch importance
to h is fam ily a man w h o h e m u ft h a v e k n ow n cou ld n o t h a v e w i th -
fto o d fo g re a t a temptation.
T h e lieu ten an t-gov e rn o r p ro p o fin g to open and cu ltiv a te th e g ro u n d
c om m o n ly k n o w n b y the name o f th e K a n g o o ro o G r o u n d , fituate to
th e w e f tw a rd o f the to w n o f S y d n e y b e tw e en th a t fettlement and
P a rram a tta , a g a n g o f co n v ic t s tyas fen t from th e latter p lace fo r th a t
p u rp o fe . T h e fo il here w a s m u ch better fo r ag r icu ltu re than that im m
e d ia te ly ad jo in in g to the tpw n o f S y d n e y , and th e g ro u n d la y w e l l
fo r c u lt iv a t io n ; b u t it h ad h ith e r to be en negleCted, from its b e in g
defic ient
d e fic ien t in th e v e r y e ffen tial requifite o f w a t e r ; on w h ic h a c co u n t
P a rram a tta h ad be en p re fe rred to it. T h e e lig ib ili ty o f cu ltiv a t in g it
w a s h ow e v e r n ow g o in g to. be tried ; an d , p e rm iffion h a v in g be en
re c e ived b y th e Bellona" to g ran t lands to th o fe officers w h o m ig h t
d efire it , p ro v id ed the fituations o f th e a llotments w e r e fu ch as m ig h t
b e adv antageous to bona Jide fettlers h e rea fte r , i f th e y e v e r ih o u ld fa ll
in to fuch hands, fe v e ral officers ch o fe th is as th e fp o t w h ic h th e y
w o u ld cu ltiv a te , and allotments o f one h u n d red acres each w e r e
m ark ed o u t fo r th e c le rg ym a n , (w h o , to obtain a g ra n t h e re , re lin -
q uiffied h is r ig h t to cu ltiv a te th e land allotted fo r th e main ten an ce o f
a min ifte r ,) fo r th e p r in c ip a l fu rg e o n , and fo r tw o officers o f the corps.
F e b ru a ry .] T h e fettlers w h o came o u t in th e ' B e llo n a h a v in g fix e d
o n a fitu a tion at th e u p p e r p a r t o f th e h a rb ou r ab ov e th e Flats, and
o n th e fo u th fid e , th e ir d ifferent allotments w e r e fu r v e y e d and m ark ed
o u t ; and e a r ly in th is m on th th e y to o k p offeffion o f th e ir g rou n d s .
B e in g all fre e p e o p le , o n e c o n v ic t e x c e p te d , w h o w a s a llow ed to fettle
w i th th em , th e y g a v e tl;e ap p e lla tion o f “ Liberty P la in s” to th e d ii-
triCt in w h ic h th e ir fa rm s w e r e fituated. T h e m o ft refpedtable o f
th e fe p eop le , and ap p a ren tly th e b e lt calculated fo r a bona Jide fe ttle r ,
w a s T h om a s R o fe , a fa rm e r from D o r fe tfliire , w h o came o u t w i th h is
fam ily , co n fiftin g o f h is w i fe and fo u r ch ild ren . A n a llo tm en t o f o n e
h u n d red and tw e n ty acres w a s mark ed o u t fo r h im . W i t h h im came
a lfo F red eric M e re d ith , w h o fo rm e r ly b e lon g ed to th e S ir iu s , T h om a s
W e b b , w h o alfo be lon g ed to th e S ir iu s , w i th h is n e p h ew , and E d w a rd
P ow e l l, w h o h ad fo rm e r ly been h e re in th e L a d y Ju lian a tranfp ort.
P o w e l l h a v in g fin c e his a r r iv al m arried a fre e w om a n , w h o came o u t
w i th th e fa rm e r ’ s fam ily , and W e b b h a v in g b ro u g h t a w i fe w i th h im ,
h ad allotments o f e ig h ty acres m a rk e d o u t fo r e a ch ; th e others had f ix t y
each . T h e cond itions u n d e r w h ic h th e y en g ag ed to fettle w e r e , “ T o
“ h a v e th e ir paffages p ro v id ed b y g o v e r nm e n t * ; an affortment o f to o ls
|| and implements to b e fu rn ifh ed th em o u t o f th e p u b lic fto re s ; to be
“ fup plied w ith tw o y ea rs ’ p ro v ifio n s 1; th e ir lands to be gran ted fre e o f
“ e x p e n c e ; the fe rv ice o f co n v ic t s alfo to b e a ffign ed th em fre e o f e x -
* Government paid for each perfon above ten years of age the fum of eight pounds
eight (hillings ; and allowed one Ihilling per diem for victualling them ; and fixpence per
diem for every one under that age.