In d iam an , h ad to u ched th e re in th e ir w a y to C h in a , and M r . R o g e rs ,
exped ted to h a v e heard that his lo rd fh ip had v ifited this fettlement.
T h e F a i r y w a s to p roc e ed from this p la c e t o the n o r th -w e ft coaft o f
Am e r ic a , w h e re th e mafter h o p ed to ar rive th e firft fo r the fu r market.
T h e n c e h e w a s to g o to C h in a w i th his fla n s ; and from C h in a b a ck to
St. P a u l, w h e re h e had le ft a mate and tw o failors. T h e i r fuccefs w a s
to regu late his fu tu r e v o y a g e s .
M r . R o g e r s expreffed a furp rife th a t w e had no t a n y fmall craft on
th e co a ft, as he h ad o bferved a p len tifu l h a rv e ft o f feals as h e came
a lon g . H e came in h e re m e r e ly to re fre lh , no t h a v in g a n y th in g on
board fo r fale, his ca rgo c o n fid in g w h o l ly o f articles o f ' traffic fo r the
n o r th -w e ft coa ft o f Am e r ica .
Char les W illiam s , th e fettler fo o ften m entioned in this nar rative,
w e a r ie d o f b e in g in a ftate o f in d ep end en c e , fo ld his fa rm w ith th e
h o u fe , c rop , and flo c k , fo r fom e th in g lefs than one hun d red p ou n d s , to
a n o ffice r o f th e N ew S o u th W a le s corps* lieutenant C um m in g s , to
w h o fe allo tm en t o f tw e n ty - fiv e acres W illiam s ’ s g ro u n d w a s contiguou s.
James R u fe alfo , th e ow n e r o f E x p e r im e n t fa rm , an x io u s to return to
E n g la n d , and d ifapp ointed in his p refent c ro p , w h ic h h e had fow n too
la te , fo ld his eftate w i th th e h o u fe and fome f lo c k ( fo u r goats and three
fh e ep) fo r fo r ty p ound s. B o th thefe p eop le had to fe e k em p lo ym en t
u n t i l th e y cou ld g e t a w a y ; and W illiam s w a s cond em ned to w o r k as a
h ir e lin g u p o n th e g ro u n d o f w h ic h h e h ad been th e mafter. B u t he
w a s a ftran g e r to th e fe e ling s w h ic h w o u ld h a v e rendered this c ircum -
(lan ce difagreeable to him .
T h e a llo tm en t o f th ir ty acres, late in th e p o ffe flio n o f James R ich a rd s ,
a fe ttle r at th e Pond s , deceafed, w a s p u t in to th e occupation o f a p riva te
fo ld ie r o f the N ew So u th W a le s c o r p s ; and a g ran t o f th ir ty acres at
th e E a fte rn Farms w a s p urch a fed fo r as m a n y p ou n d s b y an o th e r
fo ld ie r .
T h e grea teft in con v en ien ce a tten d in g th is transfer o f landed p ro p
e r t y w a s , th e re tu rn o f fu ch a m ifcreant as W illiam s , and others o f
h is d e fc r ip tion, to E n g lan d , to be le t lo o fe ag a in u p on the public . T h e
la n d it fe lf came in to th e p offeffion o f p eop le w h o w e re interefted in
•making th e m o d o f it , an d w h o w o u ld be m ore ftud ious to raife plent
i fu l c rop s fo r m a r k e t
B u ild in g
B u i ld in g and c o v e r in g th e n ew barrack, and b r in g in g in tim b e r fo r
th e n ew miU-houfe, w h ic h w a s not to be b u ilt o f b r ick , fo rm ed the
p r in c ip a l la b o u r o f this m on th at S y d n e y . T h e fh ipw r ig h t s w e re em p
lo y e d in p u ttin g u p the frame o f a lo n g -b o a t p u rch a fed o f the mafter
o f the B r ita n n ia , and rep a ir in g the h o y , w h ic h h ad be en ly in g fo r
fom e months ufelefs fo r w a n t o f rep airs, h a v in g been m u ch in ju r e d b y
th e d eftrudtive w o rm th a t w a s fo u n d in th e wa te rs o f this co v e .
A t the o th e r fettlements th e eonvid ts w e r e em p lo y e d in p lan tin g th e
Ind ian corn. A b o u t fo u r h u n d red and tw e n ty acres w e r e p lan ted w i th
that ar ticle fo r th is fea fon’ s crop.
N o v em b e r .] In th e n ig h t o f T h u r fd a y th e 7 th o f N o v em b e r , the
F ranc is fch o o n e r anchored in th e c o v e from D u fk y B a y in N ew Z e a land
; h e r lo n g ab fence from this place (n e a r ly n in e w e e k s ) h a v in g
b e en o ccafion ed b y m e e tin g w ith c o n t ra ry and h e a v y gales o f w in d .
T h e altera tion w h ic h h ad been made in th is v e fle l b y r ig g in g h e r as a
fch o o n e r inftead o f a flo o p , fo r w h ic h lh e w a s b u ilt, was fo u n d to
h a v e m a te r ia lly affedted h e r fa i lin g ; fo r a fch o o n e r lh e w a s to o Ihort,
an d , fo r w a n t o f p rop e r fa il, lh e d id n o t w o r k w e ll. F o u r times lh e
w a s b low n o f f the coa ft o f N ew Z e a lan d , th e B r ita n n ia h a v in g anch
o red in D u fk y B a y fix te en d a y s b e fo re th e Franc is.
M r . R a v e n fo u n d in h ealth and fa fe ty all th e p eop le w h om h e had
le ft there. T h e y h ad p ro cu red h im o n ly fo u r th o u fan d fiv e h u n d red
feal-flrins, h a v in g be en p r in c ip a lly o c cu p ied in co n ftru d tin g a v e fle l to
fe rv e th em in th e e v en t o f a n y ac cid ent h ap p en in g to th e B r itan n ia .
T h i s th e y h ad n e a r ly completed w h e n M r . R a v e n a r r iv ed . S h e w a s
calculated to m eafu re ab ou t f ix ty - f iv e to n s , and w a s c h ie fly b u ilt o f
th e fp ruce fir , w h ic h M r . R a v e n ftated to be th e fitteft w o o d h e had
obfe rv ed th e re fo r fh ip -b u ild in g , and 'w h ic h m ig h t be p rocu red in a n y
q u an tity o r o f a n y fize . T h e ca rp enter o f th e B r ita n n ia , an in g en io u s
main, and mafter o f h is p ro fe flio n , com p a red it to E n g lifh o a k fo r dura
b ility and ftren gth .
T h e nativ es had n e v e r molefted th e B r ita n n ia ’ s p eo p le : ind eed th e y
feemed ra the r to ab h or th em ; fo r if, b y ch a n ce , in th e ir e x cu r fio n s
(w h ic h w e r e b u t v e r y few ,) th e y v ifited and le ft a n y th in g in a h u t,
th e y w e re fo re , on th e ir n e x t v ifit, to find the h u t p u lled d ow n , an d
th e ir p re fen t rem a in in g w h e re it had been le ft . S om e few a r tic le s
T T w h ic h