■ which M r . R a v en h ad h im fe lf placed in a h u t, w h en h e to u ched th e re
to eftablifh h is little filh e r y , w e r e fo u n d thre e months after b y his
p eop le in th e fame fpot.
T h e i r we a th e r had been v e r y b a d ; fe v e re ga le s o f w in d from th e
n o r th -w e ft and h e a v y ra in s o ften im p e d in g th e ir filh e r y and other
labour. A fh o c k o f an e ar th qu ak e to o had been fe lt. T h e y had an
ab und ance o f fre lh p ro v ifio n s , d u ck s , w o o d -h en s , and fe v e ral other
f o w l ; and th e y c a u g h t la rg e quantities o f filh. T h e fo il, to a grea t
d e p th , appeared to b e com p o fed o f d e ca y ed v eg e ta ble fubftances.
F rom M r . R a v e n , w h o h ad w a ited fom e d a y s fo r th e appearance
o f th e F ranc is , th e mafte r re c e iv ed fuch afliftance as h e flo o d in need
o f ; and on th e 20 th o f O c to b e r fhe failed from D u lk y B a y , in com p
a n y w i th the B r ita n n ia , w i th w h om Ihe parted im m ed ia te ly , le a v in g
h e r to p urfue h e r v o y a g e to B en g a l.
N o th in g appeared b y th is in fo rm ation from D u lk y B a y , th a t h e ld
o u t en cou ra g em ent to us to m ake a n y ufe o f th a t p art o f N ew Z e a lan d .
S o little w a s faid o f the fo il, o r fa c e o f th e c o u n t r y , th a t n o ju d gm e n t
cou ld b e fo rm ed o f a n y ad vantages w h ic h m ig h t be e x p e d e d from attem
p tin g to cu ltiv a te i t ; a feal filh e r y th e re w a s n o t an objedt w ith us
a t p re fen t, an d , be fid e , it did n o t fe em to p rom ife m u ch . T h e tim e ,
h o w e v e r , th a t th e fch o o n e r w a s abfent w a s no t w h o l ly m ifap p lie d ;
as w e had th e fa t is fa d io n o f le a rn in g th e e v en t o f a rather u n com m on
fp e cu la tio n , th a t o f le a v in g tw e lv e p eo p le fo r ten mon th s on fo p o p u lo
u s an iflan d , the in hab itan ts w h e r e o f w e r e k n ow n to be fav a ges,
fie rc e and w a r lik e . ' W e ce r ta in ly m a y fu p p o fe th a t the fe people w e re
u n a cq u a in ted w i th th e circum fta q c e o f th e re b e in g an y ftrangers near
t h em ; and th a t co n fe q u en t ly th e y had n o t had a n y com m u n ica tion
w i th th e few miferable b e in g s w h o w e r e o c c a fio n a lly feen in th e cov es
o f D u lk y B a y .
A few d a y s after th e a r r iv a l o f th e F ranc is , M r . R o g e r s failed fo r
C h in a , ta k in g w ith h im tw o -w om e n and thre e m en w h o had re ce ived
p e rm iffion to qu it th e c o lo n y . O n board o f th e F a i r y w a s fo u n d a
o o n v id t , J o h n C r o w , w h o fo r fome_ offence had be en confined in the
m ilita r y gu a rd h ou fe a t Parramatta, w h en c e h e fo u n d means to mak e
h is efcap e, and rea ched S y d n e y in tim e to fw im on board th e A m e rican.
O n b e in g b ro u g h t o n Ihore h e re ce ived a flight p u n ilhm en t,
6 an d
and w a s confined in th e b la c k h o le at th e gu a rd h ou fe at S y d n e y , ou t o f
w h ic h h e efcaped a n ig h t o r tw o after, b y u n tilin g a part o f th e ro o f.
A f te r th is h e w a s n o t heard o f, till the w a tch ap p rehend ed h im at P a rramatta,
wh e re ' h e had b ro k en in to tw o h ou fe s, w h ic h h e h ad p lu n d
ered, and w a s caught w i th th e p ro p e r ty u p on h im .
T h e fre q u en c y o f enormous offences had rend ered it n e ce ffa ry to
in f li f t a p u n ilhm en t that Ihould be more l ik e ly to ch e c k th e com m iffio n
o f cr im es than mere flagellation at th e b a ck o f th e gu a rd h ou fe , o r b e in g
fen t to T o o n g a b b e . C r o w , th e re fo re , w a s lo d g e d in th e cu fto d y o f
th e c iv il p ow e r , and ordered fo r tr ia l b y th e co u r t o f cr im in a l ju d i cature.
:
D u r in g th e tim e th e F a i r y la y at an ch or in th is co v e , a ferjeant and
th re e p riva te s o f th e N ew S o u th W a le s corps w e r e fen t and rem ain ed
o n bo ard, fo r th e p u rp o fe o f p re v en t in g all im p rop e r v ifita tio n s from
th e Ihore, and in fp ed lin g w h a te v e r m ig h t be eithe r received in to o r
fen t from th e f li ip in a fu fp ic iou s m a n n e r : a r e g u la tion from w h ic h
th e mafter profe ffed to h a v e fo u n d effential fe rv ic e , as h e th e r e b y k ep t
h is decks fre e from id le o r bad p eop le , and his feamen w e n t on u n -
m olefted w ith th e d u ty o f th e v effel.
O n S a tu rd a y th e 2 3d , th e flou r and ric e in ftore b e in g [nearly e x p
end ed , th e ra tion w a s altered to th e fo llo w in g p rop o r tion s o f tho fe
ar tic les, v i z . :
T o th e officers, c iv il and m ilita ry , fo ld ie rs , o v e r fe e r s , and th e
fettlers from fre e p e o p le , w e r e fe rv ed ,
O f b ifcu it o r flo u r , - - - - - 2 p o u n d s ;
W h e a t , - - r - - - 2 p o u n d s ;
In d ian c o rn , - 5 p o u n d s ;
Peafe, - - - - - - 3 pints.
T o th e male c o n v i& s w e r e fe rv e d , w om e n and ch ild ren r e c e iv in g
in the p rop o r tion s a lw a y s o b fe rv ed ,
' (O f Jfifcuit o r flo u r , n one,— and fo r th e fir ft tim e fin c e th e
e ftab lilhm ent o f the co lo n y ,)
W h e a t , - - - - - 3 p o u n d s ;
In d ian co rn , - - - - - 3 p o u n d s ;
. P a d d y , - - - - - - 2 p in t s ;
G r am , - - - - - - 2 ditto.