am oun ted to n o th in g th a t cou ld lead to a d ifc o v c r y eithe r o f th em o r
o f the th ie f. H e did no t appear to be at all commiferated o r regretted
b y a n y o f his fe llow p r ifo n e r s ; a ce rtain p r o o f o f the abfence o f e v e r y
g o o d q u a lity in his charadter.
In the n ig h t o f the 6 th , d u r in g a v io len t flo r in o f rain and thund er,
a lo n g -b o a t, w h ic h had ar r iv ed in th e e v en in g from Parramatta w ith
g ra in fo r the n e x t d a y ’ s fe rv in g , and w a s then ly in g at th e w h a r f on
th e w e f t fide u n d e r th e care o f a centin e l, filled w i th th e q u a n tity o f
w a te r w h ic h ran from the w h a r f, and fu n k . B y th is ac cid ent tw o
h u n d red and e ig h ty bufhels o f In d ian co rn in co b , and a few bufhels
o f w h e a ten meal, w e r e to ta lly loft. T h e natives w h o cou ld d iv e
av a iled themfelv es o f the circum ftan ce , and re cov e red a grea t q u a n tity
o f th e co rn , o f w h ic h th e y w e r e v e r y fon d . T h e boats, w e r e not
in ju red .
Su d d en fto rm s o f this k in d w e re f r e q u e n t ; and gufts o f w in d h a v e
be en fo fud d en and v io le n t, that Ihips, lo o fe ly m o o red , h a v e d r iv en at
th e ir anchors in th e c o v e .
O n S a tu rd a y th e 7 th a ch a n g e to o k p lace in th e r a t io n ; th is w a s ,
the d ifc on tin u in g o f th e three pints o f peafe w h ic h w e r e fe rv ed to the’
c iv il and m ilita r y , and th e th re e pints o f g ram w h ic h w e r e ferv ed to
th e con v id ts , and g iv in g th em inftead an equal q u a n tity o f w h ea t.
N o tw ith fta n d in g e v e r y fu p p ly o f flo u r w h ic h h ad been p u rch a fed , o r
.received in to th e ftore from E n g lan d , it w a s at len g th en tir e ly e x h a u fte d ;
th e c iv il and m ilita r y r e c e iv in g th e laft on M o n d a y th e g th . T h is
to ta l d ep r iva tion o f fo v a lu a b le , fo effential an ar tic le in th e fo o d o f
m an hap pen ed , fo r tu n a te ly , at a fe a fon w h e n its p lace cou ld in fome
me afure be fup plied im m ed ia te ly , th e h a rv e ft h a v in g been all fa fe ly g o t
in at T o o n g a b b e b y the b e g in n in g o f this m on th . A b o u t th e mid d le
o f it, e ig h t hun d red b u lhe ls w e r e th re lh ed out, and on M o n d a y
th e ,16th th e c iv il and m ilita ry re c e ived each fe v en p oun d s o f w h e a t
c o a r fe ly g ro u n d at th e m ill at Parramatta. T h is m ill, from th e brittle-
nefs o f th e timb e r w i th w h ic h it w a s con ftnn fted , w a s fo u n d to be un eq
u a l to th e co n fum p tio n o f th e fettlements. T h e co gs fr e q u en t ly
b r o k e , an d hence it w a s n o t o f a n y v e r y grea t u tility . T o r em e d y
th is in con v en ien ce , a c o n v id b lack fm ith u n d e r to o k to p rod u ce one iron
h an d -m ill e ach w e e k , fo r w h ic h h e w a s to be p aid at th e rate o f tw o
g u in e a s ;
g u in e a s ; and b y h is means fe v e ra l mills w e re d iftributed in the fe ttle ments.
T h e fait meat b e in g the n e x t article w h ic h th rea ten ed a fp e ed y e x p
end itu re , on S a tu rd a y the 28 th one p oun d w a s tak en from the w e e k ly
allow an ce o f b e e f ; and but a fmall q u a n tity o f In d ian co rn rem a in ing
in fto re , the male c o n v id s re c e ived e igh t p ou n d s o f n ew w h e a t, w h o le ;
and o n ly three pound s o f Ind ian co rn , o r p a d d y , w e r e ferved.
O n C h riftma s d a y , th e R e v e ren d M r . J o h n fon p reached to b e tw e en
th ir ty and fo r ty pe rfon s o n ly , th o u g h on a p ro v ifio n d a y fom e fo u r or
fiv e h und red heads w e r e feen w a it in g ro u n d the fto reh o u fe doors. T h e
e v en in g p rod uced a w a tch h o u fe fu ll o f p r ifo n e r s ; fe v e ra l w e r e afterwa
rd s p u n ilh e d , am o n g w h om w e r e fom e fervants fo r fte a lin g liq tio r
from an officer.
T h e paffion fo r liq u o r w a s fo pred ominant' am o n g th e p e o p le , th a t
it operated lik e a man ia , there b e in g n o th in g w h ic h th e y w o u ld no t
l i l k to obtain i t : and w h ile fp irits w e r e to be had, tho fe w h o did a n y
e x tra labour refufed to b e p aid in m o n e y , o r a n y o th e r a r tic le than j
fp ir its , w h ic h w e r e n o w , from th e ir fc a r c ity , fo ld : at f ix fh illin g s per.-
bottle. W e b b , th e fe ttle r near Parramatta, h a v in g p rocu red a fm a ll j
ft i ll from E n g lan d , fo u n d it more ad v antageous to d raw an ardent
d iabolical fp irit from his w h e a t, than to fend it to th e fto re and re c e iv e
ten fh illin g s p e r bu fh e l from th e com m iffa ry . F rom one b u fh e l o f
w h e a t h e obta ined n e a r ly fiv e quarts o f fp ir it, w h ic h h e fo ld o r p a id .
in- e x ch an g e fo r lab ou r at f iv e and f ix fh illin g s p e r quart.
M ‘D o n a ld , a fettler at th e F ie ld o f M a r s , made a d ifferent and a
better ufe o f the p rod u ce o f his farm. H a v in g a m ill, h e gro u n d and
drefled his w h e a t, and fold it to a b a k e r at S y d n e y at fo u r -p en c e p e r
p ou n d , p ro cu r in g fo r ty - fo u r p oun d s o f g o o d flo u r from a bufhel o f
w h e a t, w h ic h w a s tak en at fifty -n in e p ound s. T h is p e r fon alfo k illed
a w e th e r fheep (the p rod u c e o f w h a t had be en g iv e n to h im b y G o v e r n
or P h illip ) at C h r iftm a s , and fold it at tw o fh illin g s p e r p o u n d , each
q u a r te t w e ig h in g ab out fifteen pounds.
T h e tow n , o f S y d n e y had this y e a r inc reafed c o n f id e r a b ly ; -n o t few e r
than one h und red and f ix t y h u ts , befide fiv e b a rrack s , h a v in g been .
added fince th e d ep a r tu re . o f G o v e rn o r P h illip . S om e o f thefe' h uts .
w e re la rg e , and to each o f th em upw a rd s o f fou r te en hundred b ricks
w e r e