A s m o ft o f th e officers in th e c o lo n y w e re allowed p eop le to fh o o t
fo r th em , it became n e ce ffa ry to m ak e fom e ex am p le o f th e man w h o
b o u g h t, ra the r th an o f h im w h o fo ld ; fo r it w a s a m a x im p re tty g e n
e r a lly ad op ted , th a t th e 'r e c e iv e r w a s m ore cu lpable than th e th ie f.
T h e lie u ten an t-g o v e rn o r , th e re fo re , ordered L a n e to be p unifhed w i th
o n e hun d red lafhes, placed u p on th e c om m iffa ry ’ s bo o k s fo r p ro v i-
fio n s , and fen t u p to labou r at T o o n g a b b e .
A b o u t th e mid d le o f th e m on th o n e fmall c o w and a B en g a l fle e r ,
b o th p r iv a te p ro p e r ty , w e r e k illed , and iflued to the n on-c en im iffion ed
officers and p rivates o f tw o companies o f th e N ew S o u th W a le s corps.
T h i s w a s but th e th ird tim e th a t fre fh b e e f h ad been ta iled b y the
co lon ifts o f th is c o u n t r y ; on ce , it m a y be rem em b e red , in th e year.
1 7 8 8 , and a fecond tim e w h e n th e lie u ten an t-g o v e rn o r and th e officers,
o f th e ’ fe ttlem en t w e r e enter tained b y th e S p an ifh captains. A t th a t
tim e h ow e v e r , h ad w e n o t been in fo rm ed th a t w e w e r e e a t in g beef,,
w e fh o u ld n e v e r h a v e d ifcov e red i f b y th e f la v o u r ; and it c e r ta in ly
hap pen ed to more th an one E n g lilhm a n that d a y , to eat his favourite :
v ian d w i th o u t re c o g n ifin g the tafte * .
T h e b e e f th a t w a s k illed at th is time w a s d eemed w o r th e igh te enT
p enc e p e r p ou n d , and at that p r ic e w a s fo ld to th e foldiers. T h e tw o .
animals to g e th e r w e ig h e d th re e h und red and fe v e n ty - tw o pounds.
A b o u t th is tim e a c cou n ts w e r e re c e iv e d from Parramatta o f an u n com
m on fto rm o f w in d , a c com pan ied w i th ra in , h a v in g occurred
there. In its v io len c e it b ord ered on a h u r r ic an e , ru n n in g in a v e in ,
an d in a d iredtion from eaft to w e f t. T h e w e f t end o f th e g o v e rn o r ’ s
h u t w a s in ju red , th e p a lin g rou n d fom e farms w h ic h la y in its. paffage-
w e r e le v e lled , and a g re a t deal o f In d ian co rn w a s m u ch damaged..
It w a s n o t h ow e v e r fe lt at S y d n e y , n o r , fo r tu n a te ly , at T o on g ab b e . j.
and w a s b u t o f fh o r t dura tion ; b u t th e ra in w a s rep refented as h a v in g
be en v e r y h e a v y . T h e c lim ate w a s w e ll k n o w n to be fubjedt to
fud d en gu fts o f w in d and chan ge s o f w e a th e r ; b u t n o th in g o f this
v io len c e had been be fo re e xp e r ien c ed w ith in ou r k n ow le d g e .
It w a s foun d that th e fettlers, n o tw ith fta n d in g th e p len tifu l crops
w h ic h in general th e y m ig h t b e la id to h a v e ga th e red , g a v e n o affifb-
* We underftood that the Spanilh mode of roalling beef, or mutton, was, firft to boil
and then to brown the joint before the fire.
ance
ance to g o v e rnm en t b y fen d in g a n y into ftore. S om e fmall q u a n tity
(ab out one h und red and f ix t y bufhels) indeed had been r e c e iv e d ; b u t
n o th in g equ a l eithe r to the wants o r e xped ta tion s o f g o v e rnm en t.
T h e y appeared to be m o ft fed u lo u fly en d e a v o u r in g to g e t rid o f their
g ra in in a n y w a y th e y could ; fome b y b r ew in g and d ift illin g i t ; fom e
b y b a k in g it in to bread, and in d u lg in g th e ir o w n p rop en fitie s in e a tin
g ; others b y p a y in g debts contradted b y g am in g . E v e n th e farms
them fe lv e s w e re p led ged and lo ft in this w a y ; th o fe v e r y farms w h ic h
u n d o u b ted ly w e r e capable o f fu rn ifh in g th em w i th an h o n e ft com fo r table
main ten an ce fo r life.
N o re g u la r a c cou n t h ad be en obtained o f w h a t the fe farms had p ro d
u ced ; b u t it w a s p re tty w e ll afc e itain ed , th a t th e ir crop s h ad y ie ld ed
at th e lea ft n e a r ly fe v en thoufand bu ih e ls o f w h ea t. O f th e different
diftridts, th a t o f Profpedt H i l l p ro v ed to be th e m o ft p ro d u d liv e ; fome
g ro u n d s the re re turn ed th ir ty bu fh e ls o f w h e a t fo r one. N e x t to th e
d iftridt o f Profpedt H i l l , the N o r th e rn B o u n d a r y farms w e re th e b e l t ;
b u t m a n y o f th e fettlers at th e o th e r diftridts afcribed th e ir m ifc a r r ia g e
m o r e to th e late p eriods at w h ic h th e ir grou n d s w e r e fow n , th an to
a n y p o v e r ty in th e f o i l ; and feemed to h a v e no d oubt, i f th e y c o u ld
p rocu re fe ed -w h e a t in p ro p e r tim e , (that is , to be in th e g ro u n d in
A p r il ,) and th e feafon w e r e fa v o u ra b le , o f b e in g rep aid th e e x p en c e s
w h ic h th e y had been at, and o f b e in g enabled to fu p p ly th em fe lv e s
and fam ilie s w i th gra in fu ffic ien t fo r th e ir fuftenance w i th o u t a n y aid
from the p u b lic f to r e s .'
T h e g ro u n d in cu ltiv a tio n on a c coun t o f g o v e rnm en t, w h ic h had been
fo w n w i th w h e a t, (three hun d red and f ix t y acres,) w a s fo u n d to h a v e
p rod u c ed about the fame q u a n tity a s th a t raifed b y th e fettlers. T h r o u g h
th e w a n t o f flou r , th e co n fum p tio n o f th is ar tic le w a s h ow e v e r v e r y
g r e a t ; and tow a rd th e la tter end o f th e m on th h a l f o f th e w h o le p ro d
uce o f th e laft feafon ( re fe rv in g tw e lv e h u n d red bufhels fo r feed) had
been iflued. T h is afforded but a g lo om y p ro fp e d t ; fo r it w a s m u ch
feared, that unlefs fupplies ar rived in tim e , th e In d ian co rn w o u ld not
be rip e fo on en ou gh to fa v e the feed-wheat.
O n the 2 5 th , th e gra in from B en g a l b e in g e x p en d ed , and no more
In d ian corn o f laft y e a r ’ s g row th rem a in in g th a t cou ld be fe rv ed , the
p u b lic w e r e in fo rm ed , th a t from th a t time no o th e r gra in th an w h e a t
x x 2 could