o f p eop le v id u a lle d th e re from th e ftores fo r fou r te en w e e k s and a
h a lf, a t th e rate o f ten p ou n d s p e r man p e r w e e k ; and f if t y - e ig h t
w e e k s m aize at tw e lv e p oun d s p e r man p e r w e e k . H e had befides,
a t th e eftablifhed ra tio n , tw e lv e w e e k s be e f, tw en ty -n in e w e e k s p o rk ,
f iv e w e e k s molafles, and th ir ty w e e k s o il and fugar. T h e w h o le
fo rm in g an abund ance th a t feemed to p lace th e e v il h o u r o f w a n t and
d iftrefs at to o grea t a d iftance to e x c ite m u ch alarm o r ap p reh enfion o f
its o c cu r r in g there.
T h e fettlement had been fo h e a lth y , th a t n o lofs b y death had happ
ened firice w e laft heard from th em ; and w h e n th e fch o o n e r failed
v e r y f e w p eop le w e r e fick . T h e r e had d ied , b e tw e en th e 20 th
o f N o v em b e r 1 7 9 1 (the date o f L ie u ten an t -g o v e rn o r K in g ’ s return to
th e com m an d at N o r fo lk I lla n d ) and th e 2 7 th o f J a n u a ry 1 7 9 4 , o n ly
o n e fo ld ie r , fo r ty male c o n v if t s , th re e fem ale con v id ts , and n in e te
en ch ild ren , m a k in g a total o f fix ty - th r e e p e r fon s , in tw o y ea rs
and f ix ty - e ig h t d a y s ; and n in e t y - f i v e * ch ild ren h ad be en bo rn .
E v e r y d e fcr ip tion o f flo c k , e x c e p t fom e C ap e Iheep w h ic h d id no t
b re ed , w a s eq u a lly h e a lth y as th e inhabitants, and w e re in c re a fin g faft.
O n th e 2 2d o f O f t o b e r th e B o d d in g ton s and S u g a r -C an e to u ched
at th a t illan d , fo r th e p u rp o fe o f lan d in g J o h n C o le , a c o n v id w h o
h ad fec reted h im fe lf o n board th e fo rm e r o f thefe Ihips. M a n y ar ticles
o f com fo r t w e r e fold am o n g th e fettlers and others from th e S u g a r -
Cane .
O n the 2d o f th e fu c c e e d in g m on th M r . R a v e n ca lled th e re in the
B r ita n n ia , in his w a y to B en g a l, to p ro cu re a fu p p ly o f fre lh p ro -
v ifio n s and v e ge tab le s fo r his people.
T h e tw o nativ es o f N ew Z e a lan d , w h o had been fen t to M r . K in g
in A p r i l laft b y the S h ah H o rm u z e a r , h a v in g com p le ted the p u rp o fe
fo r w h ic h th e y h ad be en fen t th ith e r , b y g iv in g fu ch in f t r u d io n in
th e p r o c e f s 'o f p rep a r in g th e fla x p lan t, th a t e v en w i th v e r y bad materials
a few hands cou ld m a n u fa d u r e th ir ty y a rd s o f g o o d canvas in
* % the commiffary’s books there were, on the 20th of February 1794, two hundred
ind fifty-four children in the three fettleroents here. On the 30th of January,' by Lieu-
tenant-governor King’s return, there were one hundred and forty-eight children at
Norfolk; making a total of four hundred and two children here and at Norfolk Illand.
a w e e k ;
a w e e k ; and h a v in g m anifefted m uch a n x ie ty , o n th e appearance o f
a n y fh ip , to re tu rn to th e ir friend s and n ative c o u n t r y , th o u g h treated
w i th e v e r y a ttention and kin d n e fs that cou ld d ifp e l th e ir fears and co n c
ilia te th e ir g o od o p in io n ; M r . K in g th o u g h t this a fa v o u rab le o p p
o r tu n ity o f g r a t ify in g th e ir w i lh e s ; and th a t h e m ig h t h im fe lf be a
w i tn e fs o f th e ir n o t e x p e r ien c in g on th e v o y a g e a n y in te r ru p tio n to
th e g o od treatment th e y had met w ith from e v e r y one w h ile u n d e r his
ca re ,' h e determined to a c com p a n y th em h im fe lf. H e a c c o rd in g ly ,
g iv in g M r . R a v e n th e n e ce fla ry o rd er, em b arked on b oard o f th e B r itan
n ia, w i th a gu a rd from th e N ew S o u th W a le s co rp s , and failed fo r
N ew Z e a lan d on th e 9 th . T h e i r pafla ge th ith e r w a s I h o r t ; fo r on th e
fo u r th d a y , h a v in g rou n d ed th e N o r th C a p e , th e tw o n a t iv e s w e r e
land ed am o n g fom e o f th e ir fr ien d s and a cqu a in tance , th o u g h n o t
e x a c t ly at th e diftridt w h e re a t th e ir fam ilie s and k in d red refided (the
B a y o f I f la n d s ) ; and M r . K in g re tu rn ed to N o r fo lk I llan d on th e 18 th ,
h a v in g be en ten d ay s on board the B r itan nia. C a p ta in N ep e an , w h o
w a s p ro c e ed in g in th a t Ihip to E u ro p e b y th e w a y o f In d ia , rem ained
o n fiiore in th e g o v e rnm en t o f N o r fo lk I llan d d u r in g M r . K in g ’ s ab -
f e n c e ; b u t , on h is re tu rn , re im b a rk ed in th e B r ita n n ia ; and on the
2 o th o f th e fame m on th fhe fa iled o n th e fu r th e r p r o fe c u tio n o f h e r
v o y a g e .
I t w a s no t im a g in e d th a t th is d e la y in th e B r itan nia ’ s v o y a g e w o u ld
b e o f a n y co n feq u en c e , as M r . R a v e n p u rp o fed m a k in g w h a t is ca lled
th e E a fte rn P a f la g e ; th a t is, b e tw e en th e fo u th end o f M in d a n a o and
B o r n e o ; and it w a s k n o w n th a t th e eaftern m on fo o n d id n o t fet w e ll
in , n o r w a s attended w i th g o od w e a th e r in th o fe leas b e fo re D e c em b e r
o r JanuaTy.
M r . K in g fo u n d h im fe lf com pe lled to fend b y th e F ranc is ten fo ld ie rs
o f th e detachment o f th e N ew J S o u th W a le s corps on d u ty th e re , u n d e r
a 'ch a rg e o f m u tin ou s b eh a v io u r . A je a lo u fy w h ic h had g r ow n u p
b e tw e en the foldiers and th e fre e m en , fettlers and others, occafioned
b y fome adts o f v io len c e and im p ro p e r b eh a v io u r on e ith e r fid e , b ro k e
o u t in th e e v en in g o f the' i ‘8 th o f laft m o n th , at a p lace in w h ic h the
lieu ten an t-g o v e rn o r had p e rmitted p la y s to" be rep re fen ted b y the c o n -
vidts,. as an in n o c en t rec reation after la b o u r . M r . K in g , w h o w a s
p refent, h a v in g th o u g h t it n e ce fla ry to ord e r on e o f th e fold iers in to
y v 2 co n -