to the m ilita ry at th e raté o f fo u r p ou n d s and a h a l f to each man fo r
th e w e e k , in lie u o f th e thre e p ou n d s o f fa it meat. A q u a n tity was
th e re fo re purcha fed b y th e c om m ifla ry and iffued in the ab ov e p rop o r tio
n , th e foldiers r e c e iv in g th e fre ih inftead o f th e fait p ro v ifio n s (to
w h ic h latter th e y muft h a v e g iv e n th e p re fe ren ce , b e in g able to make
th em g o th e far th e ft) With that ch e e r fu ln e fs w h ic h at all times m ark ed
th e ir co n d u c t w h en com p lian c e w i th a n y w i lh o f th e ir com m an d in g -
o fficer w a s th e qu e ftion .
B o th p u b lic and p r iv a te f lo c k appeared to be threatened w i th de-
flr u f t io n . T h e Iheep and goats' in the c o lo n y w e r e n o t n um bered far
w i th in on e thoufan d . T h e cow s had increafed th a t fpecies o f f lo c k
b y thir teen ca lv es , w h ic h w e r e p rod uced in the laft y e a r . T h e exa£t
n um b e r o f h o g s w a s n o t, n o r co u ld it w e l l be afcertained ; it m uft,
h ow e v e r , h a v e be en con fid e ra b le , as e v e r y ind uftr ious con v i a had
be en able to k e ep one o r m ore bre ed in g fow s . A l l this w o r e , indeed,
th e appearance o f a re fö u r c e ; y e t w h a t w o u ld it all h a v e been (admitt
in g th a t an equa l p a rtition had been made) w h e n d iftributed am o n g
u pw a rd s o f thre e th ou fan d p eop le ? B u t an equa l p ar titio n o f p r iv a te
flo c k , as m oft o f this w a s fu ch , cou ld no t h a v e been e x p e fte d . T h e
officers h o ld in g th is f lo c k in th e ir ow n hands w o u ld c e r ta in ly tak e care
to k e ep it th e re , and from it w o u ld n a tu ra lly fu p p ly th e ir ow n p eop le .
H o w fa r , in an h o u r o f fu ch diftrefs, th e conviens w o u ld h a v e fat
q u ie t ly d ow n o n th e ir re tu rn from la b o u r in g in th e field to their
fc a n ty p o r tio n o f bread and w a te r , and lo o k ed p a tien tly on w h ile
o th e r s w e r e k e e p in g w a n t and h u n g e r at a d iftance b y th e d a ily e n jo y m
en t o f a com fo r ta b le meal o f fre ih v iand s ? w a s a que ftion w i th
m a n y w h o th o u g h t o f th e ir fituation.
H a p p i ly , h ow e v e r , fo r all deferiptions o f p eop le , th e y w e r e n o t th is
time to b e p u t to th e trial.
O n S a tu rd a y th e 8th, at that c r itical m om en t w h e n th e doors o f th e
p ro v ifio n - fto re had c lo fed , and th e c o n v in s h ad re c e ived th e ir laft
a llow a n ce o f th e fait p ro v ifio n s w h ic h rem ain ed , th e fign a l fo r a fail
w a s mad e at the Sou th -h ead. W e e x p e û e d a Ihip from In d ia in p u r -
fu ance o f the con tra c t entered in to w i th M r . Baunpton, w h o had been
ab fen t from us n e a r ly e le v en m on th s. W e alfo lo o k ed d a i ly fo r
th e re tu rn o f th e Daedalus. W e ho p ed fo r a Ihip from E n g lan d .
B u t
B u t w h en c e th e Ihip came fo r w h ich the fign a l h ad been made w a s to
remain fo r fom e tim e u n k n ow n . O n e boat alon e , w i th an officer,
w e n t d o w n ; (in com plian ce w ith an order w h ic h had fome day s be fo re
be en g iv e n to that p u rp o fe ;) and on its re tu rn at n ig h t w e w e r e told
th a t a Ihip w ith E n g lilh co lours f ly in g had flo o d in to th e harb ou r as
fa r as M id d le -h e ad ; but meeting w ith a ,h e a v y fqua ll o f w in d at fo u th ,
in w h ic h Ihe fp lit he r fo re -to p-fa il, w a s com pe lled ag ain to p u t to fea.
I t was conje£tured that Ihe w a s a ft r a n g e r ; fo r i f a n y p e r fon on board
h e r had had a n y k n ow le d g e o f th e h a rb ou r , Ihe m ig h t h a v e been run
w i th m u ch eafe from th e M id d le -h e a d in to fa fe ty in S p r in g -c o v e .
T h e officer w h o w e n t d ow n (C aptain Jo h n fto n ) u n fo r tu n a te ly could
n o t board h e r , fu ch a fea ran w i th in th e H e a d s ; and th e w in d b lew
w i th fo m u ch v io len c e as to ren d e r a n y attempt to g e t near h e r e x tr
em e ly dangerous.
A t n ig h t th e w in d increafed w i th m u ch ra in , and m o rn in g was
a n x io u f ly lo o k ed fo r , to tell us w h e r e and w h o the, ftran g e r was.
N o th in g more h ow e v e r w a s k n ow n o f h e r d u r in g th a t d a y (S u n d a y ) ,
th e fame caufes as th o fe o f th e p re ced in g d a y o p e ra tin g ag a in ft ou r
r e c e iv in g a n y o th e r in fo rm a tion , th an th a t Ihe w a s to be feen from the
fla g-fta ff, w h en c e in the e v en in g w o rd w a s b ro u g h t u p o v e r lan d , that
ano the r v e lfe l, a b r ig , w a s in figh t.
A n x ie t y and c u r io fity , n o w {trained to th e u tm o ft, w e r e o b lig ed to
w a it th e p a llin g o f an o th e r n ig h t ; b u t about thre e o ’ c lo c k on M o n d a y
th e t o th , th e w in d and w e a th e r h a v in g b o th ch an g ed , to o u r grea t
fa t is fa flio n w e faw th e Ihip W il liam , M r . W illiam F o lg e r o f L o n d o n
m a ile r , an ch o r fa fe ly in th e co v e . W i th h e r alfo cam e u p th e
A r th u r , a fmall b r ig o f ab out n in e ty - fiv e ton s , from B en g a l.
T h e W illiam , w e fo u n d , h ad failed from th e r iv e r T h am e s on th e
firft o f J u ly la ft, w h en c e Ihe p roceed ed to C o rk , w h e re Ihe to o k on
board a c a rg o o f b e e f and p o rk fo r th is c o l o n y * ; but had n o t an
o u n ce o f flour. S h e le ft Ireland on th e 20 th o f Sep tem b e r , h a v in g
* She had likewife on hoard a machine for dreffing flour; a fmall quantity of iron ;
two pairs of millftones, and fome tools for the fmiths; all which were received in the
river.
z z w a ited