iflu in g fre fh p o rk to th e n o n-com m iffion ed officers and m en o f th e
re g im en t on th e tw o la ft fe rv in g -d a y s * .
In con feq u en c e o f the fe fo r tu n a te a r r iv a ls , th e fu ll ra tion o f fait
m e at w a s ord ered -to be i f lu e d ; and as fo on as part o f t l^ ca rgo w a s
g o t on fhore from th e fto re fh ip , th e d e fic ien c y on th e laft fe rv in g day s
w a s com ple ted to th e fu ll a llow an ce . T h e laft o f th e w h e a t w a s fe rv ed
o n th e 1 7 th , (a p ro p e r q u a n tity b e in g re fe rv ed fo r feed ,) and on the
n e x t p ro v ifio n -d a y ten p ou n d s o f Indian, c om w e r e fubftituted inftead
o f th e a llow a n ce o f w h e a t. N o th in g b u t dire n e ce ffity cou ld h a v e
in d u ced th e g a th e r in g and iflu in g th is ar ticle in its p re fen t u n r ip en ed
fta te, th e w h o le o f it b e in g fd ft, fu ll o f ju ic e , and w h o l ly u n fit to
g r in d . H a d th e fettlers, w i th o n ly a com m on fhare o f h o n e fty , retu
rn ed th e w h e a t w h ic h th e y had re c e iv e d from G o v e rnm e n t to fo w
th e ir grou n d s th e la ft fea fon, th e rep ro a ch w h ic h th e y d rew u p on
th em fe lv e s , b y n o t ftep p in g fo rw a rd at this m om en t to aflift G o v e rn m
en t, w o u ld n o t h a v e been in c u r r e d ; b u t th o u g h ,, to an in d iv id u a l,
th e y all k n ew th e a n x ie t y w h ic h e v e r y one fe lt fo r th e p re fe rv a tion o f
th e fe ed -w h e a t, y e t w h e n ap p lied to , and to ld (in ad d ition to th e fum
o f ten {hillings p e r bu fh e l) th a t a n y q u a n tity w h ic h th e y m ig h t ch o o fe
to p u t in to th e ftore Ihould be b ro u g h t from th e ir fa rm s w i th o u t a n y
e x p en c e o f ca rria ge to th em , th e y a ll, o r n e a r ly a ll, pleaded a n in -
fu ffic ien c y to c rop th e ir g ro u n d fo r th e en fu in g fe a fon ; a p le a th a t w a s
w e l l k n o w n to be made w i th o u t a fh ad ow o f tru th . In con fequ en ce
o f th is re fu fa l, ( fo r th e ir e x cu fe s amounted to as m u ch ,) th e lieuten an t-
g o v e rn o r d ire c ted all th o fe f e t t l e r s w h o f e lim ited tim e J fo r b e in g
v ic tu a lle d from th e p u b lic ftores h ad e x p ire d , to be ftru ck o f f th e
p ro v ifio n lift, and le ft to p ro v id e fo r th em fe lv e s , a v e r y ju f t p u n ilh -
m en t fo r th e ir in g ra t itu d e ; fo r fom e had been fed and fu p p lied from
th e co lon ia l ftores fo r m ore than tw e lv e months b e y o n d th e time p re -
fc ribed fo r th em w h e n th e y w e r e fettled. T h i s in d u lg en c e had been
* Saved on the 3d and 10th of March by ifluing frefti pork to the non-commiflioned
©fficers and privates o f the New South Wales corps, their wives and children, 1803 lbs. .
There were iflued to the above people; - •• frefti pork, 50991 lbs.
The hogs that were purchafed on this occafion from individuals colt government the
fum of 2541. 19 s. 6 d.
f Sixty-three in number. , X£ EEiigghhtteeeenn mmoonntthhss..
continued
con tin u ed to th em from qua rter to quarter on a c cou n t o f bad crop s ,
u n fa v o u rab le feafons, and the reduced ra tion, w i th w h ic h all o f th em ,
m ore o r lefs, h ad had to ftru g g le ; and e v e r y a c com m od a tion had co n -
fta n t ly been afforded them w h ic h was* co n fid en t w i th th e fituation o f
th e c o lo n y . It wa s , h ow e v e r , n ow ' fe en , th a t th e y w e r e n o t th e de-
fc r ip tio n o f fettlers from w h om , w h a te v e r in d u lg en c e s th e y m ig h t rec
e iv e , G o v e rnm en t had a n y afliftance to e x p e c t ; th e ir p r in c ip a l o b je c t
w a s th e ir ow n immediate in te r e f t ; and to fe rv e th a t, th e y w o u ld fo r g
e t e v e r y claim w h ic h the p u b lic h ad u p on them . '
T h e fmall c a rg o o f fait p rov ifion s b ro u g h t b y th e b r ig from B en g a l
w a s p urchafed on ac co u n t o f G o v e rnm e n t fo r 3 0 71. 16 s. j th e b e e f at
fiv e -p en c e and th e p o rk at e igh t-p en ce p e r p o u n d ; the rem ain d e r o f
h e r ca rgo w a s p urcha fed b y th e officers o f th e c iv il and m ilita ry departments.
T h e c a rg o o f the W il liam , w h ic h ar r iv ed in v e r y g o od
ord er, w a s all lan d ed , and th e fh ip cleared and d ifcha rged from G o v
e rnm en t em p lo y on th e 28th.
T h e R e v . M r . M a r fd en entered o n . th e duties o f h is fu n c t io n th e
fir ft S u n d a y a fte r his a r r iv al, p rea ch in g to th e m ilita ry in a barrack
prepared fo r th e o cc afion in the fo ren o o n , and to the c o n v i& s at th e
ch u r ch e re fted b y M r . J oh n fon in th e afternoon.
O n th e d a y w h e n th e W il liam anchored in th e co v e B u ffin ’ s n ew
m ill w a s completed and fet to w o r k ; and W ilk in fo n s w a s in fome
fo rwa rdne fs . A t firft it w e n t rather h e a v ily ; b u t in a few d a y s , w i th
n in e m en ’ s labour* it g ro u n d fix ty - th r e e p oun d s o f w h e a t in fev enteen
minutes. I t m u ft b e o b fe rv ed , th a t n o t a n y m ill w a s y e t e r e d e d in
th e c o lo n y w h e re a t co rn w a s g ro u n d fo r th e p u b lic , th e m ilita ry as
w e ll as th e co n v ic t s g r in d in g th e ir ow n g ra in th em fe lv e s . W h e n e v e r
w in d o r wa te r -m ills fh o u ld b e ereCted, th is lab ou r w o u ld be fa v ed ,
and the allow an ce o f w h e a t o r In d ian co rn be iflu ed g ro u n d and
dreffed.
T h e late d iftrefs o f the c o lo n y w a s n o t fo u n d to h a v e made a n y
amendment in the morals o f th e co n v ic ts . G am in g ftill p reva iled
am o n g th em in its fu lle ft e x t e n t ; and a th e ft w h ic h w a s com m itted at
on e o f the fe m eetings {hewed h o w far it w a s ca rried . A m o n g thofe
w h o made a d a ily p rac tice o f g am in g w a s one w h o , in his fituation as
an p v e r fe e r , had g iv e n fu ch offence to fom e o f his fe llow -p r ifon e r s ,
th a t