CI794-
to g e th e r in to a pafte p ron o u n ced it to be equal to a n y prepa ration o f
oatmeal.
W ilk in fo n ’ s g r in d in g m ach in e w a s fet in motion this m onth. I t was
a w a lk in g m ill, u p on a la rge r conftnnftion than th a t at Parramatta.
T h e . diameter o f th e w h e e l in w h ic h th e m en w a lk e d was tw e n ty - tw o
fe e t, and it requ ired f ix p eop le to w o r k it. T h o fe w h o had been in
b o th mills (this and B u fim ’ s, w h ic h w a s w o rk e d b y capftan-bars and
n in e m en ,) g a v e th e p reference to th e la t t e r ; and in a f e w d a y s it
w a s fo u n d to m e r it i t ; fo r , from th e v a r ie ty and n um be r o f th e whe e ls
in W ilk in fo n ’ s m a ch in e ry , fom e th in g w a s co n ftan tly w r o n g about it.
F in d in g , a fte r a fa ir tr ial, that it was im p e r fe ft, it w a s taken to p ie c e s ;
an d B u ffin w a s em p lo y ed to replace it b y an o th e r mill u p on th e fame
p r in c ip le as th a t w h ic h h e h ad h im fe lf co n ftru d ted ; and W ilk in fo n returned
to Parramatta.
A n in flam ma tion o f th e e y e s appeared to be a d iford er g en e ra lly
p re v a len t am o n g all d efcr iptions o f p e o p le at this time. It ra ged at
fir ft am o n g c h ild r e n ; b u t w h e n g o t in to a h ou fe , h a rd ly a n y pe rfon
in it efcaped th e complaint. I t w a s ac counted fo r b y the v ariable and
u n fe ttled w e a th e r w h ic h w e had d u r in g this m onth.
C H A P . X X V I .
THE WILLIAM SAILS.--- CULTIVATION.— EXCURSION IN SEARCH OF A RIVER/
----A STORESHIP ARRIVES.----CAPTAIN BAMPTON__ FULL RATION.— THE
BRITANNIA, SPEEDY, AND HALCYON ARRIVE.--- PARTICULARS.__ACCOUNT
OF STOCK ROBBERIES.— THE HOPE ARRIVES. THE INDISPENSABLE AND
HALCYON SAIL.--- THE FANNY ARRIVES FROM BOMBAY.— INFORMATION.—
TWO CONVICTS EXECUTED.--- THE HOPE SAILS.
M a y .] E A R L Y in this m on th th e W illiam failed on he r filh in g
v o y a g e to the coa ft o f Peru. M r . F o lg e r ,. he r matter, purpofed t r y in g
w h a t fuccefs m igh t be met w i th on this coaft fo r a few we ek s , it be in g
th e w i lh o f his ow n e r s in con fequ en ce o f the reports b ro u gh t home b y
fome
fom e o f the w h a lin g Ihips w h ic h we re here in 1 7 9 2 . I f h e Ihould be
at all fo r tu n a te , h e intend ed to return to this p or t w i th th e a c c o u n t ;
it b e in g th e an x io u s w i lh o f e v e ry officer in th e c o lo n y to hear o f a n y
th in g that w a s lik e ly to make a return to th e m o th e r c o u n t ry fo r th e
im m enfe fum s w h ic h mutt an n u a lly h a v e be en e xp en d ed on this fet-
tlement.
S om e difpatches and returns b e in g fen t b y this Ihip, it ap p eared ,
that here and at N o r fo lk Ifland w e re e x iftin g , at th e la tter end o f la ft
m on th , fo u r thoufand fo u r hun d red and fo u r te en perl'ons o f all defc
riptions, m en , w om e n , and child ren. E ftim a tin g th e d a ily e x p en c e
o f thefe at tw o {hillings a head , (a fa ir ca lcula tion , w h en e v e r y a r tic le
o f p ro v ifio n s , c lo th in g , ftores, fre ig h t o f {hips, a llow an ce fo r c iv il and
m ilita r y eftab liihments, damaged cargoes, & c . & c . w a s confid ered ,)
it w i l l be fo u n d to am oun t an n u a lly to th e film o f one h und red and
fix ty -o n e thoufand one hun d red and ele v en p o u n d s ; an e x p en c e th a t
called lo u d ly fo r e v e ry 'e x e r tio n tow ard eafing th e m o th e r c o u n t r y o f
fu ch a bu rd en , b y d o in g aw a y ou r dependence on h e r fo r m a n y o f th e
ab ov e articles, o r b y afford in g a return that w o u ld bp equal to fom e
part o f this exp en c e .
Separated as w e w e r e from E u ro p e , co n ftan tly liable to 'a c c id en t s
in te r ru p tin g ou r fupplies,' w h ic h it m igh t no t a lw a y s b e p o flib le to
guard ag ainft o r fo re fe e , h o w ch e e r in g , h o w g ra te fu l w a s it to e v e r y
th in k in g mind am o n g Us, to ob ferv e th e rap id ftrides w e w e r e 'm a k in g
tow a rd th a t defirable independence ! T h e p rogrefs made in th e cu ltiv
a tio n o f the co u n t ry in fured th e con fequen t increafe o f liv e f lo c k ;
and it m u ft be remembered , that the co lo n y had been fup plied w i th n o
o th e r gra in .than th a t raifed w ith in it fe lf fince the 16 th d a y o f la ft
Decem be r.
T h e p e rmifiion g iv e n to officers to h o ld lands h ad operated p ow e r fu
lly in fa v o u r o f the co lo n y . T h e y w e r e lib eral in their em p lo ym en t
o f p eop le to cu ltiv ate th o fe la n d s ; and fu ch had been th e ir e x e r tio n s ,
that it appeared b y a fu r v e y tak en in th e laft mon th b y M r . A l t , that
n in e hundred and e ig h ty - tw o acres had be en cleared b y them fince that
p e rmifiion had be en received . M r . A l t r e p o r te d ,. th a t there had been
cleared, fince G o v e rn o r P h illip ’ s departure in D e c em b e r 1 7 9 2 , tw o
thoufand nine h u n d red and f ix ty - tw o ac res and o n e q u a r te r ; w h ic h ,
added