g u n on b oard to d efend h e r from an en em y i f fhe fh o u ld h a v e met
w i th an y .
O n the 14 th , a few hou rs after th e fign a l w a s made at th e S o u th -
h ead , ar r iv ed in th e harb ou r th e H a lc y o n , a {hip from R h o d e H a n d ,
command ed b y M r . B en jam in P a g e , w h o w a s he re in the ih ip H o p e
a t th e clo fe o f th e y e a r 1 7 9 2 , and w h o had v en tu red here again w ith
a c a rg o o f p ro v ifio n s and fp irits * on fp eculation.
M r . P age mad e h is p alfa ge from R h o d e H a n d in one hund red and
fifte en d a y s , and w ith o u t to u c h in g at a n y p or t. H is ru n from th e
fo u th cape o f N ew H o lla n d w a s o n ly fiv e d ays. T h e Ih ip h e b u ilt
h im fe lf at P ro v id en ce , after his re tu rn from C h in a in th e H o p e .
T h a t Ihip w a s o n ly tw o mon th s in h e r v o y a g e from h en ce to C an to n ,
and M r . P a ge did n o t fee a n y lan d u n til h e made th e H a n d o f T in ia n .
T h i s place h e n o w rep refented as w e ll calculated to fu rn ilh a fr e ig h t o f
ca ttle fo r th is co lo n y .
O f th e co n v ic ts that M r . P a ge w a s p ermitted to Ihip at th is p o r t in
his la ft v o y a g e , W il liam M u r p h y beha ved fo e x t r em e ly ill, h a v in g
m o r e th an o n ce en d eavoured te e x c ite th e c r ew to m u t in y , th a t at
St. H e le n a h e d e liv e red h im to th e captain o f his M a je f ty ’ s Ihip
P ow e r fu l, w h om h e fo u n d there. T h is p ro v ed in th e e v en t a c ir cum -
ftan ce o f g re a t g o o d fo r tu n e to M u r p h y , fo r , b e in g d ired tly rated o n
th a t Clip’ s bo o k s (his abilities as a fa il-m ak e r en tit lin g h im to th a t fitu -
a t io n ) , and a F ren ch E a ft In d iam an b e in g cap tu red b y th e P ow e r fu l a
v e r y few hours a fte r , h e b e cam e entitled to a feaman’ s {hare o f th e
p rod u c e o f h e r c a rg o , w h ic h w a s a v e r y valuable one.
B a tem an h e carried on w i th h im to R h o d e H a n d , w h e r e h e marr
ied , b u t h ad m o r e th an o n c e e x h ib ite d fy ro ptoms o f re tu rn in g to
habits w h ic h h e had n o t fo rg o tten , and w h ic h w o u ld fo on b r in g h im
to difgra ce in h is n ew fituation . S h ep h e rd h e h ad p u t on board a Ihip
bou n d to O ften d , and fp o k e w e ll o f h is condudt.
C ap tain P age a t firft th o u g h t h e had c om e to a bad m ark e t w i th h is
p r o v if io n s ; fo r th e d a y w a s ar riv ed w h e n w e fo u n d ourfe lv e s enabled
to fa y th a t w e w e r e no t in w a n t o f a n y cafual fu p p lie s ; but b y the
en d o f th e m on th h e d eclared h e had n o t made a had v o y a g e ; his
* Eight hundred barrels of beef and pork, American cured. About fort thoufand
gallons of fpirits; a fmall quantity of tobacco, tea, nankeens, & c.
fpirits
fpirits a n d p ro v ifio n s w e r e fie a r ly all p urcha fed b y in d iv id u a ls ; and
w h a t h e a t firft th o u g h t an unprofitab le c ircum ftan ce to h im (the fig h t
o f fo u r fh ip s at an ch o r in th e co v e ) p ro v ed fa v o u rab le , fo r th e m o d
o f his p ro v ifio n s w e r e dlfpofed o f am o n g th e fh ip p in g . T h e w h o le
o f the fp ir its w e r e purcha fed b y the officers o f th e fe ttlem en t and o f
th e ga r r ifo n at the rate o f f ix {hillings p e r g a llon ; and afford ed , to g
e th e r w i th w h a t had been re ce ived from B a ta v ia b y the B r ita n n ia , a
la rg e and com fo rtable fu p p ly o f th a t ar tic le fo r a confid erable time.
It m ig h t be fa fe ly p ro n o u n c ed , th a t th e c o lo n y n e v e r w o re fo fav
ou ra b le an ap p earance as at this p e r iod : o u r p u b lic ftores filled w i th
w h o le fom e p ro v ifio n s ,; fiv e Ihips on th e feas w i th additional fu p p lie s ;
and w h e a t en o u g h in th e g ro u n d to p rom ife th e re a liz in g o f m an y a
g o ld en d r e am ; a ra p id ly in c re a fin g f to c k ; a c o u n t r y g ra d u a lly open in
g , and im p r o v in g e v e r y w h e r e u p o n u s as it o p e n e d ; w i th a fp ir it
u n iv e r fa lly p re v a len t o f cu ltiv a t in g it.
T h e {hips w h ic h h ad la te ly ar r iv ed from E n g lan d w e r e fra u g h t w ith
th e difmal and ill-fou n d ed a c cou n ts , w h ic h th ro u g h fom e e v il d e fign
■ continued to be in fid io u fly p ro p a g a ted , o f th e w re tched un p ro fitab le
fo il o f N ew S o u th W a le s . I t w a s h o p ed , h ow e v e r , th a t w h e n th e
p re fen t appearance and ftate o f th e c o lo n y ffiou ld rea ch E n g la n d ,
e v e r y attempt to miflead the p u b lic w o u ld ceafe ; and fu ch en co u ra g e m
en t be h e ld o u t as w o u ld in d u c e in d iv id u a ls to fe ttle in th e c o u n t ry .
In the H a lc y o n ar r iv ed an Am e r ic a n gen tlem an (M r . W . M e g e e ) in
th e cha rac te r o f fu p e rca rg o . T h i s p e r fon , on fe e in g th e T o o n g a b b e
hills co v e red w i th a m o ft p rom ifin g c ro p o f w h e a t, declared that he
h ad n e v e r feen better in A m e r ic a , e v en at R h o d e H a n d , th e ga rd en
o f A m e r i c a ; and o n b e in g {hew n fom e In d ian c o rn o f laft y e a r ’ s
g row th , g a v e it as his o p in io n , th a t w e w an ted n o th in g bu t la rg e
herds o f g ra z in g cattle,, to be a th r iv in g , p rofp e ro u s , and grea t c o lo n y ,
p offe ffing w ith in it fe lf all th e effential ar ticles o f life .
W e o u r fe lv e s h ad lo n g be en impreffed w i th an id ea o f th e ad v an tage
th a t g ra z in g cattle w o u ld g iv e to the c o u n t r y ; e v e r y p offib le care w a s
tak en o f th e little that w a s in it , and all means u ied to p rom o te its
inereafe. O n e ftep tow a rd this w a s th e k e e p in g u p th e p r ic e ; an :
ar tic le , b y w h ic h the p rop r ie tor w a s a lw a y s ce rta in o f m a k in g a grea t
p ro fit, w a s as ce rtain to b e tak en the gréa teft care o f ; e v e ry in d iv id u a l
p o ffe ffing