T h e E x p e r im e n t h ad had a p affage o f th re e months from Ca lcu tta ,
on e m on th o f w h ic h {he h ad paffed fince {he faw the fou th e rn e x tr
em ity o f this c o u n t ry .
W e learned from M r . E . M 'C le lla n , th e mafter, th a t a la rge fhip
n am ed th e N ep tu n e h ad be en fre igh ted w i th cattle, & c . in purfuance
o f th e c o n t r a d entered in to w i th M r . B am p ton , and h ad failed from
B om b a y in J u ly la ft, b u t w a s u n fo r tu n a te ly lo ft in the r iv e r b y {ailing
ag a in ft th e m on fo o n . W h e n M r . B am p ton m igh t be e x p e c te d w a s
u n ce r ta in .
T h e d ire c tio n o f th e c o lo n y d u r in g th e abfence o f th e g o v e rn o r and
lie u ten an t -g o v e rn o r d e v o lv in g u p on th e officer h ig h e ft in ra n k then on
fe rv ice if . th e c o lo n y , C ap ta in W illiam Pa terfon, o f th,e N e w So u th
W a le s corps, on C h r iftm a s -d a y to o k the oaths p refcribed b y his M a -
j e f t y ’ s letters p atent fo r th e p e r fon w h o fh o u ld fo ta k e u p on h im th e
g o v e rnm en t o f th e fe ttlem en t. T h is o fficer , e x p e c tin g e v e r y d a y the
a r r iv al o f G o v e rn o r H u n te r , made no alteration in th e m od e o f carr
y in g on th e d ifferent d utie s o f the fe ttlem en t n ow entrufted to his
ca re and gu id an ce .
, A t th e la tter end o f th e m on th a g enera l m u fte r w a s ordered o f all
th e male co n v ic t s , to g e th e r w i th the pe rfon s w h o h ad fe rv ed th e ir
fe v e ra l terms o f tran fp or tation, as w e l l tlio fe re fid in g at S y d n e y and
Pa rrama tta , as tho fe on th e banks o f th e r iv e r H aw k e fb u r y . T h e
fo llo w in g ra tion w a s alfo o rd e red , th e m aize b e in g n e a r ly e x p e n d e d :
'Videlicet >
T o Civil, Military, Free People, and Free Settlers. To Mak Con'v"fts*
8 lbs. o f flour. 7 lbs. o f beef, or 4 lbs. o f flour. 7 lbs. of beef, or
4 lhs. o f pork. 3 pints o f peafe. 4 lbs. o f pork. 3 pints o f peafe.
6 o z . o f fugar. 6 ozs. o f fugar, and 3 pints o f rice.
W om e n and ch ild ren w e re to re c e iv e the u fu a l p ro p o r tio n , and a
ce rtain q u a n tity o f ’ flops w a s 'd i r e d e d to be iffued to the male and
female c o n v id s w h o came o u t in th e Surprife tran fp or t, th e y b e in g
v e r y m uch in w a n t o f c lo th in g . ' - ,
A ja i l g a n g w a s alfo ordered to be eftablifhed at T o o n g a b b e , fo r th e
em p lo ym en t and p u niftim en t o f all bad and fu fp ic io u s ch a rad e r s .
W h e a t w a s this m o n th d ir e d e d to be p u rch a fed from th e fettlers at
ten {hillings p e r b u flie l. M u c h o f th a t g r a in w a s fo u n d to h a v e been
b lig h ted this feafon. T h e g ro u n d ab out T o o n g a b b e w a s p ron o u n ced
to be w o rn o u t, th e p rod u c e o f the laft h a rv e ft no t a v e ra g in g m ore
th a n f ix o r fe v en bufliels an acre, th o u g h at fir ft it w a s com p u ted at
fe v en te en . T h e N o r th e rn farms had alfo fa iled th ro u g h a b lig h t.
O u r lofs b y death in th e y e a r 1 7 9 4 w a s , tw o fe t t le r s ; fo u r foldiers ;
on e fo ld ie r ’ s w i fe ; th ir ty - tw o male c o n v id s ; ten fem ale c o n v id s ; and
ten ch ild r e n ; m a k in g a total o f fifty -n in e p erfons.
C H A P . X X V I I I .
GANGS SENT TO T IL L THE PUBLIC GROUNDS.----THE FRANCIS SAILS.----REGULATIONS
FOR TH E HAWKEfcBURY.— NATIVES.— WORKS,----WEATHER.------
DEATHS.----PRODUCE AT THE R IV ER .----TRANSACTIONS TH ER E .----NATIVES.
----TH E FRANCIS RETURNS FROM PORT STEPHENS.----TRANSACTIONS.-----
THE B RITA NN IA ARRIVES FROM TH E CAPE.----THE FANCY FROM NEW
ZEALAND.— INFORMATION.----THE EX PER IM ENT SAILS FOR IN D IA .----A
NATIVE KILLED.----WEATHER. — W H EA T.— CRIMINAL COURT., — RATION
REDUCED.— THE BRITA NN IA HIRED TO PROCURE PROVISIONS.— NATIVES
AT TH E HAWKESBURY.----THE ENDEAVOUR ARRIVES W IT H C A TTLE FROM
BOMBAY.----DEATHS.---- RETURNS OF GROUND SOWN W ITH W H EA T.— THE
B RITA NN IA SAILS FOR INDIA----THE FANCY FOR NORFOLK ISLAND.----CONV
IC TS.— CASUALTIES.
J an u a ry 1 7 9 5 . ] F R O M th e grea t numbers o f la b o u r in g c o n v id s
w h o w e r e em p lo y ed in th e to w n o f S y d n e y , and at th e g ro u n d s ab out
P e te r lh am ; o f others em p lo y e d w i th officers and fe t t le r s ; .o f th o fa
w h o , th e ir terms o f tran fp or tation h a v in g e x p ire d , w e r e a llow ed to
p ro v id e fo r th em fe lv e s ; a n d . o f o the rs w h o h ad been p e rm itted to
le a v e th e c o lo n y , p u b lic fie ld -lab o u r w a s en tir e ly at a ftand. T h e
p refent com m an d in g officer w i f liin g to cu ltiv a te th e grou n d s b e lo n g in g
to g o v e rnm en t, c o l le d in g as m a n y labourers as co u ld be g o t to ge th e r ,
fen t a la rg e g a n g , fo rm ed o f b r ick la y e r s , b r ickm ak e r s , timbe r-ca rriag e
m en , & c . & c . to Parramatta and T o o n g a b b e , th e re to prepa re .the
g ro u n d fo r w h e a t fo r th e en fu in g fea fon . A t th e m u fte r w h ic h h ad
F 2 be en