h a v e hap pened fo h im , a p rop e r perfon m ig h t be fent in th e R e lian c e
to com m an d th e fettlement, u ntil a fuc ce ffo r cou ld ar rive from E n g lan d .
H a v in g n o th in g to d e liv e r o r re c e iv e that could detain h im , the m a ile r
determined to t r y in w h a t time his v effel cou ld ru n th ith e r and b a ck
ag ain.
T h e h a rv e ft w a s b e gu n in this m onth. T h e C ap e w h e a t (a bearded
g ra in d iffe r in g m u ch from th e E n g l ilh ) w a s fo u n d u n iv e r fa lly to hav e
failed. A n o fficer w h o had fow n fe v en acres w i th th is feed at a farm
in th e d ill r i f t o f Pe te rlham H i l l , on cu ttin g it d ow n , fo u n d it w a s not
w o r th th e re ap in g . T h is w a s ow in g to a b l ig h t ; but e v e r y w h e re the
C ap e w h e a t w a s p ron ou n ced no t w o r th the labou r o f fow in g .
A q u a n tity o f u fe fu l tim b e r h a v in g been fo r fom e tim e p a ll in d if-
c r im in a te ly cu t d ow n u p on th e banks o f th e R iv e r H aw k e lb u r y , an d
th e creeks ru n n in g from it, w h ic h h ad been w a fted o r applied to p u r -
p ofe s fo r w h ic h tim b e r o f lefs v a lu e m ig h t h a v e an fw e red , the g o v
e rn o r , am o n g o th e r co lon ia l regulations , th o u g h t it n e ce ffa ry to d ir e ft ,
th a t no tim b e r w h a te v e r fh puld be cu t d ow n on a n y g ro u n d w h ic h
w a s n o t mark ed ou t o n eithe r the banks o r creeks o f that r i v e r : an d ,
in ord e r to p re fe rv e as m u ch as p offible fu ch tim b e r as m ig h t be o f u fe
eithe r fo r b u ild in g o r fo r n a v al p urpo fe s , h e ordered the k in g ’ s m a rk
to be im m ed ia te ly p u t on all fu ch timbe r , after w h ic h a n y p e r fon s
o ffen d in g a g ain ft th e o rd e r w e r e to be p rofecuted. T h is ord e r e x tended
o n ly to grounds not granted to individuals, th e re b e in g a cla iife
in all gran ts from th e c r ow n , e x p r e fs ly re fe r v in g , u n d e r p a in o f fo r fe
itu re , fo r th e ufe th e re o f, “ fu ch timbe r as m ig h t be g r ow in g o r to
“ g r o w he reafte r u p on th e land fo gran ted , w h ic h ffiould be deemed
“ fit fo r n a v a l p urpo fe s .”
I t w a s fea red , that th e c e r ta in ty o f th e e x iften c e o f o u r cattle to th e
fo u thw a rd b e in g in e o n tro v e r tib ly eftabliffied, fom e o f o u r v a g a b ond s
m ig h t be tempted t o find th em out, and fa t is fy th e ir h u n g e r on th em
from time to tim e , as th e y m ig h t find o p p o r tu n ity . W e w e r e therefo
re no t furprifed to hear th a t tw o o f th em had been k illed . A v e r y
f t r i f t in q u ir y in to th e rep or t, h ow e v e r , co n v in ced u s that it had be en
ra iled o n ly fo r the p u rp o fe o f t r y in g h o w fu ch a circumftance w o u ld
b e regarded. T h e g o v e rn o r th o u g h t it n e ce ffa ry therefore to (late in
p u b lic orders, that “ H a y in g heard it rep or ted , that fom e perfon ov
“ perfons,,
“ pe rfon s , w h o had been permitted to c a r r y arms fo r th e p r o te ft io n
“ o f themfelves and p ro p e r ty , had la te ly em p lo y ed that in d u lg en c e in
“ an attem p t to d e ftro y th e cattle b e lo n g in g to g o v e rnm en t, w h ic h
“ w e re at la rge in th e w o o d s ; and as th e p re fe rv ation o f th a t fto ck
“ was" o f th e utm o ft importance to the c o lo n y at la rg e , he d eclared,
“ that i f it ffiould be d ifcov e red that a n y p e r fon w h a te v e r ffiould ufe
1 “ a n y meafure to d e ftro y o r o th e rw ife a n n o y th em , th e y w o u ld be
“ profecuted w ith the u tm o ft fe v e r ity o f the la w .” A rew a rd w a s alfo
held out to a n y pe rfon g iv in g in fo rm a tion , and th e o rd e r w a s mad e
as p ublic as poffib le th a t n o one m ig h t plead ign o ran c e o f it.
T h e h a rv e ft h a v in g com m enc ed , th e g o v e rn o r on th e 2 2d fign ified
to the fettlers, th a t “ a lth o u gh it had h ith e r to been the in ten tio n and
“ the p ra ft ic e o f g o v e rnm en t to g iv e them e v e r y p offib le en co u ra g e -
“ m en t, as w e ll as others w h o h ad em p lo y ed them fe lv e s in g r o w in g
“ co rn , b y ta k in g o f f th e ir hands all th e ir furp lus g ra in at fu ch p rice s
“ as had from time to time be en th o u g h t fa ir and rea fonable, it w a s
“ h o t, h ow e v e r , to be e x p e f te d , as th e c o lo n y ad v anced in the means
“ o f fu p p ly in g it fe lf w i th bread, that fuch h e a v y e xpen ce s could be
“ con tin u ed . H e the re fo re re commend ed to th em to con fid e r w h a t
“ r e d u ft io n in the p rice o f w h e a t and In d ian co rn th e y could at p re -
“ fen t fu bm it to , as th e ir offers in that re fp e ft w o u ld determine h im
“ h o w fa r it might, be n e ce ffa ry in fu tu re to cu ltiv a te on th e p art o f
“ g o v e rnm en t, inftead o f ta k in g o r p u rch a fin g a q u a n tity from in d i-
“ v id u a ls at fo great a p r ice .”
T h is p rop o fa l, he th o u g h t, cou ld n o t b e confid ered o th e rw ife than
as fa ir and reafonable, w h e n th e y re c o lle fte d that th e means b y w h ic h
ind iv id uals had fo fa r im p ro v ed th e ir farms had ar ifen from th e v e r y
liberal m an n e r in w h ic h g o v e rnm en t h ad g iv e n up the labou r o f fo
grea t a number o f its ow n fe rv an ts, to affift th e in d u ftr y o f others. I f
this reprefentation ffiould no t h a v e th e e f fe f t w h ic h h e hoped and e x -
p e fte d , b y a r e d u ft io n o f the p re fen t h ig h p r ic e o f g ra in , h e th o u g h t
it his d u ty to prop ofe, th a t tho fe w h o w e r e affifted w i th fervants from
g o v e rnm en t, ffiould at lea ft undertake to fu rn iffi tho fe fervants w ith
bread.
T o thofe w h o had farms on the banks o f th e H aw k e lb u r y he th o u gh t
it neceffa ry to obfe rv e , that, there n o t b e in g a n y granaries in th a t d if-
3 L 2 t r i f t