fe c u r ity o f p ro p e r ty , and the p re fe rv ation o f p eace and go od ord er
in o u r com m u n ity .
T h e g o v e rn o r h a v in g a l fo : re c e iv ed in ft ru& io n s t o eftablifh a fe t-
tlem en t at N o r fo lk I ilan d , th e S u p p ly failed fo r that place ab out the
m id d le o f the m on th o f F e b ru a ry , h a v in g on board L ie u ten an t K in g
o f the S ir iu s , named b y C ap t. P h illip lu p e r in ten d an f and com mand
ant o f the fettlement to be fo rm ed there. L ie u ten an t K in g
to o k w i th h im on e fu rg e o n , (M r . J amie fon , fu rg e o n ’ s mate o f the
S ir iu s ,) o n e p e tty o fficer , (M r . C u n n in g h am , alfo o f the S ir iu s ,) tw o
p r iv a te fo ld ie rs , tw o pe rfon s w h o pretend ed to fom e kn ow le d g e
in fla x -d re ffin g , and n in e male and f ix fem ale c o n v ia s , m o ft ly
v olu n te e rs . T h is little p a r ty w a s to b e land ed w i th tents, c lo th in g
fo r th e convi£ts, im plemen ts o f h u sb an d ry , tools fo r d reffing fla x ,'
& c . and p rov ifion s fo r f ix m o n th s ; b e fo re th e e x p ira tio n o f w h ic h
tim e it w a s d e fign ed to fend th em a fre ffi fu p p ly .
N o r fo lk Iilan d is fituated in th e latitud e o f 29° fo u th , and in long
itu d e 168 10 ' eaft o f G r e e n w ic h , and w a s fe ttled w i th a v iew to
th e cu ltiv a t io n o f th e f la x p lan t, w h ic h a t .the tim e w h e n th e iilan d
w a s d ifco v e red b y C ap tain C o o k w a s fo u n d g r o w in g m o l l lu x u r ia n tly
w h e r e h e la n d e d ; and from th e fp e cim en s ta k en to E n g lan d o f the
N e w Z e a lan d fla x , ( o f w h ic h fo r t is th a t g r ow in g at N o r fo lk I ilan d ,)
i t w a s h o p ed fom e ad v an tage s to th e m o th e r c o u n t r y m ig h t be
d e r iv ed fr om cu lt iv a t in g and m an u fa c tu r in g it .
M r . K in g ,, p re v io u s to his departure fo r h is little g o v e rnm en t,
w a s fw o rn in as a ju f t ic e o f th e peace , ta k in g the oaths n e ce flary
o n the o c c a fio n , b y w h ic h h e w a s enabled to p u n iffi lu c h p e tty
o ffen c e s as m ig h t be com m itted am o n g h is p e o p le , capital- cr imes
b e in g re fe rv ed fo r the co gn ifan ce o f the cr im in al cou r t o f ju d ic a tu re
e ftabliffied here.
O u r o w n p re fe rv a tion d ep en d in g in a grea t meafure u p on th e
p re fe rv a tion o f ou r ftores and p ro v ifio n s , houfes fo r th e ir re ception
w e r e im m ed ia te ly b e gu n w h e n fuffic ient g ro u n d w a s fo u n d to be
c le a r e d ; an d th e perfons w h o had th e d ir e ft io n o f the fe and o th e r
w o r k s c a r r y in g o n , fo u n d it m o ft to th e ad v an ta g e o f , t h e p u b lic
fe rv ic e to em p lo y th e c o n v id s in ta lk w o r k , allo ttin g a certain
■ qu an tity
q u a n tity o f g ro u n d to b e cleared b y a ce rtain n um b e r o f p e rfons in
a g iv e n tim e , and a l low in g th em to em p lo y w h a t time th e y m ig h t
g a in , till called on ag ain fo r p u b lic fe r v ic e , in b r in g in g in materials
and e r o d in g h uts fo r them fe lv e s . B u t fo r th e m o ft p a r t th e y prefe
r red p a llin g in idlenefs th e hou rs that m ig h t h a v e be en fo p ro fitab ly
Ipent, ft r a g g lin g in to the. w o od s fo r vege table s , o r v ifit in g th e Fren eh
fhips in B o ta n y B a y . O f this la tter c ircum ftan ce w e w e r e in fo rm ed
b y M . de C lo n a rd , th e captain' o f th e A ftro la b e , in an e x e u r fio n
h e made from the ffiips, to b r in g roun d fom e d ifpatches from M . de
la P e rou fe , w h ic h th a t officer reque fted m ig h t be forwa'rded to th e
F ren ch ambaffador at the co u r t o f L o n d o n b y th e firft o f ou r tranfports-
th a t m ig h t fail from h e n c e jfo r E u ro p e . H e in fo rm ed us, that th e y
w e r e d a i ly v ifited b y the-' c 'o n v id s , m a n y o f w h om fo lic ited to b e
re c e iv ed o n board b efore th e ir d eparture, p rom ifin g (as an in d u c e men
t) to be a c com pan ied b y a n um b e r o f females. M . de C lo n a rd
a t th e fam e tim e aflured u s , th a t th e g enera l (as h e w a s termed b y '
h is officers' and p eop le ) had g iv e n th e ir fe lic itation s no k in d o f
cou n tenan ce , b u t had threatened to d r iv e th em aw a y b y fo r c e .
A m o n g th e b u ild in g s th a t w e r e u n d e r ta k en ffio r tly after o u r ar rival j-
m u ft be m en tion ed ari o b fe rv a to ry , w h ic h w a s m ark ed o u t on th e
w e fte rn p o in t o f th e c o v e , to re c e iv e th e aftron am ica l in ftrumen ts
w h ic h h ad been fen t ou t b y th e B o a rd o f L o n g itu d e , fo r th e p u rp o fe
o f o b fe r v in g th e com e t w h ic h w a s n x p e & e d to be feen about th e
end o f this y e a r . T h e conftruCtion o f th is b u ild in g w a s placed u n d e r
th e d ire c tio n o f L ie u t . D aw e s o f t h e 1 marines, w h o , h a v in g m ad e
this branch o f fc ien ce h is p ar ticu la r ftu d y , w a s ap p ointed b y th e
B o a rd o f L o n g itu d e to mak e a ftron om ical o bferv ations in this
co u n try .
\ T h e la titu d e o f th e o b fe rv a to ry w a s - - - 33° 3 2 ' 3 o </ S.
T h e lo n g itu d e , from G r e e n w ic h , - - - - 1 5 1 ° 1 9 ' 30 " E .
G o v e rn o r P h illip , h a v in g be en v e r y m uch p r e f fe d 'fo r time w h e n
h e firft v ifited this harb ou r , had n o t th o ro u g h ly ex am in ed it. T h e
c om p le t io n . o f that n e c e fla ry bu fin e fs w a s le f t to C ap tain H u n te r ,
w h o , w i th th e f ir ft lieu ten an t o f th e Sir ius ; e a r ly in the m on th o f
F e b ru a ry , made an accurate fu r v e y o f it. I t -was th en fo u n d to be
fa r m ore e x ten fiv e to th e w e f tw a rd th an w a s at firft im a g in e d , and
1 1 C a p ta in