h is return u pw a rd s o f tw o hu n d red patients u n d e r th e fu rg e o n ’ s care,
in confequence o f th e h e a v y rains that had fallen. A b u ild in g fo r
th e re ception o f th e l ic k w a s n ow ab folu te ly n e ce lfa ry , and one,
e ig h ty - fo u r fe e t b y tw e n ty - th r e e , w a s p u t in h an d , to be d iv id ed in to
a d ifp en fa ry , (all th e hofpital-ftores b e in g at th a t tim e u n d e r tents,)
a w a rd fo r th e tro o p s , and an o th e r fo r th e co n v ic ts . I t w a s to be
b u ilt o f w o o d , and th e r o o f to be co v e red in w i th Ihingles, made
from a fpecies o f fir th a t is fo u h d here. T h e h e a v y rains alfo p ointed
o u t th e n e ce ffity o f fh e lte r in g th e detachment, and un til barracks
co u ld b e b u ilt, m o ft o f th em co v e red th e ir tents w i th th a tch , o r
eredied fo r th em fe lv e s tem p o r a ry c la y huts. T h e barracks w e r e beg
u n ear ly in M a r c h ; b u t m u ch d ifficu lty w a s fo u n d in p ro v id in g
p ro p e r materials, th e tim b e r b e in g in g enera l Ih a k e y and rotten.
T h e y w e r e to co n fift o f fo u r b u ild in g s , each b u ild in g to be f ix t y -
fe v en fe e t b y tw e n ty - tw o , and to con ta in one com p a n y . T h e y w e re
p laced at a con v en ien t d iftance afu nd er fo r th e p u rp o fe o f air and
clean lin e fs, and w i th a fp ace in th e centre fo r a parade.
O n o r ab out M o n d a y th e 10th o f M a r ch , th e F ren ch Ihips failed
from B o t a n y B a y , b o u n d , as th e y faid , to th e n o r thw a rd , and carr
y in g w i th th em th e m o ft u n fa v o u rab le ideas o f th is c o u n t ry and
its n a tiv e inhab itants ; th e officers h a v in g be en h e a rd to declare, th a t
in th e ir w h o le v o y a g e th e y no w h e r e fo u n d fo p o o r a c o u n t ry , n o r
fu c h w r e tch ed miferable peop le . D u r in g th e ir f ta y in B o ta n y B a y ,
th e y fe t u p th e frames o f tw o la rg e boats w h ic h th e y b ro u g h t ou t
from E u ro p e , to rep lace th o fe th e y lo ft at M a o u h a , and on the n o r th -
w e f t coa ft o f Am e r ic a . W e h ad , d u r in g th e ir fta y in th is c o u n t ry ,
a v e r y fr ie n d ly and pleafant in te r cou r fe w i th th e ir officers, am o n g
w h om w e o bferved men o f abilities, w h o fe obfe rv ations , and ex e r tion s
in th e fearch after k n ow le d g e , w i l l m oft am p ly illuftrate th e h if to r y
o f th e ir v o y a g e : A n d it re fle cted m u ch credit on th e m in ifte r w h e n
h e ar ranged th e plan o f it , that p eop le o f th e firft talents fo r n a v ig a tio n ,
a ft ro n om y , natural h ifto r y , and e v e r y o th e r fc ien ce th a t could rend e r it
c o n fp icu o u fly u fe fu l, lh o u ld h a v e been feleCted fo r th e p urpofe.
W e fo u n d after their -departure th e g ra ve o f th e A b b é L . R e c e v e u r ,
w h o died b u t a Ihort time be fo re th e y failed : h e w a s buried no t v e r y
fa r
fa r from the fp ot' w h e r e th e ir tents w e re ereCted, at th e fo o t o f a
tree, on w h ic h w e r e n ailed tw o pieces o f b o ard w i th th e fo llo w in g
in fe r ip tion :
Hie jacet
L. Receveur
Ex F. F. Minoribus
Gallic Sacerdos
Phyficus in Circumnavigatione Mundi
Duce D. de la Peroufe
Obiit Die 17 Febr. Anno
I 1788.
G o v e rn o r P h illip , on h e a r in g th a t the fe boards h ad fallen d ow n from
th e tre e , caufed th e in fe r ip tion to be en g ra v en on a p late o f co p p e r ,
w h ic h was p u t u p in place o f th e b o a r d s ; b u t ra in , and th e o o z in g o f
g um from the tre e , fo on rendered e v en th a t illegib le .
W e con tin u ed to be ftill b u fily em p lo y ed ; a w h a r f fo r th e c o n v e n
ien ce o f la n d in g ftores w a s b e g u n u n d e r th e d ire c tion o f th e fu r -
v e y o r - g e n e r a l : th e ordnance, c o n fid in g o f tw o brafs fix -p o u n d e ts on
tra v e llin g ca rn a g e s , fo u r iro n tw e lv e -p o u n d e rs , and tw o iro n f ix -
p ound ers , w e r e landed ; th e tranfp orts, w h ic h w e r e chartered fo r C h in a ,
w e r e clearin g ; th e lon g-bo ats o f th e ftiips in th e co v e w e r e em p lo y ed
in b r in g in g u p cabba ge-tree from th e low e r p a r t o f th e harb ou r ,
w h e r e it g r ew in g rea t ab un d an ce , and w a s fo u n d , w h e n cu t in to
p ro p e r len g th s , v e r y fit fo r th e p u rp o fe o f eredting tem p o ra ry h u ts ,
th e pofts and plates o f w h ic h b e in g made o f th e p in e o f th is c o u n t r y ,
and the fides and ends filled w i th lengths o f the cabba ge -tre e , plaftered
o v e r w i th c la y , fo rm ed a v e r y g o od h o v e l. T h e ro o fs w e r e g e n e ra lly
th a tch ed w i th th e gra fs o f th e g um - ru fh ; fome w e r e co v e red w i th
c la y , b u t fev eral o f th e fe fa iled , the w e ig h t o f th e c la y and h e a v y
ra in fo o n d e ftr o y in g th em .
‘ A g a n g o f co n v ic t s was em p lo y e d , u n d e r th e d ire c tion o f a p e r fon
w h o und erftood th e bufinefs , in m a k in g b ricks at a fp ot ab out a 'm ile
from th e fettlement, at th e head o f L o n g C o v e ; at w h ic h place alfo
tw o acres o f g rou n d w e r e m ark ed ou t fo r fu ch officers as w e r e w i llin g
to cu ltiv a te th em and raife a little gra in fo r th e ir f lo c k ; it no t b e in g
th e