[1788.
p a ftu r a g e , and w a s ordered n e v e r on a n y p retence to le a v e them.
T o this ord er, as it afte rw a rd s ap p eared , h e very, feld om attended, fre q
u e n t ly com in g in from th e w o o d s ab ou t n o on to g e t h is d in n e r ,
le a v in g th em g r a z in g at fom e lit tle ., d iftance from th e fa rm w h e re
th e y we re ' k e p t ; and in this m an n e r th e y w e r e loft. T h e y had ftra y ed
from th e fp o t h e e x p e c te d to fin d th em o n , o r perhaps h ad been
d r iv en from it b y the n a tiv e s, and h e fp ent tw o d a y s in fe a rch in g fo r
th em b efore th e g o v e rn o r w a s mad e acquainted w i th th e ac cid ent.
S e v e ra l parties w e r e fu c c e ffiv e ly fen t ou t to en d ea v ou r th e r e c o v e r y
o f fto c k fo effential to th e c o lo n y ; b u t co n ftan tly re turn ed w ith o u t
fuccefs.
O n th e 2 7 th a p a r ty o f the n a tiv e s, fu p p o fed to be in n um b e r from
tw e n ty to th ir ty , landed at th e p o in t o n th e eaft fid e o f th e c o v e ,
b e tw e en th e h ours o f ele v en and tw e lv e at n ig h t, and p roceed ed a lo n g
clo fe b y th e centin e ls , flo p p in g fo r fom e tim e at th e fp o t w h e r e th e
g o v e rn o r ’ s hou fe w a s b u ild in g , and in th e rea r o f th e tents in h ab ited
b y fom e o f th e w om en . I t w a s fa id th a t th e y appeared alarmed on
h e a r in g th e centin e ls ca ll o u t “ A l l is w e l l,” an d , after Handing th e re
fo r fom e tim e , w en t o f f tow a rd th e ru n o f w a te r . T h e centinels w e r e
»very p o fit iv e th a t th e y faw th em , and w e r e m in u te in th e ir re la tion
o f th e ab ov e c ir cum fta n c e s ; n o tw ith fta n d in g w h ic h , it w a s co n je c tu red
b y m a n y to be o n ly th e effeCt o f im ag ina tion . I t is tru e , the nativ es
m ig h t h a v e ch o fen th a t h o u r o f th e n ig h t to g r a t ify a cu r io fity that
w o u ld n a tu ra lly b e e x c ited on fin d in g th a t w e Hill refided am o n g
th em ; and p erhap s fo r th e p u rp o fe o f o b fe r v in g w h e th e r w e all p affed
th e n ig h t in fleep.
T h e cold w e a th e r w h ic h w e h ad at this tim e o f the y e a r w a s o b -
fe rv ed to affeCt o u r fiffiin g , and th e nativ es th em fe lv e s appeared to be
in g rea t w a n t. A n o ld m an b e lo n g in g to th em w a s fo u n d on th e
b e a ch o f one o f th e co v e s , a lm oft fta rv ed to death.
I t h a v in g been rep or ted , that one o f th e natives w h o had ftolen a
ja c k e t from a c o n v ic t h ad afterw ard s be en k illed o r w o u n d ed b y h im
in an a ttem p t to re c o v e r it , th e g o v e rn o r iflued a p roc lama tion ,
p rom ifin g a fre e p a rd o n , w i th rem illio n o f th e fen ten c e o f tran fp ort-
a fion , to fu ch male o r female co n v ic t as fh o u ld g iv e in fo rm a tion o f a n y
fu ch offend er o r o ffend ers, fo th a t h e o r th e y m ig h t be b ro u gh t to tr ial,
1 1 and
and p rofe cuted to c o n v ic t io n ; bu t n o d ifc o v e r y w a s made in co n fe -
q u en c e o f th is offer.
In th e afte rn o on o f the 2 2d a flig h t Ih o ck o f an ear thquake w a s ob -
fe rv ed , w h ic h lafted tw o o r three fe con d s , and w a s ac com panied w ith
a diftant n o ife lik e th e rep or t o f c an n on , c om in g from th e fou thw a rd ;
th e Ih ock w a s lo c a l, arid fo flight th a t m a n y p eop le did no t feel it.
J u ly .] T h e A le x a n d e r , P r in c e o f W a le s , and F r ien d lh ip tranf-
p o r t s , w ith the B o r row d a le fto re lh ip , h a v in g completed th e ir preparations
fo r fea , failed to g e th e r on th e 14 th o f th e m on th fo r
E n g la n d . T w o officers from th e d eta chment o f marines, L ie u ten an t
M a x w e l l and L ie u ten an t C o llin s , w e r e embarked as p a ffen g e r s ; thefe
g en tlem e n h a v in g obta ined p e rm iffion to return to E u ro p e fo r th e re c
o v e r y ó f th e ir healths, w h ic h had been in a bad ftate from th e tim e
o f th e ir a r r iv al in th e co u n try .
T h e fo llow in g rep o r t w a s made b y th e p r in c ip a l fu rg e o n , o f the
ftate Of th e Tick in th e fe ttlem en t, a t th e time o f th e departure o f the
B l ip s :
T h e n um b e r o f marines u n d e r m ed ica l treatment w e r e 3 6
T h e n um b e r o f co n v ic t s d itto d itto 66
C on viC ts u n fit fo r la b o u r from old a g e and in firm itie s 5 2
A n d i f idlenefs m ig h t h a v e been tak en in to th e a c co u n t, as w e l l it
m ig h t, fin ce m a n y w e r e th e r e b y rend ered o f v e r y little fe rv ic e to th e
c o lo n y , th e n um b e r w o u ld h a v e be en g r e a t ly augmented .
I t w a s n o w n e c e ffa ry to th in k o f N o r fo lk I f la n d ; and on th e 20th
th e S u p p ly failed w i th ftores and p ro v ifio n s fo r th a t fettlement.
O n ly tw o tranfports rem ained o f th e fleet th a t came o u t from
E n g la n d ; th e fe w e r e th e G o ld e n 'G r o v e and F ilh b u rn , and p rep a ratio
n s w e re m a k in g fo r c le a r in g and d ifch a rg in g th em frpm g o v e rn m
en t fe rv ice . T h e p eo p le w e r e em p lo y ed in con ftruC tin g a ce llar on
th e w e f t fid e fo r r e c e iv in g th e fpirits w h ic h w e r e o n board th e F ilh -
b u rn , and in lan d in g p ro v ifio n s from th e G o ld e n G r o v e , w h ic h w e r e
f low e d in th e la rg e fto reh ou fe b y fom e feamen b e lo n g in g to th e S ir iu s ,
u n d e r th e in fp e d io n o f th e mafter o f th a t Chip.
F rom the nature o f th e materials w i th w h ic h m o ft o f the huts occu
p ied b y th e co n v ic ts w e r e co v e red in , m a n y accidents hap pen ed b y
fire , w h e r e b y the lab our o f fe v e ra l p eo p le w a s lo ft, w h o h ad ag a in to
F 2 feek