e x e cu t io n o f it e v e r oc cu r red to th e ir im a g in a tio n : all w a s to hap pen
w i th as m u ch fa c ili ty as it w a s planned ; an d , h ad it no t been fo r tu n
a te ly re v e aled to a feaman b e lo n g in g to th e Sir ius , w h o liv e d w i th
M r . K in g as a g a rd en e r, b y a fem ale c o n v ic t w h o cohabited w i th h im ,
th e re w a s n o d oub t b u t th a t all the fe im probabilitie s w o u ld h a v e been
attempted.
. O n b e in g made acqua in ted w i th the fe circumftances , the com m an d an
t to o k fu ch meafures as appeared to h im n e ce fla ry to defeat th em ;
and fe v e ra l w h o w e r e con c e rn ed in th e fchem e con fe fled th e fharc
w h ic h th e y w e r e to h a v e had in the e x e cu t io n o f it. M r . K in g h ad
h ith e r to , from th e p e cu lia r ity o f his fitu a tion ,— fec luded from fo c ie ty ,
and con fin ed to a fmall fp e ck in th e v a ft ocean, w i th b u t a h an d fu l o f
p e o p le ,— d raw n th em ro u n d h im , and treated th em w i th the: k in d atten
tion s w h ic h a g o od fam ily meets w i th at th e hands o f a h um an e
m a t t e r ; b u t h e n o w faw th em in th e ir true co lou r s , and one o f his
fir ft ftep s , w h e n peace w a s re ftored , w a s to clear th e g ro u n d as fa r a s
p o lfib le ro u n d th e fettlement, th a t fu tu re v illa in y m ig h t n o t find a
Ih e lte r in th e w o o d s fo r its tran fa& ions . T o this t r u ly p rov id en tia l
c ir cum fta n ce , p erhaps, m an y o f th e co lon ifts afterwards w e r e indebted
fo r th e ir lives.
O n T h u r fd a y th e 2 6 th o f F e b ru a ry th e ifland .w a s v ifited b y ' a
h u r r ic an e , w h ic h came: on e a r ly in th e m o rn in g in v e r y h e a v y gales
o f w in d and rain.’ B y fo u r o ’ c lo ck fe v e ra l pines o f 180 and 20 0 feet
in le n g th ,'a n d from 20 to 30 fe e t in c ircum fe ren c e , w e r e b low n
d ow n . F rom th a t h o u r un til n o on th e ga le increafed to a dreadful
h u r r ic an e , w i th torrents o f h e a v y ra in. E v e r y inftant pines: and liv e
o ak s , o f th e la rg e ft d im en fions , w e r e b o rn e 'd o w n b y the fu r y o f the
b la ft, w h ic h , tea r in g up ro o ts and rocks w i th th em , le ft chafms o f
e ig h t o r ten fe e t depth in the earth. T h o fe pines th a t w e r e able to
re fill th e w in d ben t th e ir tops n e a r ly to th e g ro u n d ; and n o th in g but
h o r ro r and defoliation e v e ryw h e re prefented itfe lf. A v e r y la rg e liv e
o ak -tre e w a s b low n on the g ra n a ry , w h ic h it dalhed to pieces', and
f lo v e a n um b e r o f c a fk s o f flou r ; b u t h a p p ily , b y th e a c t iv ity o f the
officers and fre e p e o p le , the flo u r , In d ian c o rn , and ftores, w e re in a
Ih o r t time co lle c ted , and rem o v ed to the com m an d an t’ s h ou fe , w i th
th e lofs o n ly o f ab out h a l f a c a lk o f flour, and fome fmall ftores.' A t
n o o n th e g a le b lew w i th the u tm o ft v io len c e , tea r in g up w h o le fo re fts
b y - th e roots. A t one o’ c lo c k th e re w e r e as: m a n y trees to rn u p b y
th e ro o ts as w o u ld h a v e required th e la b o u r o f f i f t y men fo r a fo r tn
ig h t to h a v e fe lled . E a r ly in th e fo ren oon th e fw am p and v a le were
o v e r flow ed , and h ad e v e r y appearance o f a la rg e n a v ig a b le r iv e r.
T h e : g a rd en s, p u b lic and p r iv a te , w e r e w h o l ly d e ftroy ed ; cabbages,
tu rn ip s , and o th e r plants, w e re b low n out o f th e g r o u n d ; and tho fe
w h ic h w ith fto o d th e hurricane feemed as i f th e y had been fcorch ed .
A n acre o f Ind ian co rn w h ic h g r ew in th e v a le , and w h ic h w o u ld h a v e
been ripe in about th re e w e e k s , w a s to ta lly d e ft r o y e d * .
H is p eop le con tin ued to be h e a lth y , and th e climate h ad n o t fo r fe
ited th e g o od o p in io n h e h ad fo rm ed o f it. H e acqua inted the
g o v e rn o r , th a t fo r his in te rn a l d e fen ce h e had fo rm ed all th e fre e
p e o p le on th e ifland in to a m ilitia , and th a t a m ilita ry g u a rd w a s
m ou n ted e v e r y n ig h t as a piquet. T h e r e w e r e at th is tim e v ic tu a lled
on th e ifland fix te en fre e p e o p le , fifty -o n e male c o n v if t s , tw en ty - th r e e
fem ale co n v ic t s , and fo u r ch ild ren .
T h e ar riv al o f th e S u p p ly w i th an ac co u n t o f the fe o c cu r ren ce s
created a tem p o ra ry v a r ie ty in th e con v e r fa tion o f the d a y ; and a
g en e ra l fatisfaCtion appeared w h e n th e little v e fle l th a t b ro u g h t th em
d ropp ed h e r an ch or ag ain in th e co v e . L ie u ten an t B a ll, h a v in g lo ft an
an ch or at N o r fo lk Ifland , did no t th in k it p rud ent to attempt to fa ll in
w i th th e Ihoal feen b y th e G o ld e n G r o v e fto re lhip ; h is orders on that
head b e in g d iforetiona ry.
W e n o w return to th e tranfac tions o f th e p r in c ip a l fettlement. T h e
p e r fon w h o w a s noticed in th e occurrences o f th e la f t m on th as b e in g
em p lo y ed at R o fe H i l l u n d e r th e com m ifla ry , had be en alfo in tru d ed
w i th th e d ire c tio n o f the c o n v if t s w h o w e re em p lo y ed in c le a r in g and
cu ltiv a t in g g ro u n d at th a t p la c e ; b u t, b e in g ad v an c ed in y e a rs , h e
. was fo u n d inadequate to th e ta lk o f m an a g in g and co n t ro llin g th e
p eop le w h o w e r e u n d e r h is care, th e m o ft o f w h om w e r e a lw a y s in v
en t in g p laufib le ex cu fe s fo r abfence’ from la bou r , o r fo r th e ir negleCt
o f it w h ile und er , his e y e . H e w a s th e re fo re rem o v ed , and fuc ceed ed
* The direction of the hurricane was acrofs the ifland from the South-eaft j and as its
fury had blown down more trees than were found lying on the ground when Mr. King
landed on it, he conjectured that it was not an annual vifitant of the ifland. This conjecture
feems now to be justified, as nothing of the kind has lince occurred there.
bY