w h e a t and b a r le y w a s to b e depo fited . T h e p eop le o f all d e fcr ip tions
co n tin u ed v e r y h e a l th y ; and th e fa lu b r ity o f th e c lim ate rend ered m e d
ic in e o f little ufe.
N o tw ith fta n d in g little m ore th an tw o y e a r s had elapfed fin c e o u r
d epa rture from E n g la n d , fe v e ra l c o n v if t s ab ou t this tim e fign ified th a t
th e r e fp e a iv e terms fo r w h ic h th e y had be en tran fp orted h ad e x p ir e d ,
and claim ed to be reftored to th e p r iv ile g e s o f fre e men. U n fo r tu
n a te ly , b y fom e u n ac cou n table o v e r fig h t, th e p apers n e c e fla ry to
afce rtain th e fe p a r ticulars h ad been le ft b y th e m aile rs o f th e tran fp or ts
w i th th e ir ow n e rs in E n g lan d , inftead o f b e in g b ro u g h t o u t and dep
ofited in th e co lo n y ; and as, th u s fituated, it w a s e q u a lly im p o flib le
to adm it o r to d e n y th e tru th o f th e ir aflertions, th e y w e r e to ld to w a it
u n til ac co u n ts co u ld be re c e iv ed from E n g la n d ; and in the mean tim e ,
b y co n t in u in g to labou r fo r th e p u b lic , th e y w o u ld be entitled to fhare
th e p u b lic p ro v ifio n s in th e fto re . T h i s w a s b y n o means fa t is fa& o r y ,
as it ap p eared that th e y e x p e d e d an affurance from th e g o v e rn o r o f
r e c e iv in g fom e g r a tu ity fo r em p lo y in g th e ir fu tu r e tim e and labou r fo r
th e b en e fit o f th e fettlement. O n e o f th e fe p eop le h a v in g , in th e prefen
c e o f h is e x c e lle n c y , e xp re fled h im fe lf d if r e fp e d fu lly o f th e lie u ten
a n t-g o v e rn o r , h e w a s b ro u g h t b e fo re a cr im in a l co u r t and tr ied fo r
the fam e , o f w h ic h o ffen ce b e iiig fo u n d g u il ty , h e w a s fentenced to rec
e iv e f ix h u n d re d la fh e s , and to w e a r iro n s 'fo r th e fp ace o f f ix m onths.
I t m u ff be a c k n ow le d g e d , th a t the fe p e o p le w e re m o d p e cu lia r ly
an d u n p le a fa n tly fituated. C o n fc io u s in th e ir ow n minds th a t th e
fen ten c e o f th e law had be en fu lfille d u p o n th em , it m u ft h a v e been
t r u ly d iftre flln g to th e ir fe e lin g s to fin d that th e y cou ld n o t be co n fi-
d ered in a n y o th e r lig h t , o r re c e iv ed in to a n y o th e r fitu a tion , than
th a t in w h ic h alon e th e y h ad been h ith e r to k n o w n in th e fettlement.
In th e in fa n c y o f th e c o lo n y , h ow e v e r , b u t little w a s to be ga in ed
b y th e ir b e in g re ftored to th e righ ts and p r iv ile g e s o f fre e p e o p le , as
n o o n e w a s in p ofle ffio n o f fu ch abund ance as to afford to fu p po rt
an o th e r in d ep end en t o f th e p u b lic ftore. E v e r y man, th e re fo re , m u ft
h a v e w r o u g h t fo r his p r o v if io n s ; and i f th e y had be en gra tified in
th e ir e x p e c ta tio n o f 'b e in g p aid fo r th e ir la bou r , th e p r ice o f p rov ifio n s
in th is c o u n t ry w o u ld c e r ta in ly h a v e been fo u n d eq u a l, i f n o t fu p e r io r ,
to
to a n y v a lu e th e y co u ld h a v e fet u p on th e ir tim e and la b o u r fo r th e
p u b lic . A s the fe confid era tions muft h a v e o ffered themfelv es to th e
n o tic e o f m a n y g o o d u n d e rftan d in gs w h ic h w e r e am o n g th em , i t w a s
ra the r c o n je d u r e d , th a t the d iffa tis fa d io n w h ic h e v id e n t ly p re va iled on
th is fu b je d w a s fe t on fo o t and fom en ted b y fom e e v il-d e fig nm g
fpirits and affociates in fo rm e r in iqu itie s . T h e g o v e rn o r , h ow e v e r ,
te rm in a ted this bufmefs fo r th e p re fen t, b y d i r e d in g the ju d g e -a d v o c a te
to take th e affidavits o f fu ch p e rfons as w o u ld m ak e oath that th e y h ad
fe rv ed th e " te rm p r e fe r r e d b y th e la w , and b y re c om m en d in g th em to
w o r k fo r th e p u b lic u n til fom e in fo rm a tion w a s re c e iv ed from g o -
v em in e n t o n th a t head. ,
T h e o b fe rv a to ry w h ic h w a s e r e& ed on o u r firft la n d in g b e in g
fo u n d fmall and in c o n v en ien t, as w e ll fo r th e p u rp o fe o f o b fe rv in g
as fo r th e refid ence o f L ie u ten an t D aw e s and th e re c ep tion o f th e
aftro n om ic a l in ftrumen ts , th e fton e -cu tte rs b e g a n p rep a r in g ftone to
c o n f t r u d an o th e r , the materials fo r w h ic h w e r e fo u n d in abundance
u p o n the fp o t, th e w e f t p o in t o f th e co v e .
C H A P . V I I I .
BAR RACK S.___STOCS> — INTELLIGENCE FROM NORFOLK ISLAND. — POLICE
ESTABLISHED AT TH E PRINCIPAL SETTLEMENT.— A SUCCESSFUL HAUL OF
F ISH .— A .SOLDIER TR IED FOR A RA PE.— PROVISIONS BEGIN TO FA IL.— NATIVES.—
A LAUNCH COMPLETED. — RATS.— RATION REDUCED TO TWOTHIRDS.__
SIRIUS RETURNS TO THE COVE.— ONE OF HER MATES LOST
IN THE WOODS.— SUPPLY SAILS FOR NORFOLK ISLAND.— U T ILITY OF TH E
N IG H T WATCH.----A FEMALE CONVICT EXECUTED FOR HOUSE-BREAKING.-----
TWO NATIVES TA KEN.----SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST TH E ASSISTANT COMMISSARY
SATISFACTORILY CLEARED U P .— LIEU TEN A N T DAWES’S EXCURSION.
THE SUPPLY RETURNS-----TRANSACTIONS.
A u g u f t .] O f th e fo u r ba rrack s w h ic h w e r e b e g u n in M a r ch 1 7 8 8 ,
an d at th a t tim e intend ed to b e fin ifh ed as fu c h , tw o had be en fo r fom e
tim e o ccupied b y th e d e ta chm en t, tw o companies re fid in g in each ; a
l a th ird