b e en w ith in tw o m on th s o f th a t tim e difemhark ed, and th e p u b lic
fto re had been aided o n ly b y a fm a ll fu rp lu s o f th e p ro v ifio n s w h ic h
rem ain ed o f w h a t had been fu rn ifh ed b y th é co n t r a fto r fo r th e p a fia g e ,
an d th e fu p p ly o f fo u r mon th s flo u r w h ic h h ad been re c e ived b y the
S ir iu s from th e C ap e o f G o o d H o p e . A l l th is d id n o t p rod uce fu c h
an ab und ance as w o u ld ju f t i f y a n y lo n g e r con tin u an ce o f th e fu ll
r a t io n ; and alth o u gh it w a s reafonable to fu p p o fe , as w e had no t h i th
e r to re c e iv e d a n y fup plie s , th a t fh ip s w o u ld ar r iv e b e fo re o u r p re fen t
f lo c k wa s' e xh au fted ; y e t , i f the p e r iod o f diftrefs fh o u ld e v e r a r r iv e ,
th e co n fc iou fn e fs th a t w e h ad e a r ly fo re fe en and ftro v e to g u a rd a g a in ft
its a r r iv al w o u ld c e r ta in ly fo ften th e bitte rn e fs o f ou r reflections ; an d ,
g u a rd in g th u s ag a in ft the w o r ft , that w o r ft p ro v id en tia lly m ig h t n e v e r
h ap p en . T h e g o v e rn o r , w h o fe h um an ity w a s at all times co n fp i-
cu ou s , d ire c ted th a t no alteration fh o u ld be made in th e ra tion to be
iflu ed to th e w om en . T h e y w e r e a lre ad y u p on tw o thirds o f the m an ’ s
a l lo w a n c e ; and m a n y o f th em eithe r had ch ild ren w h o cou ld v e r y
w e l l h a v e eaten th e ir ow n and p art o f th e m o th e r ’ s ra tion , o r th e y
h ad ch ild ren at th e b r e a f t ; and a lth o u g h th e y did n o t la bou r , y e t
th e ir appetites w e r e n e v e r fo d elicate as to h a v e fo u n d th e fu ll ra tion
to o m u ch , h ad it be en iflued to them . T h e lik e red u c tio n was, enfo
r c ed afloat as w e l l as o n fh o re , th e fh ip s ’ companies o f th e S ir iu s
and S u p p ly b e in g p u t to tw o th irds o f th e a llow an ce u fu a lly iflued to
th e k in g ’ s fhip s. T h is , as a d ed u ction o f the e ighths allow ed b y
cu ftom to th e p u r fe r w a s mad e from th e ir ra tion , w a s fom ew h a t le fs
than w h a t w a s to be iflu ed in th e fettlem ent.
T h u s o pen ed th e m on th o f N o v em b e r in th is fe t t lem e n t ; w h e r e ,
th o u g h w e h ad n o t th e a c c om p a n y in g g lo om and v ap o u r o f ou r ow n
clim a te to ren d e r it te r rific to o u r min d s , y e t w e h ad that b efore u s ,
in th e m id ft o f all o u r fu n fh in e , w h ic h g a v e it th e com p le x io n o f th e
true N o v em b e r fo in im ic a l to o u r co u n t rym en .
I t w a s fo o n o b fe rv ed , that o f the p ro v ifio n s iflued at th is ra tion
o n th e S a tu rd a y th e m a jo r part o f th e co n v ic t s had n o n e le ft on th e
T u e fd a y n i g h t ; it w a s the re fo re ord ered , th a t the p ro v ifio n s fh ou ld
b e fe rv ed in fu tu r e on the S a tu rd a y s and W ed n e fd a y s . B y .th e fe
me an s , th e d a y s w h ic h w o u ld o th e rw ife pafs in h u n g e r , o r in th ie v in g
from th e f e w w h o w e r e m o r e p ro v id en t, w o u ld be d iv id ed , and the
1 4 p eop le
p eo p le them fe lv e s b e m ore able to p e rform th e labou r w h ic h w a s
req u ired from th em . O v e r fe e rs and married m en w e re n o t in c lu d ed
in this ord er.
O n th e 7 th C ap ta in H u n te r b ro u g h t th e Sir iu s in to th e co v e com p
le te ly repaired. S h e had be en ftren g th en ed w i th riders placed w i th in
bo ard, h e r co p pe r had been c a r e fu lly e x am in ed , and fh e w a s n o w in
e v e r y refpeCt fit fo r fea. P re v io u s to h e r q u it tin g th e ca re en in g c o v e ,
M r . H ill , one o f th e m atte r's m ates, h a v in g had fome bufinefs at
S y d n e y , was, la n d e d on h is re tu rn e a r ly in th e m o rn in g on th e n o r th
fh o re , oppofitiT S y d n e y C o v e , from w h en c e th e w a lk to th e fh ip w a s
f h o r t ; b u t h e w a s n e ve r a fte rw ard s heard of. Parties w e r e fen t d a y
after d a y in q u e ft o f h im fo r fe v e ra l d ays. G u n s w e r e fired from th e
S ir iu s e v e r y fo u r h ou rs , n ig h t and d a y , b u t all to no effeCt. H e h ad
m e t w i th fome fatal ac cid ent, w h ic h d ep r iv ed a w ife o f th e p leafurab le
profpeCt o f e v e r fe e in g h im re turn to h e r and to his friend s. H e h ad
o n c e b e fo re miffed his w a y ; and it w a s rep or ted , w h e n his lofs w a s
con firm ed , th a t h e declared on th e fatal m o rn in g , w h e n ftep p in g ou t
o f th e boat, th a t h e expeCted to lo fe h im fe lf ag a in fo r a d a y o r ,tw o .
H is co n je c tu re w a s m ore th an con firm ed ; h e lo ft h im fe lf fo r e v e r , and
th us added one to th e n um b e r o f th o fe un fo r tu n a te p erfons w h o h ad
p e r ifh ed in th e w o o d s o f this co u n try .
O n th e n t h th e S u p p ly failed fo r N o r fo lk Ifland , h a v in g on b oard
p ro v ifio n s and f ix male and e igh t female co n v ic ts fo r th a t c o lo n y . S h e
w a s to flo p at L o rd H o w e Ifland , to en d e a v o u r to p rocu re tu r tle fo r
th is fe tt lem e n t; a fu p p ly o f w h ic h , in its p refent fitu a tion , w o u ld h a v e
be en w e lcom e d , n o t as a lu x u r y , b u t as a n e ce fia ry o f life .
T h e n ig h t-w a tch w a s fo u n d o f in fin ite u tility . T h e c om m ifllo n o f
cr imes, fin c e th e ir in ftitu tion , h ad b e en e v id en tly lefs freq u en t, a n d th e y
w e re in ftrumen tal in b r in g in g fo rw a rd fo r p u nifhm en t fe v e ra l offenders
w h o w o u ld o th e rw ife h a v e efcaped. T h e fea r and deteftation in w h ic h
th e y w e re h e ld b y th e ir fe llow -p r ifon e r s w a s one p r o o f o f th e ir a flid u ity
in fe a rch in g fo r offences and in b r in g in g th em to lig h t '; and it p o flib ly
m ig h t h a v e been aflerted w i th tru th , th a t m a n y ftreets in th e m etrop
o lis o f L o n d o n w e re n o t fo w e l l guarded and w a tch ed as the fm a ll, b u t
r ifin g tow n o f S y d n e y , in N ew S o u th Wales..
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