an u n ce r tain and fc a n ty aid from a n y o th e r fou rce , d e te rmined , and
ab ou t the m id d le o f th e m on th an n oun ced his d e termina tion, to detach
th ith e r a la rg e b o d y o f co n v id ls , male and fem ale , to g e th e r ■ with tw o
com p an ie s o f the marines. S om e im m ediate ad vantages w e re e x p e c ted
to be d e riv ed from this meafure ; th e g a rd en g ro u n d th a t w o u ld be left
b y th o fe w h o em b arked w o u ld be poffeffed b y th o fe w h o rem ain ed ,
w h ile th e fo rm e r w o u ld in ftan tly o n th e ir a r r iv a l at N o r fo lk I llan d
p ar ticip ate in th e p rod u c e o f lu x u r ia n t ga rd en s, in a m o r e cb nftant
fu p p ly o f f ilh , and in th e affiftance th a t w a s o c c a fio n a lly obta ined from
th e birds w h ic h fe ttled on M o u n t Pitt.
A t th e fame tim e th a t this in ten tio n w a s made p u b lic , th e d a y o f
th e ir depa rture w a s fix ed . T h e w h o le w e r e to em b a rk o n 'b o a r d the
S ir iu s and th e S u p p ly in th e b e g in n in g o f th e fo llo w in g m on th , and
w e r e , i f n o fh ip a r r iv ed from E n g lan d to p re v en t th em , to fail on the
5 th . S h o u ld , u n fo r tu n a te ly , th e n e ce ffity o f ad o p tin g the meafure
th en e x ift, th e S ir iu s w a s to p roc e ed to C h in a d ired tly from N o r fo lk
I flan d to p ro cu re a fu p p ly o f p ro v ifio n s fo r th e c o lo n y . C h in a w a s
c h o fe n , u n d e r an id ea th a t fa it p ro v ifio n s w e r e to be obtained th e re ,
and th a t it w a s p re fe rab le to fen d in g to a n y o f th e iflands in th o fe feas,
o r to th e C a p e o f G o o d H o p e a t th is feafon o f th e y e a r , w h en th e
S ir iu s an d h e r c r ew w o u ld h a v e had to en co u n te r th e co ld and b o ifte -
rou s w e a th e r o f a w in te r ’ s p affage th ith e r .
A s th e num b e rs o n N o r fo lk Ifland w o u ld be co n fid e ra b ly increafed
b y th e a r r iv al o f this d eta chment from h en ce , th e g o v e rn o r ju d g e d the
p re fen c e o f M a jo r R e f s n e c e ffa ry therej as lie u ten an t-g o v e rn o r o f the
te r r ito r y . L ie u ten a n t K in g w a s to be recalled and return to this fe t-
tlem en t. ^
P rep arations w e r e im m ed ia te ly fet on fo o t f o r th e embarkation o f the
m arin e s and o th e r p e r fo n s w h o w e r e to qu it th is c o lo n y . I t had been
a p a r t o f th e firft d etermina tions o n th is bufinefs , th a t th e S ir iu s
Ih ou ld , as I h a v e m en tion ed , p roc e ed d ired tly from N o r fo lk Ifland on
h e r v o y a g e to C h in a ; bu t Captain H u n te r h a v in g rep refented th e abfo-
lu te n e c e ffity h e Ihould be u n d e r o f to u ch in g fom ew h e re to w o o d and
w a te r , o w in g to th e numbers h e Ihould h a v e on b o a rd , that id e a w a s
g iy e n u p , and C a p ta in H u n te r w a s d ire c ted to re tu rn w ith th e S ir iu s
to
to th is p o r t fo r th e ab ov e purpo fe s o f w o o d in g and wa te r in g . A n add
itio n a l rea fon offered it fe l f to in fluen ce th is d e te rm in a tio n ; it w a s
h o p e d , th a t b e fo re Ihe cou ld re tu rn , th e ar riv al o f th e expedted fupplies
w o u ld h a v e ren d e red the v o y a g e a lto g e th e r u n n e c e f fa r y ; and it w a s
b u t reafonable to fu p p o fe that this w o u ld hap pen. T h e g o v e rn o r h ad ,
in all h is d ifp atches, u n ifo rm ly declared th e ftro n g n e ce ffity th e re w a s
o f h a v in g at lea ft tw o y ea rs p ro v ifio n s in fto re fo r fom e tim e to c o m e ;
and as this in fo rm a tion , to g e th e r w i th an 'exadt ac co u n t o f th e fitu ation
o f th e c o lo n y , had be en tran fm itted b y fe v e n d ifferent co n v e y an c e s ,
i f o n ly one h ad ar r iv ed fafe , it cou ld n o t re a fon a b ly b e doubted that
fu p p lie s w o u ld b e im m e d ia te ly difp atched . F rom the len g th o f tim e
to o w h ic h had elapfed fin c e th e depa rture o f th e la ft Ihips * th a t failed
f r om h en ce diredt fo r E n g la n d , (fu ll fifte en m on th s,) it w a s as rea fon able
to fu p p o fe th a t th e y m ig h t a r r iv e w i th in th e tim e th a t the S ir iu s
w o u ld be abfent.
T h e m on th paffed in th e ar ran gem en ts and preparations req u ifite o n
th is o c c a fio n , to w h ic h th e w e a th e r w a s e x t r em e ly u n fa v o u rab le , h e a v y
ta in s , w i th ga le s o f w in d , p r e v a ilin g n e a r ly th e w h o le time. T h e
rain came d ow n in torrents, fillin g u p e v e r y trench and c a v ity w h ic h
had been d u g ab out th e fettlem ent, and ca u fin g m u ch damage to th e
m iferable m u d tenements w h ic h w e r e o c cu p ied b y th e convidts. B y
th e fe ra ins , a p it w h ic h h ad be en d u g fo r th e p u rp o fe o f p ro c u r in g
c la y to p la ifte r the w a lls o f a h u t, w a s filled w i th w a t e r ; and a b o y
u pw a rd s o f tw o y e a rs o f a g e , b e lo n g in g to one o f th e fem a le con v id ts ,
fa l lin g in to it, w a s d row n ed . T h e fu rg eon s tr ied , b u t w ith o u t fuc ce fs ,
to fa v e his life , u fin g th e method s pradtifed b y th e H um a n e S o c ie ty .
Y e t bad as th e w e a th e r w a s , fe v e ral ga rd ens w e r e ro b b ed , an d , as at
th is tim e th e y ab ound ed w i th m elons an d p um p k in s , t h e y became the
objedts o f depredation in com m o n w i th o th e r p rod u d tions o f the
garden.
A b r ick b u ild in g , fifty -n in e fe e t in fro n t , d e fign ed fo r a g u a rd -h o u fe ,
o f w h ic h the fo u n d a tion had b e en la id a f e w d a y s b e fo re th e h e a v y
rains com m enc ed , fuffered m u ch b y th e ir co n tin u an ce . T h e fitu ation
# The Golden Grove and the Filhburn failed from this port the 19th of November
1788, intending to make their pafiage round by Cape Horn, to which the feafon was
molt favourable.
O o f