[ i 79<*-
o f this b u ild in g w a s on th e eaft fid e o f th e c o v e , at th e u p p e r p a r t,
co n t ig u o u s to th e b r id g e o v e r th e ru n o f w a te r , and co n v en ien t fo r
d e ta ch in g afliftance to a n y p a r t o f th e p lace w h e r e it m ig h t be r e -
q u ifite .
O n th e i f t o f M a r c h a re d u c tio n in th e a llow a n c e o f fpirits to o k
p la c e ; th e h a l f p in t p e r diem, w h ic h had h ith e r to been iffued to
e a ch man w h o w a s entitled to re c e iv e it , w a s to be d ifcon tin u ed , and
o n ly the h a l f o f that a llow an ce fe rv ed . T h u s w a s th e g rad u a ld e c re a fe
in o u r ftores fo llow e d b y a d im in u tio n o f o u r d a i ly com fo r ts and
neceffaries.
O n e im m ed iate co n feq u en c e , and th a t an e v il o n e , w a s th e effec t o f
th e in ten d ed em b ark ation fo r N o r fo lk Ifland. It b e in g fo u n d th a t grea t
quan titie s o f f lo c k w e r e k ille d , an o rd e r w a s im m e d ia te ly g iv e n to
p r e v e n t th e fu r th e r d eftrudtion o f an ar tic le fo effential in o u r p re fen t
fitu a t io n , u n til fom e n e c e fla ry regu la tion s co u ld be p u b lifh e d ; b u t th e
officers and p e o p le w h o w e r e ab out to em bark w e r e n o t in c lud ed in
th is p roh ib itio n . T h e m en tio n o f fu tu r e re g u la tion s in this ord e r in -
fta n tly b e g a t an o p in io n am o n g th e co n v ic t s , th a t o n th e departure o f
th e fh ip s a ll th e liv e ffb c k in th e c o lo n y w o u ld b e called in , o r th a t
th e ow n e r s w o u ld be d ep r iv ed o f th e benefits w h ic h m ig h t re fult from
th e p offe flion o f it. U n d e r co lo u r , th e re fo re , o f its b e lo n g in g to
th o fe w h o w e r e e x em p ted in th e late ord e r , n e a r ly all th e f lo c k in th e
fe ttlem en t w a s in th e courfe o f a f e w n ig h ts d e f t r o y e d ; a w o u n d b e in g
th e r e b y g iv e n to th e in d ep end en ce o f th e c o lo n y th a t could n o t e a fily
be fa lv ed , and w h o fe in ju r io u s effe c ts tim e an d m u ch attention alone
co u ld rem o v e .
T h e e xp e ifled fnpplies n o t h a v in g a r r iv ed , o n th e 3 d , th e tw o com p
an ie s o f marines w i th th e ir officers and th e co lou rs o f th e corps emb
a rk ed on b oard th e S ir iu s and th e S u p p ly . W i t h th em alfo em barked
th e lie u ten an t-g o v e rn o r , an d M r . C o n fid en th e fen io r affiftant fu rg e o n
o f th e fettlement. O n th e d a y fo llow in g , on e h u n d red and fix te e n
m ale and f ix ty - e ig h t fem a le co n v ic t s , w i th tw e n ty - fe v e n ch ild ren , w e r e
p u t o n b o a r d ; am o n g th e male co n v ic t s th e g o v e rn o r had fen t th e
trou b le fom e and in co r r ig ib le Csefar, on w h om h e h ad b e llow e d a p ard
o n . W i th the fe a lfo w a s fe n t , th o u g h o f a v e r y different d e fc r ip tio n ,
a p e r fon w h o fe e x em p la r y c o n d u c t had ra ifed h im from th e fitu a tion ,
1 4 o f
o f a co n v iC l to th e p r iv ile g e s o f a fre e man. J o h n I r v in g h ad fin c a
o u r lan d in g in th e c o u n t r y been em p lo y ed as an affiftant at the h o lp ita l.
H e w a s bred a fu rg e o n , and in n o inftance w h a te v e r , fince th e com -
m iffio n o f th e offen ce fo r w h ic h h e was tran fp o r ted , h ad h e g iv e n caufe
o f com p la in t. H e w a s n o w fent to N o r fo lk Ifland , to aCt as an
affiftant to th e medical g en tlem en there.
O n th e 5 th th e Sir ius and th e S u p p ly le f t the c o v e , b u t d id n o t g e t
to lea un til th e fo llow in g d a y , w h e n at th e c lo fe o f th e e v en in g th e y
w e r e fc a r c e ly to be d ifc e rn ed from th e fo u th h e ad . A t th e little poll;
a t this p lace C a p ta in H u n te r le f t th e g u n n e r , a m id fh ipm a n , and f ix
o f th e S ir iu s 's p eop le . M r , M a x w e l l , o n e o f h e r lie u ten an ts , h a v in g
be en fo r a con fid e rable tim e p aft in a m e la n c h o ly and d e c lin in g w a y ,
an d his d ifbrd e r pronounced: b y th e fu rg e o e s to be in fa n ity , h e w a s
d ifcha rg ed from th e fh ip , and had ta k en u p h is re fid en e e o n fh o re
u n d e r th e care o f th e fu rg e o n , w i th p ro p e r 'p e o p le w h o -were le ft from
th e fhip to attend h im . This.; w a s fth e fe con d officer w h o fe fitu ation
in the S ir iu s it b e cam e n e c e fla ry to h a v e f il le d . L ie u te n a n t iK in g , th e
com m an d an t o f N o r fo lk I fla n d , h ad f o r . fom e tim e be en d ifcha rged
from th e -fhip’ s b o o k s ; and M r , N ew to n F ow e ll, a y o u n g gentleman,
o f th e S ir iu s ’s qu a r te r -d e ck , b e in g deemed w e l l q u a lified , w a s app
o in ted b y th e g o v e rn o r (as th e n a v al com m an d in g o ffice r ) to fuc ce ed
h im . T o fill th e v a c a n c y o c c a fio n ed b y M r . M a xw e ll’ s u n fo r tu n a te
ftate o f h e a lth , M r . H e n r y W a te rh o u fc , a y o u n g g en tlem a n o f p ro -
m ifin g abilities, w a s ta k en from th e qu a r te r -d e ck . B o th the fe ap p oin tmen
ts -were to w a it th e .confirma tion o f th e lo rd s com m iflion e rs o f th e
adm ira lty .
Im m ed ia te ly -a fte r th e departure .o f the fe fh ip s , th e g o v e rn o r d ire c ted
h is atten tion to th e re gu la tion .o f th e p eop le w h o w e f e le ft a t S y d n e y ,
and to the p re fe rv ation o f th e f lo c k in th e c o lo n y . F o r th e fe p u rp o fe s ,
h e h im fe lf v ifited th e d ifferent h u ts and gard ens w h o fe tenants had ju f t
qu itted th em , d iftr ib u tin g th em to fu c h c o n v ic t s as w e r e eithe r in
miferable h o v e ls , to r w i th o u t a n y fh e lte r a t all. s I t w a s t r u e , th a t b y
th is ar ran g em en t th e id le fo u n d th em fe lv e s p ro v id e d fo r b y th e labou r
o f m an y w h o h ad been in d u f t r io u s ; but th e y w e r e , at th e fame tim e
affured , th a t unlefs th e y k e p t in g o od cu ltiv a t io n .the ga rd ens w h ic h
th e y w e r e a llow e d to p offefs, th e y w o u ld b e turn ed o u t from th e
o 2 com fo r ts