com fo r ts o f a g o o d h u t , to liv e u n d e r a r o c k o r a tree. T h a t th e y
m ig h t h a v e tim e fo r th is p u rp o fe , the a fte rn o on o f "VVednefday and th e
w h o le o f S a tu rd a y in each w e e k w e r e g iv e n to them. M u c h ro om
w a s mad e e v e r y w h e re b y th e num be rs w h o h ad embarked (in all tw o
h u n d red and e ig h ty -o n e p erfons ) j th e m ilita r y quarters had a deferted
afpe<ft j and th e w h o le fe ttlem en t appeared a s i f fam in e had a lread y
th in n ed it o f h a l f its numb ers. T h e little fo c ie ty th a t w a s in th e place
w a s b ro k en u p , and e v e r y man feem ed le ft to b ro o d in fo lita ry filen c e
o v e r th e d r e a r y p rofp ed t b e fo re him .
W i t h relpedt to th e f lo c k , h is e x c e lle n c y diredied, th a t n o hogs,
u n d e r th re e m on th s old ih o u ld be k ille d , n o r w e r e a n y to be b utchered
w ith o u t in fo rm a tion b e in g fir ft g iv e n at head-quarters.
T h o fe w h o bred p o u l t r y w e r e le ft at lib e r ty to d ifp o fe o f it in fu ch
m an n e r as th e y th o u g h t p r o p e r ; and th e com m iffa ry w a s diredted to
p u rch a fe fo r th e u fe o f th e 'h ofp ital fu ch liv e f lo c k as th e ow n e rs w e r e
de firous o f fe llin g , c om p ly in g w i th th e ab ov e regu la tion s , and re c e iv in
g on e Ih illin g a p o u n d as th e p r ice .
S om e p ro v ifio n s w h ic h y e t rem ain ed in th e o ld la rg e tha tched fto re
w e r e rem o v ed fo r g re a te r feCurity in to th e ftore in the m a r in e quarters.
I t w a s f t r o n g ly fufp ed ted , th a t an attem p t h ad been made to obtain
fom e p a r t o f th e fe p ro v ifio n s in th e n i g h t ; and fom e conv id ts w e r e
e x am in e d b e fo re th e ju d g e -ad v o c a te o n fu fp ic io n o f h a v in g tak en
fom e flo u r from th e ftore ; bu t n o th in g appeared th a t could m ate r ially
afledt th em . T h e p ro v ifio n s , w h e n all co lle c ted to g e th e r und er one
r o o f and in to o n e v iew , afford ed b u t a m e la n ch o ly refledtion,— it w a s
w e l l th a t w e had e v en th em .
O n th e 2 7 th o f th e m on th , th e lon g -e xp ed ted fign a l n o t h a v in g been
d ifp la y e d , it became n e ce fla ry to p u t th e c o lo n y u p on a ftill fh o r te r
ra tion o f p ro v ifio n s . I t w a s a p a in fu l b u t a n e ce fla ry d u ty . T h e
g o v e rn o r d ir e d e d th a t th e p ro v ifio n s Ihould in fu tu r e be fe rv ed d a i ly ;
fo r w h ic h p u rp o fe th e fto re w a s to be o pened from o n e to th re e in the
a fte rn o on . I T h e ra tio n fo r th e w e e k w a s to co n fift o f
F o u r p oun d s o f flour,
T w o pound s and a h a l f o f p o rk , and
O n e p ou n d an d a h a l f o f r i c e ;
and
and th e fe w e r e to b e iffued to e v e r y perfon in the fettlement w i th o u t
diftindtion ; b u t aS th e p u b lic lab our muft n a tu ra lly be a ffe d e d b y this
r e d u d io n , th e w o r k in g hou rs w e re in fu tu re to be from fu n - r ife , w i th
a fmall in te r v a l fo r breakfaft, u ntil o n e o ’ c lo ck : th e afternoons w e r e
to be a llow ed th e people to re c e iv e th e ir p ro v ifio n s and w o r k in th e ir
ga rd en s. T h e fe alterations, in the ra tion and in th e hou rs o f la b o u r ,
h ow e v e r , w e r e not to com m enc e u n til the i f t o f th e fo llow in g m on th .
A t R o fe H i l l fim ila r regu la tion s w e r e mad e b y th e g o v e rn o r . T h e
ga rd en g ro u n d w a s enla rged ; th o fe w h o w e r e in bad huts w e r e placed
in b e t t e r ; and e v e r y th in g w a s faid that cou ld ftimu late th em to b e
in d uftr ious . T h is , w i th a few e x c ep tio n s , appeared to be th e p r in c
ipa l labour b o th there and at S y d n e y ; and th e n ig h t-w a tch w e r e
ca lled u p o n b y th e com m o n in te re ft to be m ore than e v e r a d i v e and
fed ulous in th e ir efforts to p r o t e d p u b lic and p r iv a te p r o p e r t y ; fo r
robberies o f gardens and houfes w e r e d a i ly and n ig h t ly com m itted .
D am a g e w a s alfo re c e ived from th e little f lo c k w h ic h rem ain ed a l i v e ;
th e ow n e r s , n o t h a v in g w h e r ew ith to feed th em , w e r e o b lig ed to turn
th em lpofe to b row fe am o n g th e grafs and fh ru b s , o r tu rn u p th e
g ro u n d fo r th e f e r n - r o o t ; and as th e y w an d e red w i th o u t a n y one to
p re v en t th e ir d o in g m ifch ie f, th e y b u t to o o ften fo u n d an e a fy p afla ge
o v e r fences and th ro u g h barriers w h ic h w e r e n o w g r ow n w e a k and
p e r ifh in g . It w a s h ow e v e r ord ered , th a t th e f lo c k fh o u ld be k e p t u p
d u r in g the n ig h t, and e v e r y d ama ge th a t co u ld be p ro v e d to h a v e b e en
re c e iv ed d u r in g th a t tim e w a s to be mad e g o od b y th e ow n e rs o f th e
f lo c k th a t m ig h t be c a u g h t tr e fp a f lin g ; o r the animals th em fe lv e s w e r e
to be forfeited .
T h e carpenters w e r e em p lo y ed in p rep a r in g a r o o f fo r a n ew fto re -
h o u fe , tho fe w h ic h w e r e fir ft e ro d e d b e in g n o w d e c a y in g , and h a v in g
been a lw a y s infecure. I t w a s n e v e r e x p e c te d to g e t u p a b u ild in g o f
one h und red fe e t in fro n t, w h ic h th is w a s d e fign ed to b e , u p on fo
red uced a ra tion as th e p re fen t; b u t w h ile th e p eop le did la b ou r , it w a s
p rop e r to tu rn that little lab ou r to th e p u b lic a c cou n t.
T h e w o r k in g gang s b e in g n ow fo m u ch red uced b y th e late embarka
tio n , th e h o y w a s em p lo y ed in b r in g in g th e tim b e r n e ce flary fo r this
b u ild in g from the cov es w h e re it w a s cu t d ow n and d epofited fo r th a t
p urpo fe . T h is v e ffe l, w h e n u n em p lo y ed fo r p u b lic fe rv ice s , w a s g iv e n
to