as p u b lic p r o p e r t y ; b u t as i t w a s ab folu te ly n e ce ffa ry to keep- fem e
b re ed in g lo w s , and the f to c k b e in g fmall and v e r y p o o r , th a t idea- w a s
abandoned.
In p u r fu an c e o f the fe re fo lu tions , the few oonvidts w h o h a d been
em p lo y e d to lh o o t fo r in d iv id u a ls w e r e g iv e n up fo r th e p ublic -benefit
an d a fiffie r y w a s e ftab lilh ed a t B o tan y B a y ,, u n d e r the infpeCtion o f
o n e o f the m id fh ipm en o f th e Sir ius. B u t this p lan , n o t b e in g fo u n d
to an fw e r , w a s fo on re lin q u ilh ed . T h e q u a n tity o f filh th a t w a s from
tim e to tim e ta k en w a s v e r y inconfid e rable , and th e labou r o f t r an f-
p o r t in g it b y land from th en ce was g rea ter than th e ad v antage w h ic h
w a s e x p e c te d to be d e riv ed from it. T h e b o a t s w e r e th e re fo re re c alled ,
an d em p lo y e d w i th ra th e r m ore fuccefs at S y d n e y ..
I t w a s w e l l k n o w n , th a t th e in te g r ity o f th e p eop le em p lo y ed ire
f iih in g cou ld no t b e depended u p on ; th e officers o f th e fettlement
th e re fo re v o lu n ta r ily to o k u p on th em fe lv e s th e unpleafaut talk, o f
fu p e r in ten d in g th em and it became a g enera l d u ty , w h ic h e v e r y o n e
ch e a r fu lly p e r formed . T h e fifh in g rb o a t n e v e r w e n t o u t w ith o u t an
office r , eithe r b y n ig h t o r b y d ay .
O n th e 7 th , ab out fo u r h u n d red w e ig h t o f fiih b e in g b ro u g h t u p , it
w a s iffued agreeable to th e o rd e r ; and could th e lik e q u a n tity h a v e been
b ro u g h t in. d a ily , fome fa v in g m ig h t h a v e been made a t th e ftore,
w h ic h w o u ld h a v e rep aid th e la b o u r th a t w a s em p lo y ed to obtain it.
B u t th e q u a n tity ta k en d u r in g th is m on th , after th e 7 th ,, w as no t often
m u ch m ore than equal to - fu p p ly in g th e p e o p le em p lo y ed in th e boats
w i th o n e p ou n d o f fiffi p e r m an , w h ic h w a s a llow ed th em in ad d ition
to th e ir r a t io n . T h e fm a ll boats, th e p ro p e r ty o f individuals,, w e re
th e re fo re returned to th e ir ow n e r s , and th e /p eo p le w h o had been env-
p lo y e d in th em ,, to g e th e r w ith th e fe am e a o f th e Sir ius n o w here,
w e r e placed in th e la rg e boats b e lo n g in g to th e fettlement.
N e ith e r w a s m u ch ad v an tage obtained b y em p lo y in g p eop le to ffioot
fo r th e p u b lic . A t th e end o f the month o n ly th re e fmall k a n g oo ro o s
h ad been b ro u g h t in . T h e con v ic ts w h o w e r e em p lo y ed on th is fer-
v ic e , thre e in n um b e r, w e r e con fid e red as g o od m ark fm en , an d were
a llow ed a ra tion o f flou r inftead o f th e ir fait p ro v ifio n s , th e better to
enable th em to fuftain the labou r and fa tigu e o f tra v e r fin g the w o o d s o f
this co u n t ry .
T h e
T h e n e ce ffity o f p ro cu r in g r e l ie f became e v e r y d a y m ore p re ffin g.
T h e v o y a g e o f th e S ir iu s to C h in a w a s at an e n d ; and n o th in g h ad y e t
ar r iv ed from E n g lan d , th o u g h h o u r ly exp e c ted . I t w a s the natural and
g enera l o p in io n , that ou r p refent fituation w a s to be attributed to ac cident
ra th e r than to proc raftination. It w a s more p rob ab le , th a t th e
veffe ls w h ic h h ad been difpatched b y th e B r itifli g o v e rnm en t had m e t
w i th fome diftrefs, that had eithe r com pe lled th em to re tu rn o r h ad
w h o l ly p re ven ted th em from a n y fu r th e r p ro fe cu tion o f th e v o y a g e ,
than th a t a n y d e la y ih o u ld h a v e ta k en p lace in th e ir departure. T h e
g o v e rn o r , th e re fo re , determined o n fen d in g th e S u p p ly armed tender
to B a ta v ia ; an d , as h e r com m an d e r w a s m o il ze a lo u fly a drive in his
preparations fo r the v o y a g e , ffie w a s fo on re a d y fo r fea. H e r to n n a g e ,
h ow e v e r , w a s tr iflin g w h e n com pa red w i th ou r n e ce ffitie s .1 L ie u ten a n t
B a ll w a s , th e re fo re , direc ted to p rocu re a fu p p ly o f e ig h t m on th s prov
ifio n s fo r h im fe lf, and to h ire a v e ife l and p u rch a fe 200,000 p oun d s
o f flo u r , 80,000 pound s o f be e f, 60,000 pound s o f p o r k , and 70 ,0 0 9
p ou n d s o f r i c e ; to g e th e r w i th fome neceffaries fo r the h o fp ita l, fu ch as
fu g a r , fa g o , h o g s lard , v in e g a r , and d ong aree. T h e e x p e c ta tio n o f th is
r e l ie f was indeed d iftan t, b u t y e t it w a s m ore to be depended u p on
th an that w h ic h m ig h t be com in g from E n g lan d . A g iv e n tim e w a s
fix e d fo r th e re turn o f th e S u p p l y ; b u t it w a s im po ffib le to fa y w h e n
a ve ffe l m ig h t a r r iv e from E u ro p e . W h a te v e r m ig h t b e ou r d iftrefs fo r
p ro v ifio n s , it w o u ld be fom e alle v ia tion to lo o k on to a ce rtain fix e d
p e r io d w h e n it m ig h t b e e x p e d e d to be rem o v ed . L ie u ten an t B a ll’s
p affa ge la y th ro u g h th e region s o f fine w e a th e r , and th e h o pe o f e v e r y
o n e w a s fix e d u p on th e little ve ffe l th a t w a s to c o n v e y h im ; y e t it
w a s p ain fu l to contemp la te o u r v e r y e x iften c e as d ep en d in g u p on he r
f a f e t y ; to confid er that a ro u g h fea, a h id d en ro c k , o r th e v io len c e o f
elemental ftr ife , m ig h t in one fatal m om en t p re c ip ita te us, w i th th e
little b a rk th a t h ad a ll o u r ho pe s on b o ard, to th e low e ft ab y fs o f
m ife ry . In the w e l l-k n ow n a b ility and u n d ou b ted ex e r tion s o f h e r
com m and e r h ow e v e r , un d e r G o d , all placed th e ir d e p en d a n c e ; and
from th a t p r in c ip le , w h e n ih e failed , inftead o f p re d ic t in g rpifchance,
w e a ll, w i th one w iffi fo r h e r fafe re tu rn , fix e d and anticipated the
p e r io d at w h ic h it m igh t rea fon a b ly be exp e c ted .
p 2 She