S h e failed on Sa tu rd a y th e 1 7 th o f A p r i l , h a v in g o n board L ie u ten
an t K in g , th e late com m an d an t o f N o r fo lk Ifland , w h o w a s cha rged
w i th th e g o v e rn o r ’ s difpatches fo r the fe c re ta ry o f ftate, and M r . A n d
rew M il le r , th e late com m iffa ry , w h o fe ill ftate o f health o b lig in g
h im to re fign th a t em p lo ym en t, the g o v e rn o r p e rm itted h im to re turn
to E n g lan d , and had ap p ointed M r . J o h n Pa lm e r, the p u r fe r o f the
S ir iu s , to fu p p ly h is place.
L ie u te n a n t N ew to n F ow e ll, o f the S ir iu s , w a s , to g e th e r w i th th e
g u n n e r o f th a t fh ip , alfo embarked. T h e S u p p ly w a s to to u ch at
N o r fo lk Ifland , i f p rac ticable , and tak e on board L ieu ten an t B r a d le y
o f th e S ir iu s , w h o , from h is kn ow le d g e o f the coa ft, w a s chofen b y
th e g o v e rn o r to p roc e ed to B a ta v ia , and w a s to re turn to th is p o r t in
w h a te v e r v e ffe l m ig h t b e fre igh ted b y L ie u ten an t B a l l ; M r . F o w e ll
an d th e g u n n e r w e r e to b e le ft a t th e ifland.
M r . P a lm e r re c e iv ed h is ap p oin tmen t from h is e x c e lle n c y on th e
1 2th o f this m on th , o n w h ic h d a y th e fo llow in g w a s th e ftate o f th e
p ro v ifio n s in th e p u b lic f to r e ; v iz .
Fork
Beef
Rice
Peafe
Flour
Bifcuit
■ m m n m m Which was 1 >-t » \. , _
1,280 3 p d3> t0 ferve' *6th AuS— 4 Months 14 days*
24*455 pounds, " I t at the ( . c t ,
17 bulhels, J ration > SePt— 5 months i day.
56,884! , I theniflued I . '
1,924! pounds> | un,il j 19th Dec.— 8 months 7 days.
T h e d ura tion o f th e S u p p ly ’ s v o y a g e w a s g en e ra lly exp e c ted to be
f ix m o n th s ; a p e r iod at w h ic h , i f n o r e l ie f ar r iv ed in th e mean t im e
from E n g la n d , w e fh o u ld b e fo u n d w i th o u t fait p ro v ifio n s , r ic e , a n d
p e a fe .
In th e ab ov e fta tement thre e h und red b u lhe ls o f w h e a t, w h ic h h ad
be en p rod u c ed at R o fe H i l l , w e r e n o t in c lu d ed , b e in g re fe r r ed f o r
feed.
T h e g o v e rn o r , from a m o t iv e that did h im im m or tal h o n o r , in this,
fe a fon o f g en e ra l diftrefs, g a v e up th re e h u n d red w e ig h t o f flour w h ic h
w a s h is e x c e lle n c y ’ s p r iv a te p ro p e r ty , d e c la r in g th a t h e w ifh ed not to
fee a n y th in g more at h is table than th e ra tion w h ic h w a s received in
com m o n from th e p u b lic fto re , w i th o u t a n y d ift in & io n o f perfons j,
4 an d
rags
an d to th is re fo lu tion h e r ig id ly adhered, w ifh in g that i f a conv iCt
com p la in ed , h e m ig h t fee that w a n t was not u n fe lt ev en at‘ G o v e rnm e n t
houfe.
O n th e 20 th o f th e month,, the fo llow in g w a s -th e ra tion iflued f r o®
th e p u b lic fto re to each man fo r fe v en d ay s , o r to fe v en p eop le fo r
on e d a y ,
F lo u r , - - - 2 1 p ound s.
R ic e , - - - a p ounds.
P o rk , - - - 2 pounds:
T h e peafe w e r e all e xp en d ed . W a s this a ra tio n fo r a la b o u r in g
man ? T h e tw o pound s o f ' p o rk , w h e n bo iled , from the len g th o f
tim e it h ad be en in fto re , fh ru n k a w a y to n o th in g ; and w h e n d iv id ed
am o n g fe v en p eop le fo r th e ir d a y ’ s fu fte n a n c e , b a re ly afforded th re e o r '
fo u r morfels to each.
T h e in e v ita b le confequences o f this' fc a r c ity o f p rov ifion s ' enfued ;-
la b o u r flo o d n e a r ly fufpended fo r w a n t o f e n e rg y to p r o c e e d ; and th e
countenances o f th e p e o p le p la in ly b e lp o k e th e h ard lh ips th e y u n d e rw
en t . T h e co n v ic t s , h ow e v e r , w e r e em p lo y ed fo r th e p u b lic in the
fo ren oon s ; and fu ch la b o u r was obtained from th em as th e ir fituation
w o u ld a llow . T h e g u a rd -ho u fe o n the eaft fide w a s fin ifh ed and tak en
p o ffe flion o f d u r in g th e m onth.
T h e r e b e in g m a n y am o n g th e c o n v if t s w h o availed' thentfe lv e s o f
th is p e cu lia r fituation to com m it th e ft s , it b ecame n e ce fla ry to p u n ifh
w i th fe v e r ity all w h o w e r e fu l l y convhfted b efore the co u r t o f criminal-
ju r isd ic tio n . O n e c o n v ic t w a s e x e cu ted fo r b re a k in g in to a h o u fe ,.
and Se v e ra l others w e r e fentenced to fe v e re corp oral p u nilhm ents .
G a rd e n robberies w e r e th e p r in cip al offences com m itted . T h e fe p eop le
h ad , be en affembled b y th e g o v e rn o r , and in fo rm ed th a t v e r y fe v e re
p u n ilhm en t w o u ld fo llo w th e c o n v i f t io n - o f p e r fon s -guilty o f ro b b in g
ga rd en s, as a n e ce fla ry ftep tow a rd p r e v e n t in g th e co n tin u an ce o f fu ch
.an e v i l ; and h e ft r o n g ly inculca ted th e ab folu te n e ce ffity th a t e x ifted
fo r e v e r y man to cu ltiv ate hjs ow n garden; inftead o f ro b b in g th a t o f
an o th e r . T o th e few w h o , from n e v e r h a v in g been in d u ftr iou s , had '
n o t a n y g ro u n d fow n o r p lanted w i th v eg e ta ble s , h e allotted a Sm all
b u t fuffic ient fp o t fo r th e ir u fe , and encoura ged th em in th e ir la b o u r -
b y his p re fen ce and d ir e& io n s ; b u t th e y preferred a n y th in g to h one ft
in d u ftr y .