T o e v e r y p r iv a te man , e ig h ty acres o f land i f fin g le , one h und red i f
married ; and ten acres o f land fo r ea ch ch ild at the time o f g ra n tin g
th e a l lo tm e n t ; free o f all fe e s , ta x e s , qu it-ren ts , and o th e r a c k n ow led
gm en ts , fo r the te rm o f fiv e y ea rs ; a t th e e xp ira tion o f w h ic h term
to be liable to an annual q u it-ren t o f one {hillin g fo r e v e r y f ifty acres. « :
A s a fu r th e r en cou ra g em ent, a b o u n ty w a s offered o f three pounds
p e r man to e v e r y n on-comm iflion ed o ffice r and p r iv a te man w h o w o u ld
en lift in the n ew c o r p s ^ t o fo rm a com p a n y to be officered from the
marines,) and an allotment o f double th e ab ov e p ro p o r tio n o f lan d i f
th e y b eh a ved w e ll fo r fiv e y ea r s , to be g ranted th em at th e e xp ira tion
o f that t im e ; th e faid allotments n o t to be fubjed l to a n y fee o r ta x fo r
ten y e a r s , and then to be liable to an annual q u it-ren t o f one fh illin g
fo r e v e r y fif t y acres.
A n d u p on th e ir d ifcha rge at e ither o f th e ab ov e p eriods th e y w e r e
to be fup plied w i th c lo th in g and one y e a r ’ s p ro v ifio n s , w i th feed g ra in ,
to o ls , and implements o f ag riculture . T h e fe rv ic e o f a certain n um b e r
o f convidts w a s to b e affigned to them fo r th e ir la bou r w h e n th e y could
m ak e it appear th a t th e y cou ld m ain tain , fe ed , and clo th e them. In
th e fe inftrudtions n o m en tio n w a s made o f g ra n tin g lands to o ffic e r s ;
and to o th e r perfons w h o m ig h t em igra te and be defirous o f fe ttlin g in
th is c o u n t ry , no g rea ter p rop o rtion o f land w a s to be allotted th an w h a t
w a s to be g ranted to a n on-comm iffion ed officer o f th e marines.
G o v e rnm e n t , b e tw e en e v e ry allotment, re fe r r ed to it fe lf a fpace
equa l to th e la rg e ft g ran t, on either fide, w h ic h , as c row n la n d , was
n o t to be g ran ted , but leafed o n ly to in d iv id u als fo r the term o f fo u r te
en yea rs .
P ro v ifio n w a s made fo r th e ch u r ch , b y a llo ttin g in each tow n ffiip
w h ic h fh ould be marked ou t fo u r h und red acres fo r th e maintenance
o f a m in if te r ; and h a l f o f th a t n um be r was to be allotted fo r the mainten
an ce o f a fch o o l m aile r.
I f the allotments fh o u ld happen to be made on th e banks o f a n y nav
ig a b le r iv e r o r c re e k , care was to be tak en that th e breadth o f each
tr a c k d id n o t e x ten d alon g the banks th e r e o f m ore than on e-third o f the
len g th o f fu c h tra ck , in order that no fettler fh ould engro fs more than
h is p ro p o r tio n o f th e benefit w h ic h w o u ld ac crue from fuch a fituation.
A n d it w a s alfo d ire fte d , that th e g o o d and th e bad land fh ould be as
e q u a lly d iv id ed as cireum flan ce s w o u ld a llow .
N o
N o n ew regu lation s w e r e d ir e d e d to take place in r e fp e d o f g ra n tin g
land s to c o n v id s emanc ipated o r d ifc h a rg e d ; th e original, in f t r u d io n s ,
un d e r w h ic h each male c o n v id i f fingle was to h a v e th ir ty , i f married
f i f t y , and ten acres fo r e v e r y child he m ig h t h a v e at the time o f fe tt lin g ,
rem ain ed in force.
T h e particular cond itions required b y th e c row n from a fettler w e r e ,
th e re fid in g u p on the g ro u n d , p roc e ed in g to th e im p ro v em en t and cu ltiv
a tion o f his allotment, and re fe rv in g fuch o f th e tim b e r th e re o f as
m ig h t be fit fo r nav al p urpofes fo r th e ufe o f his M a je fty .
T h e p eriod fix e d b y g o v e rnm en t fo r v id u a l l in g a fettler' from the
p u b lic ftores, tw e lv e months; w a s in g enera l lo o k ed u p on as too fh o r t,
and it w a s th o u g h t no t p ra d ic a b le fo r a n y one at th e end o f that p e r io d
to maintain h im fe lf, unlefs' d u r in g th a t time h e fh ould h a v e v e r y g re a t
affiflance g iv e n h im , and be fo rtuna te in his crops.
A b o u t th e la tter end o f th is m on th a fpermaceti w h a le w a s feen in
th e harb ou r , and fem e boats from th e tranfports w e n t after it w i th
h a rp o on s ; but, from th e ign o ran ce o f th e p eop le in th e ufe o f them,
the fifh efcaped u n h urt. In a few day s afterw ard s w o rd w a s re c e iv ed
th a t a p u n t b e lo n g in g to L ie u ten an t Pould en h ad be en p ur fu ed b y a
w h a le and o ve r fe t, b y w h ic h ac cid ent y o u n g M r . F e rg u fo n (a m id fh ip -
m an o f the Sirius) and tw o foldiers w e r e u n fo r tu n a te ly d row n ed . T h e
fold iers , w i th another o f th e ir com pan ion s, w h o fa v ed h is life b y fw im -
m in g , had been d ow n th e harb ou r fifh in g , and, c a llin g at th e L o o k -o u t ,
to o k in M r . F e rg u fo n , w h o had fat u p all th e p re c ed in g n ig h t to w r ite
to his fa th e r , (C aptain James F e rg u fo n , lie u ten an t-g o v e rn o r o f G r e e n w
i c h ho fpital,) and w a s n ow b r in g in g his letters to S y d n e y fo r th e
p urpo fe o f fen d in g th em b y th e Juftinian.
M r . F e rgu fo n w a s a fle a d y w e ll-d ifp o fed y o u n g man , and the fe rv ic e ,
in all p ro b ab ility , b y this e x tra o rd in a ry ac cid ent, lo ft a g o od officer.
T h e Sc arb orou gh w a s cleared th is m on th , an d , b e in g d ifcha rg ed
from g o v e rnm en t em p lo y , the m a ile r w a s le ft a t lib e r ty to p roceed to
C a n to n , w h e re h e w a s to load h om e w i th teas.
M u c h ir re g u la r ity w a s committed b y th e feamen o f th e tranfports,
w h o fo u n d means to g e t on fhore at n ig h t, n o tw ith fta n d in g the p or t
orders ; and one, a fallo r from the N ep tu n e , w a s p u nifh ed w ith tw e n ty -
f iv e lafhes fo r b e in g fo u n d on fhore w ith o u t a n y p ermiffion a t e le v en
o ’ c lo ck at n igh t. ,
s T h e