The Francis and the Norfolk brought round from the river a
quantity o f timber and plank for the veffel that was building at Sydney,
and for other purpofes.
February.] On the firft o f the month the propofed alteration in
the ration took place. It has been faid, that Colonel Paterfon
brought out with him a new arrangement o f the military ration.
This, as directed by his Majefty’s regulation, confifted of
Flour or bread,
Beef,
or
Pork, - '
Peafe,
Butter or Cheefe,
Rice, *
i t lb. 1
1 lb. j
II
rr t lb. J>per
t pint j
- i oz.
I oz. J
man per diem.
When the fmall fpecies cannot be iffued, i t lb. o f bread or flour,
and i t lb. o f beef, or 10 oz. o f pork, make a complete ration. The
quantity o f fait provifions at this time remaining in the ftore, not
admitting o f exempting the regiment from a reduction o f the ration,
they were informed that, until the ftore could afford to victual
them again agreeable to the regulation, they would receive the fame
ration as the civil department; but that no ftoppages from their
pay would on that account take place.
One of thefe people, a quiet well-difpofed young man, fell a victim
to an attachment which he had formed with an infamous
woman ; who, after plundering him o f every thing valuable that
he poffeffed, turned him out o f the houfe, to make room for another.
This treatment he could not live under; and, placing the
muzzle o f his gun beneath his chin, he drew the trigger with
his foot, and, the contents going through his neck, inftantly expired.
On the 13th, the Betfey whaler arrived from the weft coaft of
America with 350 barrels of oil. She was extremely leaky, and
much
F e b r u a r y . ] OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 285
much in want of repair. At the fame time came in the Hunter
bark from Calcutta, with a cargo on fpeculation; and on the
day following, a Spanilh brig which had been captured by the
whaler. . . .
Early in the morning of the 16th, the Fnendlhip tranlport arrived
from Ireland with convicts. She had been fifty days in her
paffage from the Cape of Good Hope, where fhe left his Majefty’s
(hip Buffalo taking on board cattle for the fettlement. The convicts
arrived in very good health, though the fhip had been fickly previous
to her reaching the Cape.
Many o f the prisoners received by this fhip and the Minerva
were not calculated to be of much advantage to the fettlement j and
but little addition was made by their arrival to the public ftrength.
Several o f them had been bred up in the habits o f genteel life, or to
profeflions in which they were unaecuftomed to hard labour. Such
muft become a dead weight upon the provifion ftore ; for, notwith-
ftanding the abhorrence which muft have been felt for the crimes
for which many of them were tranfported, yet it was impoflible
to diveft the mind o f the common feelings o f humanity, fo far as
to fend aphyfician, the once refpeaable fheriff o f a county, a Roman
Catholic prieft, or a Proteftant clergyman and family, to the grubbing
hoe, or the timber carriage. A thong the lower claffes were
many old men, unfit for any thing but to be hut-keepers, who were
to remain at home to prevent robbery, while the other inhabitants
of the hut were at labour.
Some clothing had been received by thefe fhips and the Walker,
but, unfortunately, not any bedding. The governor therefore pur-
chafed a thoufand bad rugs, which had been manufactured in fome
o f the Spanifh fettlements on the weft coaft of America, and were
in the prize which laft arrived. Thefe, with a complete fuit of the
clothing to each, were now iffued to the convids.
The fettlers o f feveral of the diftrids declining to come forward
to aflift with the fmall affeffmetH pf fixpence per bulhel on their
wheat,