was engaged in fuch a war as then fubfifted, (he would not fpare
from the fervice o f the ftate. any other than the moft worthlefs
charadters, who, inftead o f affifting in the public defence againft the .
common enemy, were employed in perpetrating private injuries.
The weaknefs o f the public gangs, however, was fuch, that this
allotment of villany was confidered as an acquifition to the general
ftrength, and it was hoped that they might be employed to advantage.
The Barwell, touching at the Cape of Good Hope, brought an
.account of the lofs o f the Lady Shore tranfport in her paflage to
this fettlement, having on board about 60 convidts, three only of
•whom were males, and a large afibrtment o f all, kinds o f (lores which
had been fo long and fo much wanted. There was alfo a complete
company o f recruits for the New South Wales Corps on board, to
whom was owing the lofs o f the (hip ; for, after murdering the
commander, Mr. Wilcox, and his firft mate, they took pofieffion
o f the (hip, and carried her into Rio de la Plata, where (he was delivered
up to the Spaniards. This fhip, befides the public (lores,
had a great deal of private property on board, and was a ferious lofs
to the colony.
It will be feen, by referring to the former account o f this fettlement,
that an accident happened to his Majefty’s (hip the Guardian,
whereby much public and private property was prevented
from reaching the fettlement. This made only the fecond misfortune
that had happened to (hips coming from England in the courje
o f 1 1 years ; and, when it is confidered, that the major part o f them
were filled with people who would have run any hazard rather than
reach the place o f their deftination, it may be matter of furprife and
fatisfadtion that fo few had occurred.
In the Barwell arrived another judge-advocate*, in the room
o f Captain Collins, who had refigned that fituation. It was alfo
fignified, that two (hips, the Buffalo and the Porpoife, were fitting
* Mr. Richard Dore,
for
1 1 i
for the fervice o f the colony in the room o f the Reliance and the
Supply;
; Ihftruftions had alfo been received from his Majefty’s ■ minifters
by the governor, upon fome points on which he had requefted orders,
particularly relative to the number o f labouring people who
had for-fuch a length o f time been allowed, to the- civil and military
officers at the public expence. B y thefe- inftrudtions, the number
was trow limited to two -; andfuch others as they might be difpofed
to employ were to be maintained and clothed by their employers;
or, i f fed and clothed at the public expence, to be paid for to government
at'a certain rate, which payment might be made in the'
produce of the farms that' they were employed to cultivate.
Thediftance at which the fettlement was placed from the mother
country was fuch, that"the victories of one year were fucceeded by
thofe of another before the fame o f them reached the colony. B y
this (hip accoun ts'were firft recei ved o f the complete vidtory gained ,
by the fuperior abilities of Earl St. Vincent over the Spanifh fleet,.
and of the brilliant conqueft o f the Dutch fleet obtained by Lord
Duncan;
Among the convidts who were received by the Barwell were
fbme ufeful mechanics-; a real acquifition, as the governor would
thereby be enabled to difcharge fome free people, whom he had
been obliged to hire for various neceflary and* unavoidable pur- -
pofes.
On the 2,9th, the Reliance and Francis fchooner failed for Nor- -
folk-Ifiand, carrying with them fuch a proportion of the (lores received
by the Barwell as could be fpared. On board of the Reliance
were fent 100 calks o f fait provifions, and r20o bu(hels o f
wheat, an article to which the foil and temperature of the illand was ■
not favourable.
As the governor had received feveral petitions and complaintss
from the fettlers there, he caufed the following order to be printed 1
and fent thither for their information :
. V ol. 11. “ From 1