The live flock and the ground in cultivation had been confider-
ably increafed in this year, as will be feen by comparing the following
account of each with the return of the preceding year.
LIVE STOCK.
Horned Cattle. Sheep. Goats.
Horfes. Mares.
Bulls &
Oxen. Cows.
Hogs.
Male. Female. Male. Female.
44 73. . 163 2SS 2867 HS9 2443 787 1880
LAND IN CULTIVATION.
Acres in Wheat. Acres in Maize. Acres in Barley.
4®S9 - '453 5 7 1.
It will appear from this account, which is brought down to the
month of Auguft, and taken up from that month in the preceding
year, that the goats had not increafed fo much as the fheep. Many
had o f courfe been llaughtered; but they were found to be afflicted
with difeafes which carried them off in numbers, while the fheep
were feen to thrive better.
C H A P . X IV .
C E R T IF IC A T E S G R AN T ED TO CONV ICTS.— REASONS FOR SO DOING.— UNR
U L Y BEHAVIOUR OF TH E IR ISH .— A G R IC U L TU R A L CONCERNS LOOK
I L L .— TH E NORFOLK SLOOP R E T U RN S FROM VAN DIEMEN’ S LAN D .----
P A R T IC U L A R S .— TWOFOLD B A YD E SC R IB ED .— N A T IV E S T H E R E .— K EN T ’ S
GROUP.--- FU .RNEAU X’ s is L A N D S .----P R E S E R V A T IO N IS L A N D . — CURIOUS
P ET R EFA CTION T H E R E .— CAPE B A R R EN IS LAN D .— THE WOM-BAT DESCRIB
ED.
January 1799.] O n the fecond o f this month, certificates were
granted to fuch convicts as had completed their feveral terms o f
tranfportation.
That none might have it in their power to make a plea o f any
injuftice, being exercifed upon them with refpeCt to that critical
point their fervitude, it had been made a rule, three or four
times in the year, to ifiue difcharge certificates to fuch as were
found, on confulting the proper documents, to be entitled to them ;
and, i f defirous o f being at their own difpofal, to ftrike them off
from the victualling books. Many conviCts having been fent out,
who. had not more than two years to ferve after their arrival,
proved, by claiming their difcharge, a confiderable drawback on field-
labour, as well in Norfolk-Ifland as in New South Wales. But
this was not the only evil. In this way there were let loofe upon
the public a number o f idle and worthlefs characters, who, not
having any means of getting out of the country, became a dangerous
and troublefome peft. They refufed all kind of labour, but
continued to form connections with the equally woithlefs part
o f the other inhabitants, who, from their domeftic fituations,
had an opportunity o f affording the beft information whererob