[This text has been broken into two parts, this is the first, 1788-1793. This text is OCR and not corrected so contains errors and glitches. ] HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. Bn i Vol i- COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA, HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA SERIES I. GOVERNORS' DESPATCHES TO AND FROM ENGLAND. VOLUME I. 1788-1796 j. lublioluii bt] : THE LIBRARY COMMITTEE OF mi COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENT. SYDNEY : WILLIAM APPLEGATE GULLICK, GOVERNMENT PRINTER. 1914. facific islands LOCKED PREFACE, The history of Australia has yet to be written. When the story is unfolded clothed with all the innate vitality and secret force of the life and times of the various epochs ; when the actors are brought vividly before one, unvarnished with the sycophancy or the petty malice of the moment ; when the events are thrown force- fully on the stage, depicting the life history of a continent's civilisation stripped of all trivialities and irrelevancies ; then will a drama be unfolded to fascinate a whole world of readers, a drama of peaceful evolution from a small community of a little over one thousand souls, dominated by autocratic power, to a nation of the people, in embryo, forcefully combating all the mighty problems that have been created by the civilisation of the nineteenth century. By the facts and examples of their lives, the actors in this drama will be found to elaborate and substantiate for the benefit of all, who wish to learn, the vital necessity of acquiring in due proportion the main factors, which lead to brilliancy and success in life. These are the possession of adequate intellect and education, the development of constructive and analytical powers, the maintenance of sufficient ballast and stamina in the unceasing battle whether in adversity or in success, together with the inherent power to seize and grasp opportunity when it arrives. To the combination of these factors in varying proportions, it is possible to trace the successes and failures of the men of the past. In a way also, the examples drawn from the lives of these men will be unique amongst the histories of the world. In Australia, there has never been the actual stimulus of the clash of armed forces, of the possibility of great, perhaps world-wide, renown, of the association and competition of kindred spirits, and of other external incentives to action, which are prevalent in the world's centres of population. Deeds of heroism, evolutionary changes, '285^ vi PBEFACE. new procedures and mental processes have been initiated, and enacted in all walks of life from the subconscious element of the human brain with little external provocation. In order to appreciate this with its fullest import, it is quite unnecessary to wander in the by-paths of history. A studied observance of the life and times of each epoch is all that is requisite to unfold the story and to revel in the true romance of life. An accurate knowledge of the history of one's own country can in no way be relegated to the province of the book- worm or the litterateur; a delving in the past is by no means a hobby or a pastime of little practical use. Properly undertaken, it should be the mainstay of secondary education, the backbone of those studies to which the youth of the country may trust for support and guidance in the daily routine and work of life. How often the wish is expressed by men of fifty years of age to re-live the foregoing twenty years of their lives, retaining at the same time the experience they have gained during that period ! This qualified desire is only the tacit admission that they have found the value of the teaching obtained in the great university of life, and that the preceptors of their youth had failed in equipping them with the armament of experience to be acquired from the triumphs and failures of their predecessors in similar walks of life. From an accurate knowledge and an intimate study of the causes and effects of any previous series of events, associated with an intuitive perception of the probable conduct in the case of the student himself in similar circumstances, a mental and moral training would be acquired at an earlier age than otherwise, which would enable one to combat the problems of life with a feeling of greater security and greater confidence. The study of the life and times of the past in one's own country is certainly the royal road to the acquisition of such means of defence and offence in the battle of life. The study of similar data in other countries is of vast importance, but mainly as correcting or as adding to the first conclusions drawn from the story of one's own country; for in other lands, conditions alter, reactions differ, in accordance mainly with the temperament of the nation, the conditions of government and the climate of the country. PREFACE. vii Although this study is surely a subject of vast import in the life of a nation, yet does the story of Australia present almost a virgin field for research. Civilisation in Australia is not too young to have lacked the time in which to have created a whole host of precedents for successes and failures in all branches of human activity. Even in the nation's youth, there has been opportunity for public discussions, political procedures and economic changes to be repeated in recurring cycles. Varying only in minor details, similar arguments, similar opposition, similar mistakes and similar results have been repeated again and again, until in some cases a series of papers with names and dates expunged might be read by a student, and it would be almost impossible for him to allocate them to the proper epoch to which they refer, so inevitable is the recurrence of the subject-matter in human energy. Not only in matters of great moment but also in those of minor importance are similar recurrences apparent in history; until it almost appears that the dominant motive in the master minds of each epoch has been identical. Pages might be written of the historical parallels in Australia (including both mistakes and successes) of such problems as advances to settlers, fixation of wages and of hours of labour, hospital accommoda- tion, banking, women's suffrage, increased cost of living and others innumerable, these few being noted not as representative of the whole, but purely as chance selections from subjects inclusive of the whole range of human activity. Books have been written and stories have been told, purporting to treat of epochs or of the whole of Australian history ; but it is impossible to exalt one into the unique position of a truthful and unbiassed exposition of facts, nor has anyone more than attempted to touch on a critical analysis of the life and times. For more than one hundred years, the early story of Australia has been spoken of with bated breath, as though the details of it could not be tolerated in the limelight of public criticism. In the words of Captain Collins, published in 1798, " an odium was, from the first, illiberally thrown upon the settlement ; and the word ' Botany Bay' became a term of reproach that was indiscriminately cast on every one who resided in New South Wales. But let the reproach light Otl those who have used it as SUCh. " A feeling somewhat akin to this has influenced authors for more than a century, and viii PREFACE. facts, which in themselves form only a meagre portion of the life story, have been magnified until they are regarded as a huge skeleton in the nation's cupboard. From the earliest printed chronicles, those of Tench, Phillip; , White, Hunter and Collins (in order of historical priority) , down to those of modern times, including those of intermediate date, such as the histories of Wentworth, Lang, Flanagan, and Bennett, not one can be accepted as a final authority. Each and every one exhibits errors, not only in points of judgment and criticism, but in points of fact ; and these seem almost inconceivable when viewed in the light of modern research. Errors have occurred also in many official tables, as for example, the table of succession of the Governors in New South Wales, which is inaccurate in respect to some dates and some ranks of the administrators. The corruptions which occur in the printed histories may be traced to various causes. Pre-eminent amongst these in the histories of intermediate and more recent date is the acceptance of a statement by a single early author without comparison of the statements of his contemporaries on the same subject. In this way a superstructure of history has been built on an insecure foundation and the reliability of the subsequent conclusions naturally falls short of what is necessary. Of the first five chronicles, two, the Voyage of Governor Phillip and the Historical Journal of Hunter, were semi-official in character, and the compiler had access to the despatches and journals which had been transmitted from the settlement ; but unfortunately both of these are unreliable in many respects, and especially the first edition of Phillip's Voyage. The first account published was Tench's Narrative, which appeared in April, 1789, and was followed by Phillip's Voyage (first edition) on 1st May following. The material for both these volumes had been received per the store-ship Borroii'dale in the previous March, so the publications were of necessity hurried. White's Journal, Hunter's Journal, and Collins' Account first appeared in the years 1790, 1793, and 1798 respectively. These five volumes, and the subse- quent editions of them, collectively give a good general account of the transactions during the early years of the settlement ; but when PREFACE. ix the student desires finality on minor points many difficulties are encountered, and when he searches for the underlying motive of many official acts he finds a barren field. With regard to the minor points confusion occurs from many causes. Statements of fact are made which are clearly impossible, * returns of convicts or of settlersf are made some of which are manifestly incorrect, nautical and legal times are quoted in the same volume without commentary, :*: and proper names are mis- printed or misquoted indiscriminately. § In the search for the motives underlying the official life, the student finds little or no information. Surgeon White gives no medical data, Captain-Lieutenant Tench, in his Complete Account, omits to give the story of the troubles with the marines and of his arrest by orders of Major Ross, and Captain Collins passes by virtually unnoticed the quarrels in which Major Ross was involved, the abolition of the civil power by Major Grose, the gradual intrusion of the military into the general life of the settlement, and the legal difficulties with which he himself had to contend. No record is given of these and many other problems ; and it almost appears that the facts, of which each individual author was most cognizant, were deliberately suppressed either from official or personal reticence. In consequence if an historian had to draw his material from these works alone, the clue required for the solution of such problems as the liquor traffic or the Bligh insurrection, would remain unknown. Subsequent authors have built on these volumes, and have added mistakes of their own. A few of these may be noted. Lang and Wentworth have presented a partisan view of most problems, and in addition Lang makes such errors as neglecting * White's Journal, p. 122, under date 29th January, 1788: " In the course of the last week .... all the convicts .... were landed. *' Hunter's Journal, p. 293, the account of the assembling of two criminal courts, and the issue of a precept by the Judge-Advocate, arc recorded in the Statements of Lieutenant King, who, being in Norfolk Island at the time, was unaware of the facts at that date. t See commentary, note 3: Norfolk Island settlers, White's Journal, p. [27; Phillip's / 'oyage, p. 70. \See Phillip's Voyage, pages 51-53, 58. §See Tench's Narrative, p. 1 15 ; White's Journal, page- [29, 17-'. r84i 299; Phillip's Voyage, p. viii; Collin-' Account, p. i". x PREFACE. to distinguish between currency and sterling in quoting sum- of money. Flanagan in his history records speeches of Captain Cook and Phillip which arc clearly fictitious. Heaton's Dictionary of Dates is compiled from insufficient material, and in many cases reliance is placed on irresponsible newspaper references. These examples are quoted merely to illustrate the dangers and pitfalls which await the unwary student. In consequence of these faults the exact student of Australian history has no work of reference on which he can place implicit reliance. History in its truest form can be founded only on a careful and studied examination of the actual records themselves. Fortunately for the history of the continent of Australia, the major portion of the official records are still extant, and the actual state papers giving the documentary life and actions of each and every epoch may be examined and digested. With proper and careful grouping, these papers have not yet become too voluminous to make the task prohibitive to the modern man, involved in a busy and strenuous career, of making a careful study of such as relate to any subject in which he is immediately interested. One reservation, however, must be thoroughly appreciated by the student in his examination, namely, that the official papers are only the outward and visible expression of the inward and secret feeling of the public men of the times, the things which were really vital and essential being sometimes almost lost in matters irrelevant thereto, the passing necessities of the moment. The Library Committee of the Commonwealth Parliament has undertaken the collection and the publication of copies of all the Australian official papers, which can be obtained. It has been decided to commence the issue of the records with the papers, dated in 1788, the year of the foundation of the settlement at Port Jackson ; and therefore many of the papers, which have been already published by the Government of New South Wales, will be republished. This course has been rendered necessary owing to many grave errors which have been found to occur in the seven volumes of the Historical Records of New South Wales already issued. These errors may be traced to certain definite causes. One of these wras the method adopted for the collection and compilation of PEE FACE. xi the papers. The major proportion of the documents were printed from copies made in England; and those volumes which have been issued are the product of the selection of one man and of the editing of a second, but before the editor received them they had passed the ordeal of the censorship, and consequent deletion of portions, by a third. No matter how diligent, brilliant or careful, any one of the trio might be, the collective labour of three brains working under such conditions, and one, the censor's, most certainly not working with the same large objective in view, must sooner or later fall far short of the accuracy, completeness and precision, which are required in history. This has occurred and serious omissions of important papers have been made. The omissions were due to four causes : — ( i ) The action of the censor, which was unavoidable ; (2) The neglect to make a proper search prior to publication for the documents that were extant. It is stated in a preface re-printed in each of the seven volumes that all the original papers, which could be found in New South Wales of a date prior to the year 1800, consisted of ten papers and one volume, whereas reasonable inquiry would have disclosed the existence of many hundreds ; (3) Editorial omissions, that is to say, the omission of known papers as unimportant. It is only by the careful examination and assimilation of all statements, however divergent in substance, with reference to any one period that the fundamental basis of truth may be conceived in its true proportions. No matter how omniscient an editor may be, it is impossible to foretell the conse- quences of and to give the correct value to any human act, and some minor act of human energy may often be the prelude to a series of consequences little dreamt of at the time of the initial action. Such omissions have led also to the distortion of the perspective of a period, when the population was small and scattered, in cases where a romantic character lias been glorified by the inclusion of all references to him, and in the same period the papers with reference to another, whose life story did not possess the same fascination, have been excluded ; X11 PREFACE . (4) The fourth cause of omission is one which must occur in most collections of records. This is unavoidable in nature, for documents, of which the existence lias been unknown, or of which the destruction has been con- sidered certain, will from time to time be found hidden in the most unlikely places. Fortunately, however, for Australian history, this factor of error can with care be reduced to almost vanishing point. The papers, omitted from volumes Ib to VIl and belonging to the period 1788-18] 1, would alone till about six large volumes. * Apart from the faults due to omissions, there are numerous errors due to distortions and mutilations. I )istortion has been caused by the change of the original text to suit the convenience of the compositor or to make the text more in accordance with the modern usages of grammar, by the making or the saving of a paragraph. In the early despatches, this was a matter of no importance, but after the administration of Governor Hunter, it became customary to refer to a particular paragraph by number. The result is that the student, all unaware of the procedure that has been adopted, is unable to follow the references in such cases where paragraphs have been made or saved, for a despatch, which in the original contained, for example, sixteen paragraphs, might in the published text contain twelve or nineteen if it was an extreme case. f Mutilation has occurred both in the despatches and enclosures. In the despatches, there has been minor mutilation J in the publi- cation of a small portion of a despatch, or major mutilation in the conversion of a single despatch into two separate despatches of *In this volume, the first of the Historical Records of Australia, the omissions incorporated fill one page in every six and a quarter on the average; and the Governors' despatches, dated from 1788 to 1796, are the most complete of all sections previously published. f Examples of this distortion may be noted from Historical Records of New South Wales, volume IV: Four paragraphs made into one, page 424; three into one, pages 244 and 617; two into one, pages 226, 315, 316, 425 and 828 ; or the converse, three paragraphs made out of one, pages 133 and 716; two out of one, pages 422, 726, 826 and 827. %Scc the first despatch, dated July 14th, 1790, Historical Records of New South Wales, volume Ib. PREFACE . xiii different dates. * The datesf and the names of the authors and recipients^ of the despatches have been corrupted also. In the case of the enclosures mutilation§ has occurred in various ways, which are best explained by the examination of a few examples given in the footnote. In consequence of these various faults, papers, which were destined to be the final authority of the historical student, lay themselves open in their very appearance and form to grave doubts and stringent criticism which are banal factors in all accurate research. The Library Committee has decided further to issue the records in seven distinct groups or series, maintaining a strict chronological order in each series or its sub-section. By the adoption of this method, the papers, which were originated in any sphere of activity or which refer to the growth of settlement in any one of the States which now form the Commonwealth of Australia, will fall naturally together. This grouping will make the papers more readily available to the student. The different series are : — Series I. — The despatches of the Governors to and from England. Series II. — Papers belonging to the general administration in sub-sections. * The despatch (sic) with its enclosures, which appears on pages 234-238, volume IV, is actually the postscript to the despatch on pages 177-186, and the four numbered enclosures collectively form enclosure, number 12, of the same despatch. t30th vice 31st June, page 40, volume II; 5th vice 30th April, page 302, volume II; 2nd vice 22nd April, page 315, volume IV. % Under Secretary Nepean vice the Right Hon. W. W. Grenville, page 346, volume Ib ; the misnaming of Captain Paterson, pages 285, 292, 299, 306, 31 1, 312, volume II; under secretary vice secretary Nepean, page 90, volume III; Governor Hunter and Lieutenant-Governor King vice the Governor of New South Wales, pages 57 and 148, volume IV. § The memorandum, on pages 19-22, volume III, placed amongst the 1796 papers, was actually written in 1798, and was forwarded as an enclosure to the despatch of Governor Hunter, dated 25th July, 1798; eleven numbered enclosures made out of five, pages 139-148, volume IV; the return of lands granted, pages 540-541, volume In; enclosures, noted nol available on pages 237 and 306, volume II, and printed on pages 2l8 ami j<)>> in the same volume. xi\ PREFACE. Series III. — Papers which refer to settlements in the different States. Series [V. — Legal papers. Series V. — Exploration papers. Series VI. — Scientific papers. Series VII. — Ecclesiastical, naval, and military papers. The first series containing the despatches of the Governors will form the papers from which the backbone of history will be made. Until the introduction of responsible governments, the Governors being in charge of Crown colonies transmitted full and detailed reports on all matters of major or minor importance to the authorities in England. The early Governors all forwarded general despatches giving detailed reports on many subjects, but about the end of the first quarter of the nineteenth century the practice was adopted of confining each despatch to a separate subject. Duplicates and triplicates of all public despatches were forwarded, and these wrere made in long-hand either by the Governor himself, by his secretary, or by a convict clerk. In the writing of these, many minor variations occurred in the text and even in the dates, and where these are of importance attention will be drawn to them. Many of the despatches wrere accompanied by enclosures. Prior to the administration of Governor King, a register of these enclosures was not kept ; and when they were received, some of the enclosures were not filed with the despatches, and it is now impossible to tell in some cases which were the enclosures, for instance, Lord Grenville's despatch, dated 19th February, 1791, was accompanied by twenty-two enclosures, of which only seven can be defined. I have to acknowledge my great indebtedness to Professor G. Arnold Wood for reading my proofs and for many valuable suggestions made thereon, which have been incorporated. A series of notes is added at the conclusion of the text in each volume. May, 1914. FREDK. WATSON. INTRODUCTION. INTRODUCTION. Governor Phillip. The foundation of the settlement on the eastern coast of Australia was entrusted to Captain Arthur Phillip, and his methods and the results of his work indicate that a more fortunate selection could not have been made. By his infinite tact, by his extraordinary foresight, and by his devotion to high ideals, he succeeded in establishing the infant colony on a secure foundation during the five years of his government. He was selected to take charge of the proposed settlement at Botany Bay by Lord Sydney, Secretary of State for the Home Department. This selection did not escape criticism, for Lord Howe, the First Lord of the Admiralty, stated in a letter to Lord Sydney, dated 3rd September, 17s*). " I cannot say the little knowledge I have of Captain Philips would have led me to select him for a service of this complicated nature, " and practically dissociated himself from all responsibility in the appointment. The reasons, which influenced Lord Sydney in his choice, are not evident. Pie appears to have possessed the rare faculty of perceiving intuitively the latent powers in the men with whom he came in contact, and to have recognised in Captain Arthur Phillip a man of action, and a born administrator, pos ing the iron will and determination to earn- all his decisions to their logical conclusion. Arthur Phillip was born in London on the [Ithof < )ctober, [738, and was forty-eight years of age at the date of his appointment. Plis father, Jacob Phillip, was a native of Frankfort in Germany, who had settled ill England and had married the widow of a Captain Herbert. Phillip's school days were passed at Greenwich; and at the age of sixteen, he entered the navy, serving first under Captain Michael Everet. He was present at the captur< Havannah, and on the 7th of June. [761, was appointed a lieutenant in the Stirling ('astir 1>> Sir George Pococke. At the conclusion of the Seven Years War, when In- was retired ^n half pay, he settled at Lyndhurst in the New Forest, occupying Bra, 1. Vol. i—b xviii INTBODUCTION. himself in farming and in the usual duties of a country gentleman. But such pursuits were ill favoured by the man of action; and when hostilities commenced between Spain and Portugal, Phillip sought and obtained permission to offer his services to the latter country. His offer was at once accepted, and he fought for Portugal until the outbreak of war between England and France in i//8 called for his return to the service of his own King. His promotion then became rapid; on the 2nd of September, 1779, he was made master and commander of the fire-ship, Basilisk ; on the 13th of November, 1781, he became post-captain in the frigate Ariadne, and on the 23rd of December following he was appointed to the Europe of sixty-four guns. In January, 1783, he was despatched with a reinforcement to the East Indies, and had returned a short time before the preparations for the proposed settlement at Botany Bay were commenced. Prior to his appointment, Captain Phillip had proved himself to be an active and zealous officer, possessed of " habitual prudence " and a sound knowledge of men and their management. His experience on the quarter-deck had not converted him into an autocrat as similar experiences had so often in that era converted men possessing intellects of a lower plane. When endowed with the almost absolute powers which he held in the settlement, his actions, even when under gross provocation, were always tempered with tact and forbearance towards his subordinates. The magnitude of the undertaking entrusted to Captain Phillip was stupendous. He was charged with the transportation of over one thousand persons to a land that was little known, and with their settlement on a coast separated from the nearest civilisation by a voyage of nearly three months through almost uncharted seas. If anything was overlooked in the preliminary arrangements, he knew that at least six or seven months must elapse before the neglect could be remedied by a visit to a foreign port, or eighteen months if communication was made with England ; and even these periods were entirely dependent on the proviso that no accident should arise from the dangers of virtually unknown navigation. One cannot sufficiently admire the industrious and exact fore- thought which, combined w7ith importunity insistent though polite, enabled Phillip in spite of official negligence and stupidity to achieve the foundation of the colony. INTEODUCTION. xix The first commission for the appointment of Governor Phillip was dated the 12th of October, 1786. From that date until early in May, 1787, he was actively employed in arranging the manifold details in connection with the projected colony. At the various conferences held at the Home Department, the broad general plan was conveyed to Phillip ; but the consideration of many of the details appears to have originated entirely from himself. By his foresight in noting and requiring instructions on the various problems which might arise in his administration, proof is clearly given that Phillip, the naval post-captain, was a man in a thousand of his contemporaries. Every point was minutely considered and a solution suggested. The statement, in a memorandum sent by Phillip to the Home Department that " I would not wish convicts to lay the foundations of an Empire, " is indicative of his appre- ciation of the future possibilities of the settlement. In this memorandum, he showed that he possessed advanced ideas ; for he considered that the criminal code of the day was too drastic in the infliction of the death penalty, and that this punishment should "be reserved for two crimes— murder and sodomy. His idea that the death sentence should be fulfilled by delivering the criminal to the mercies of cannibals does not possess the same inhuman tearing which would be felt at the present time, for it must be remembered that a captain of the period was accustomed to the floggings common in the navy and that the cruelties practised in the hulks and the debtors' prisons of the day were well known. One more striking sentence from the same memorandum must be quoted to exemplify Phillip's large and humanitarian ideas — " there can be no slavery in a free land, and consequently no slaves. " Apart from the consideration of such problems as live-stock, agriculture, horticulture, the encouragement of marriage, the treatment of the natives, and port orders, Phillip's faculty for detail may be illustrated by his request for razors and for tin lamps as presents to the natives for " when they use a light they hold it in their hands. " When the preparations for the settlement were concluded, Phillip set sail in H. M. S. Sirius on the [3th of May, 17S7. as Commodore of the eleven vessels constituting the first fleet. During the eight months which were occupied in the voyage, xx INTRODUCTION. Phillip spent many hours in planning and arranging for his future administration. Anxious discussions were held with his lieutenant- governor, Major Ross, and the judge-advocate, Captain Collins. Notwithstanding all his foresight, shortly after sailing Phillip had found that such important items as the convict indent papers, women's clothing, and some of the ordnance stores, had been left behind in England. After leaving the Cape of Good Hope, Governor Phillip tran- shipped to the armed tender Supply, on the 25th of November, 1787, with the intention of arriving at Botany Bay at an early date by outsailing the rest of the fleet and of making preparations for the reception of his charges. This design was frustrated, for the Supply anchored a few hours only before the remainder of the squadron. The first act of moment performed by Governor Phillip was his choice of the site for the principal settlement. He spent two days in the examination of Botany Bay and quickly recognised the disadvantages of its foreshores ; three days were then occupied in the exploration of Port Jackson. The promptitude with which he selected the site at Sydney Cove is illustrative of his faculty for rapid decision. The selection was determined by the fact that the cove possessed " the best spring of water, " but Phillip realised also that ships could " anchor so close to the shore that at a very small expense quays may be made at which the largest ships may unload. " Even with the more exact knowledge of later days, a more suitable site could not have been chosen in the two harbours of Botany Bay and Port Jackson. With the landing of the convicts at Sydney Cove, Phillip's difficulties at once commenced. Soon after his arrival, Governor Phillip found that he could not rely on the assistance of Lieu- tenant-Governor Ross or the military, and that he had to contend with Ross's covert antagonism. The first evidence of this was given when the officers stubbornly refused to " interfere with the convicts " by encouraging or reprimanding those at work, and Phillip found that " the little plan I had formed in the passage for the government of these people " was destined to be thwarted. Phillip was unprovided with the assistance of any superintendents of convicts — the marines were regarded as guards — and so when INTEODUCTION. xxi the officers refused to assist, Phillip was compelled to employ the well-behaved convicts as superintendents. Discontent was soon shown by the officers because they were compelled to sit as members of the criminal court. In this action, they were openly supported and possibly instigated by Major Ross. Major Ross also embarrassed the administration by placing five out of the eighteen officers of marines under arrest at one time. He further in the most petty and almost mutinous manner objected to the appointment of the night watch, made most malignant charges against Phillip personally, and at a later date objected to inter- ference with his control of convicts, a duty which he had previ- ously declined to accept. The whole career of Major Ross at Port Jackson appears to have been a premeditated attempt to sub- vert the authority of Governor Phillip and to overthrow the civil government. On the 7th of March, 1790, Governor Phillip sent Major Ross to take the command of Norfolk Island, and it is probable that by this appointment an open breach between the civil and military powers was averted. Throughout these first two years, Phillip displayed the most remarkable tact and discretion in his treatment of the military ; and when Ross time after time attempted to checkmate Phillip's decisions, he forcefully but quietly maintained his authority and dignity. Phillip's magna- nimity and his diffidence in reporting unfavourably on the conduct of a subordinate is well shown by the postscript (see page 151) of a letter to Under Secretary Nepean, when he stated : " After read- ing this letter which I have written with haste and with a desire of explaining how little reason there has been for complaint I think it appears so like a letter to justify my own conduct that I wish you to lay only the enclosed letters before Ld. Sydney. '' The labours of Governor Phillip may be divided into two sections — the foundation of the settlement and the establishment of the government. After the selection of the site, he was con- fronted with the problem of converting the primitive bush into suitable headquarters for the colony. Within six months he had formulated a plan for the intended town. This plan was undoubtedly the work of a master mind; it was intended that advantage should be taken of the prevailing winds in laying out the direction of the principal streets, that building clauses should be enforced in the erection of all houses, that the streets should XX 11 INTRODUCTION. be two hundred feet wide, and that the fee simple of all the land contained within the boundaries of the town should remain for ever the property of the Crown. Some of these provisions, pro- posed without any previous precedent for guidance and conceived one hundred and twenty-six years ago, would be considered advanced and superior conceptions in a publicist of the present day. Unfortunately for the present city of Sydney the exigencies of the day, the struggle for existence and the scarcity of labour, compelled Phillip to shelve these proposals, and they were never fulfilled. In many of his other provisions for settlement, Phillip appears to have been a dreamer not only of ideals but of practical methods and a master hand in the initiation and development of new procedures. He advocated the granting of lands to the churches in lieu of all tithes on the produce of land ; he modified the instructions, which he had received, to reserve an equal area of land for the Crown between each grant, because he foresaw the dangers of isolation and consequent depredations by natives and marauders and because each grantee would have been com- pelled to erect an entire boundary fence instead of sharing a party fence with his neighbour; with the advice probably of Captain Collins he drew up the form of land grant which was maintained with slight modifications so long as the first system of grants was in vogue ; and he initiated the system of land leases by the Crown. In the establishment of the government, Governor Phillip main- tained an absolute control ; no subject or no detail was too small to pass unnoticed under his watchful eye. All daily orders were issued by him with the exception of the purely battalion orders of Major Ross. The criminal court, the civil court and the bench of magistrates were summoned by him, and the proceedings of the first and the last were carefully considered and revised with regard to the punishments ordered; in the exercise of this jurisdiction Phillip's actions always were tempered with mercy. He fixed the rations ; he granted permission for marriage ; he authorised the assistance to settlers ; he made the necessary appointments to the different gangs for public labour ; by periodical visits to Rose Hill, he was personally cognisant of all details in agricultural progress. In fact every department of human activity was constantly under his observation and direction, and by his humanity and unselfish- ness he was the father as well as the founder of the settlement. INTRODUCTION. Phillip's labours in initiation and organisation were carried on in the face of enormous difficulties, and when he was in very poor health. His ill-health commenced in 1788 and continued throughout his government, and although he himself never com- plained, on many occasions it was only his iron will that kept him at the helm; at the social gatherings, on his exploring expedi- tions, and when on visits of inspection, he was frequently a silent sufferer of intense pain. The difficulties confronted and overcome were of no mean order, and would certainly have daunted all but a man of determination and force. Notwithstanding all the care and attention bestowed on the preparations, it was found on arrival that many of the stores were short in quantity, poor in quality, or absent altogether. There were no immediate means of remedy, and before the second fleet arrived, the condition of the settlement must have been heart- rending to Phillip. Starvation was staring the community in the face, rations were reduced to the merest pittance necessary to sustain life, the hours of labour were shortened on account of the weakness of the labourers through want of food, the convicts were bootless and almost naked, the clothes of the marines were in tatters, fish were scarce, and the hospital was full. Day by day as he sat in his office or walked around the infant town he was con- stantly harrowed by pitiful complaints and appeals from all classes, convict and official ; but throughout he remained cheerful hopeful and resourceful. When relief had been given to his anxieties with reference to the means of sustaining existence, he was still confronted with the want of many of the ordinary neces- sities of life. Being a man of few words, the actual conditions are only occasionally mentioned, but they were forcefully expressed by the brevity of his sentences ; thus he states : " Two or three hundred iron frying-pans will be a saving of spades, " and " I beg leave to observe that bad tools are of no kind of use " {see page 308). How aptly does the first quotation express the straits to which the early colonists were put for the want of ordinary cooking utensils, and the second, the knowledge that he was at the mercy of the contractors, and his unwillingness officially to accuse them of neglect. Throughout his administration Phillip exercised his powers with uniform fairness, and thus on many occasions his actions were xx j\ IXTFODUCTION. markedly the converse to those of his successors. He showed favour to no man and would not even avail himself of his private resources in the time of famine, but shared alike with the meanest of his subjects. By this action he indicated that although an autocrat by appointment he was a democrat in feeling and action. Even when stores were on private sale in 1792, Phillip did not indulge himself in the luxuries available as did many of his officers, and contented himself with the purchase of a few kegs of tripe and butter and of a few hams. Phillip's contemporaries frequently reported most unfavourably of the settlement and of the ill doings of the convicts ; he on the contrary never had his faith shaken in the future prospects of the colony, which he regarded with something akin to the feeling of a father for a child, and even for the convicts he had a good word as is shown by the statement in 1792 (see page 373) , " I can recollect very few crimes during the last three years but what have been committed to procure the necessaries of life. " Phillip possessed keen powers of observation. His notes on the aborigines, their life and their customs, are precise ; his exploration of the country and the criticism of the land passed through are indicative of good judgment. In many of his despatches, he showed the possession of keen critical powers and a habit of probing a problem to the depths, and the expression of his opinion in brief and terse form made his conclusions clear and forceful. Governor Phillip retained the entire confidence of the English authorities throughout his administration and was the only one of the early Governors, whose actions were not called in question. In April, 1790, he applied for leave of absence on account of his private affairs in England, but Lord Grenville in his reply requested him to postpone it for " your services in New South AYales are so extremely important to the public. " In March, 1791, Phillip repeated the request on account of his ill-health, at the same time stating that he wished to return to the colony when he had recovered his strength. Subsequently repeated applications were made, but the English authorities were loth to lose his services ; and it was considerations of health alone which compelled him to relinquish the charge of the colony in which he was so greatly interested. INTBODUCTION. xxv Governor Phillip occupies an unique position in history. No man before had been charged with the jurisdiction over half a continent and at the same time been granted so little assistance. Separated from his official superiors by a voyage of many months, he was endowed with almost absolute power with no council to assist in sharing the burden of administration. When the marines were antagonistic, when the convicts were calling for food, when his colony seemed to be on the verge of disaster, he possessed no confidant to talk with, and was truly in a position of lonely and magnificent isolation. During his government in New South Wales, Governor Phillip proved himself to be a born administrator, a brilliant organiser, a man of infinite tact and patience with a keen knowledge of his fellow-men, a man ever ready to appreciate the finer characteristics of his subordinates and loth to speak ill of anyone, a staunch friend and magnanimous foe, a perfect leader with an iron will to enforce his rule, and at the same time possessed of the true unselfishness to share all the discomforts of his inferiors. When Phillip's character and life are fully studied, he will be recognised as the father of Australia and the best of the early Governors of New South Wales. Lieutenant-Governor Grose. After the departure of Captain Phillip, the government devolved on Major Francis Grose, who held it for a term of two years. During his administration, the progress of the colony was at a standstill and in fact many retrograde steps were taken. Major Grose was the officer commanding the New South Wales Corps, and had spent his life in the service of the army. He was saturated with the militarism of the times, and was filled with a contempt for the civil power when compared with the military. Just as Phillip was determined, Grose was undecided and waver- ing; in a despatch (see page 447) he stated, "I cannot but be alarmed at all I purchase and everything I do, being unaccustomed to business and fearful of acting so much from my own discretion. " Radical changes in the administration were made within four weeks of Phillip's departure without any apparent or reasonable motive. Their initiation was so prompt and they were such direct reversals of previous practice that it seems probable they had Sek. I Vol. I— c xxvi 1STU0IWCTI0N. been privately discussed amongst the military officers and that the new procedures had been determined before Grose assumed the government. By these changes, Grose established a government by the military and for the military. Six days after Phillip's departure, Grose amended the rations ordered by Phillip a fortnight previously; and whereas Phillip had established the principle that everyone in the settlement should share alike, Grose decided to differentiate in favour of the military and ordered them to be served with an extra allowance in the rations. Grose took the oaths of his office on the 31st of December, 1792; on the same day he substituted the military for the civil power at Parramatta ; subsequently he abolished the sittings of the civil magistrates at Sydney and the civil power generally, and established in its place a military government entirely. It is improbable that Grose was the prime mover in these changes which placed the government in the hands of a close corporation of the officers. He was probably a tool in the hands of some designing officers, for in no way did he gain any advantage from the change. For the alterations there was no logical reason, as the system which Phillip had established was in no ways faulty, and that introduced in its place was not an improvement. During Grose's administration, commercialism and the desire to obtain landed estates became important motives with the officers of the New South Wales Corps. The Lieutenant-Governor made no attempt to control this spirit, but in many ways openly encouraged it, and he practically subordinated all the machinery of his government to the interests of his officers. He thereby nurtured the seeds of that military avarice which checked the wheels of progress in the colony for nearly nineteen years. He encouraged the cultivation of grain by the officers, and frequently wrote glowing reports to England on the progress of farming ; but at the same time he suspended all public agriculture, and thus created a ready market for the harvest' of the officers, for the Crown was compelled to purchase their surplus grain. He granted to the officers the service of a practically unlimited number of convicts (clothed and fed by the Crown) to assist them on their farms ; and when he received instructions from England to discontinue this practice, he quietly shelved them by asking for further orders, which he knew could not be transmitted for more than a year. 1NTB0BUCTI0X. xxvii Grose's neglect to obey the instructions relative to the incor- poration of a residential clause in the land grants {see page 441 J is difficult of explanation, unless the motive was to permit the more rapid acquisition of large landed estates by making possible the purchase of small areas from numerous grantees, and their con- solidation into a large estate. Grose's action with regard to the retail liquor traffic was that of a weak man. He issued orders that no spirits were to be sold to convicts, but when it became common report that they were obtaining ample supplies he made no further efforts to restrict the trade. Spirits were imported to the colony by the various ships, and on their arrival were offered to the officers, who availed themselves of the opportunity of creating a monopoly by the pur- chase of the entire shipments. The spirits were then retailed at an enormous profit, and many officers rapidly accumulated large sums of money. His antagonism to religion was pronounced. He reported most unfavourably on the Reverend Richard Johnson and belittled his actions in building a church. His statement with regard to the erection of a church {see page 479) can be only a deliberate mis- representation of the facts. He permitted labour on the Sabbath, and did not enforce the attendance of the colonists at church. Throughout his administration, Grose proved weak and vacillating, with a total lack of foresight and of intuitive per- ception as to whither his footsteps were leading him. He was no administrator and no organiser. Although possessing the same absolute powers as Phillip, he neglected to hold in his own hands the reins of government, and delegated many of his duties to subordinates. He wrote reports to England which were entirely misleading, whether from wilful or careless negligence. He was dilatory or distinctly insubordinate in fulfilling instructions from England. The few decisive orders which he issued appear to have emanated from the doggedness of vacillation rather than from the determination of strength. His administration was feeble, and yet he undertook the responsibility of introducing radical changes into Phillip's well-ordered system. A note on Captain Paterson will be found in volume [V, and on Governor Hunter in volume II. DESPATCHES. Historical Records Australia SERIES I. Governor Phillip's First Commission. George E. George the Third, &c, to our trusty and well-beloved Captain Arthur Phillip, greeting : — We, reposing especial trust and confidence in your loyalty, courage, and experience in military affairs, do, by these presents, constitute and appoint you to be Governor of our territory called New South Wales, extending from the northern cape or ex- Territorial tremity of the coast called Cape York, in the latitude of 10° 37 ' J»lisdiction- south, to the southern extremity of the said territory of Xew South Wales or South Cape, in the latitude of 43° 39 ' south, and of all the country inland to the westward as far as the one hundred and thirty-fifth degree of longitude, reckoning from the meridian of Greenwich, including all the islands adjacent in the Pacific Ocean, within the latitude aforesaid of 10° 37 ' south and 43° 39 ' south, and of all towns, garrisons, castles, forts, and all other fortifications or other military works, which now are or may be hereafter erected upon this said territory. " You General are therefore carefully and diligently to discharge the duty of ln~" Governor in and over our said territory by doing and performing all and. all manner of things thereunto belonging, and we do hereby strictly charge and command all our officers and soldiers who shall be employed within our said territory, and all others whom it may concern, to obey you as our Governor thereoi ; and you are to observe and follow such orders and directions from time to time as you shall receive from us, or any other your superior officer according to the rules and discipline of war, and likewise such orders and directions as we shall send you under Ser. I. Vol. I— A * Note 1. BISTOBICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. our signel or Bign manual, or by our High Treasurer or Com- missioners of our Treasury for the time being, or one of our Principal Secretaries of State, in pursuance of the trust we hereby repose in you. Given a1 our Court at St. James's, the twelfth day of October, L786, in the twenty-sixth year of our reign. By his Majesty's command, S1! dney. Governor Phillip's Sfxoxd Commission. * Arthur Phillip Esqre Governor of New South Wales. George the Third by the Grace of God King of Great Britain France and Ireland Defender of the Faith &c. to our right trusty and well-beloved Councillor Edward Lord Thurlow Baron Thurlow our Chancellor of Great Britain greeting : — Wee will and command that under our Great Seal of Great Britain (remaining in your custody) you cause these our letters to be made forth patent in form following : George the Third by the Grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith &c. To our trusty and well-beloved Arthur Phillip Esquire. Wee reposing especial trust and confidence in the prudence courage and loyalty of you the said Arthur Phillip of our especial grace certain knowledge and meer motion have thought fit to constitute and appoint and by these presents do constitute and appoint you the said Phillip to be our Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief in and over our territory called New South Wales extending from the Northern Cape or extremity of the coast called Cape York in the latitude of ten degrees thirty-seven minutes south to the southern extremity of the said territory of New South Wales or South Cape in the latitude of forty-three degrees thirty-nine minutes south and of all the country inland westward as far as the one hundred and thirty-fifth degree of east longitude reckoning from the meridian of Greenwich including all the islands adjacent in the Pacific Ocean within the latitudes aforesaid of ten degrees thirty-seven minutes south and forty- three degrees and thirty-nine minutes south and of all towns garrisons castles forts and all other fortifications or other mili- tary works which may be hereafter erected upon the said territory or any of the said islands. And Wee do hereby require and command you to do and execute all things in due manner that shall belong to your said * Xote 2. GOVERNOR PHILLIP'S COMMISSION. ; command and trust Wee have reposed in you according to the several powers and directions granted or appointed you by this present Commission and the instructions and authorities here- with given to you or by such further powers instructions and authorities as shall at any time hereafter be granted or appointed you under our signet and sign manual or by our order in our Privy Council. And our will and pleasure is that you the said Arthur Phillip after the publication of these our letters patent do in the first place take the oaths appointed to be taken by an Act passed in oaths of office the first year of the reign of King George the First intituled t0 be taken- "An Act for the further security of his Majesty's person and Government and the succession of the Crown in the heirs of the late Princess Sophia being Protestants and for extinguishing the hopes of the pretended Prince of Wales and his open and secret abettors " as altered and explained by an Act passed in the sixth year of our reign intituled " An Act for altering the oath of abjuration and the assurance and for amending so much of an Act of the seventh year of her late Majesty Queen Anne intituled " An Act for the improvement of the Union of the two Kingdoms as after the time therein limitted requires the delivery of certain lists and copies therein mentioned to persons indicted of High Treason or misprision of Treason. " As also that you make use and subscribe the declaration men- tioned in Act of Parliament made in the twenty-fifth year of the reign of King Charles the Second intituled " An Act for prevent- ing dangers which may arise from Popish Recusants. " And likewise that you take the usual oath for the due execution of the office and trust of our Captain-General and Governor-in- Chief in and over our said territory and its dependencies for the due and impartial administration of justice. And further that you take the oath required to be taken by Governors in the plantations to do their utmost that the several laws relating to trade and the plantations be duly observed. Which said oaths and declaration our Judge-Advocate in our said territory is hereby required to tender and administer unto you and in your absence to our Lieutenant-Governor if there be any upon the place. All which being duly performed you shall administer onto our Lieutenant-Governor if their be any upon the place and to our Judge-Advocate the oaths mentioned in the first-recited Act of Parliament altered as above as also cause them to make and sub- scribe the afore-mentioned declaration. HISTORICAL UKCORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 11. in ol Public i Power to administer Oaths ol Allegiance. To appoint justices and officers ol the law. To pardon and reprieve. To pass grants for custody of lunatics and their estates. And Wee do hereby authorize and empower you to keep and use the public seal which will be herewith delivered to you or shall be bereafter sent to you for sealing all things whatsoever thai shall pass the Great Seal of our said territory and its you by bills to be drawn by you upon the Commissioners of our Treasury, You are to endeavour by every possible means to open an inter- roprotecl tha course with the natives, and to conciliate their affections, enjoin- ing all our subjects to live in amity and kindness with them. And if any of our subjects shall wantonly destroy them, or give * Blanks in manuscript, t Note 5. 1 1 BISTORICAL KKCORDS OF AUSTRALIA. To encourage religious observance. To procure women from the islands. To grant lands to emancipated convicts with conditions. them any unnecessary interruption in the exercise of their BeveraJ occupations, it is our will and pleasure that you do cause such offenders to be brought to punishmenl according to the degree of the offence. You will endeavour to procure an a (. 'count of the numbers inhabiting the neighbourhood of the intended settlement, and report your opinion to one of our Secretaries of State in what manner our intercourse with these people may be turned to the advantage of this colony. And it is further our royal will and pleasure that you do by all proper methods enforce a due observance of religion and good order among the inhabitants of the new settlement, and that you do take such steps for the due celebration of publick worship as circumstances will permit. And whereas, as from the great disproportion of female con- victs to those of the males who are put under your superinten- dance, it appears advisable that a further number of the latter should be introduced into the new intended settlement, you are, whenever the Sirius or the tender shall touch at any of the islands in those seas, to instruct their commanders to take on board any of the women who may be disposed to accompany them to the said settlement. You will, however, take especial care that the officers who may happen to be employed upon this service do not, upon any account, exercise any compulsive measures, or make use of fallacious pretences, for bringing away any of the said women from the places of their present residence. And whereas we have by our Commission, bearing date [2nd April] 1787, given and granted upon you full power and authority to emancipate and discharge from their servitude any of the convicts under your superintendance who shall, from their good conduct and a disposition to industry, be deserving of favour: It is our will and pleasure that in every such case you do issue your warrant to the Surveyor of Lands to make surveys of and mark out in lots such lands upon the said territory as may be necessary for their use ; and when that shall be done, that you do pass grants thereof with all convenient speed to any of the said convicts so emancipated, in such proportions and under such conditions and acknowledgments as shall hereafter be specified, viz. : — To every male shall be granted 30 acres of land, and in case he shall be married, 20 acres more; and for every child who may be with them at the settlement at the time of making the said grant, a further quantity of 10 acres, free of all fees, taxes, quit rents, or other acknowledgments whatsoever, for the space of ten years : Provided that the person to whom the said land shall have been granted shall reside within the same and proceed to the cultivation and improvement thereof; reserving only to us such GOVERNOR PHILLIP'S INSTRUCTIONS. 15 timber as may be growing, or to grow hereafter, upon the said land which may be fit for naval purposes, and an annual quit rent of* after the expiration of the term or time before men- tioned. You will cause copies of such grants as may be passed to be preserved, and make a regular return of the said grants to the Commissioners of our Treasury and the Lords of the Com- mittee of our Privy Council for Trade and Plantations. + And whereas it is likely to happen that the convicts who may after their emancipation, in consequence of this instruction, be put in possession of lands will not have the means of proceeding to their cultivation without the public aid: It is our will and pleasure that you do cause every such person you may so emanci- Grantees to be pate to be supplied with such a quantity of provisions as may be sufficient for the subsistence of himself, and also of his family, for twelve months, together with an assortment of tools and utensils, and such a proportion of seed-grain, cattle, sheep, hogs, &c, as may be proper, and can be spared from the general stock of the settlement. And whereas many of our subjects employed upon military service at the said settlement, and others who may resort thither upon their private occupations, may hereafter be desirous of pro- ceeding to the cultivation and improvement of the land, and as we are disposed to afford them every reasonable encouragement in such an undertaking : It is our will and pleasure that you do, with all convenient speed, transmit a report of the actual state To report on and quality of the soil at and near the said intended settlement, the probable and most effectual means of improving and culti- vating the same, and of the mode, and upon what terms and conditions, according to the best of your judgment, the said lands should be granted, that proper instructions and authorities may be given to you for that purpose. And whereas it is our royal intention that every sort of inter- course between the intended settlement at Botany Bay, or other place which may be hereafter established on the coast of New South Wales and its dependencies, and the settlements of our East India Company, as well as the coast of China, and the islands situated in that part of the world, to which any inter- course has been established by any European nation, should be prevented by every possible means: It is our royal will and roprohibU pleasure that you do not on any account allow craft of any sort wittTforeigi to be built for the use of private individuals which mighl enable '""^ them to effect such intercourse, and that you do prevent any vessels which may at any time hereafter arrive a1 the said settle- ment from any of the ports before mentioned Erom having ♦Blank In manuscript. t Note 5. ign 1(5 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. communication with any of the inhabitants residing within your Government, without firsl receiving especial permission from you for that purpose. ( Lit. 1788. Governor Phillip to Undeb Secretary Nepean. (Per transport Friendship and transport Alexander. ) Headquarters, Sydney Cove, Sir, 2Cth April, 1788. 26 Aiiril- As the surgeon volunteer- who was put on board the Lady Penrhyn transport to attend the convicts was found to be very unequal to the task, I was under the necessity of desiring Mr. Arthur Bowes, surgeon of that transport, to take charge of the medicines, and attend to the sick, which he did with great atten- tion. I therefore beg leave to recommend him to your notice, as he has not received any recompense for his trouble. I have, &c, A. Phillip. Governor Phillip to Lord Sydney. (Despatch Xo. 1, per transport Alexander, duplicate per transport Friendship, triplicate per store-ship Borrowdale; acknowledged by lit. Hon. W. W. Grenville, 19th June, ITS!). ) Sydney Cove, New South Wales, 15 May. My Lord, May 15th, 1788. I had the honor of informing your Lordship, by Captain Cox, who was returning to Europe from Madrass, that I was ready to sail from the Cape of Good Hope, and which 1 did with the ships under my command the 12th of November. The 25th, being eighty leagues to the eastward of the Cape, I left the Sirius, and went on board the Supply, tender, in hopes, by leaving the convoy, to gain sufficient time to examine the country round Botany Bay, and fix on the most eligible situation for the colony before the transports arrived. At the same time I ordered the agent for the transport in the Alexander to separate from the convoy with that ship, the Scarborough and Friendship, they sailing better than the others. I had reason to expect their arrival soon after the Supply's, and by having the labour of the convicts they had on board much might be done in preparing for the landing the stores and provisions. Major Ross now left the Sirius, and went on board the Scar- borough, that he might be with that part of the detachment, which would probably be the first landed. Captain Hunter in the Sirius was to follow with the storeships and the remainder of the transports, ! and he had the necessary instructions for his future proceedings, should the Supply meet with any accident. * Note 6. f Note 7. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 17 The westerly winds we now had continued till the 3rd of 1738. January, when we saw the coast of New South Wales, but the 15 Ma>7- winds, which had been so favourable, having seldom been to the Australian eastward, and then for a few hours only, blowing from the N. W. to the S. W. , generally very strong gales, now left us, and we had variable winds, with a current that at times set very strong to the southward, so that we did not arrive at Botany Bay before the Arrival at -. g. j Botany Bay. The Alexander, Scarborough, and Friendship came in the next day, and the Sirius, with the rest of the ships, the day after. Those ships had continued very healthy. The Supply, sailing very badly, had not permitted my gain- ing the advantage hoped for, but I began to examine the bay as soon as we anchored, and found that tho' extensive, it did not afford shelter to ships from the easterly winds; the greater part Description of of the bay being so shoal that ships of even a moderate draught the bay- of water are obliged to anchor with the entrance of the bay open, and are exposed to a heavy sea that rolls in when it blows hard from the eastward. Several small runs of fresh water were found in different parts of the bay, but I did not see any situation to which there was not some very strong objection. The small creek that is in the northern part of the bay runs a considerable way into the country, but it had only water for a boat. The sides of this creek are frequently overflowed, and the lowlands a swamp. The western branch runs up for a considerable distance, but the officers I sent to examine it could not find any water, except in very small drains. The best situation that offered was near Point Sutherland, where there was a small run of good water; but the ground near it, as well as a considerable part of the higher ground, was spongy, and the ships could not approach this part of the bay. Several good situations offered for a small number of people, but none that appeared calculated for our numbers, and where the stores and provisions could be landed without a great loss of time. When I considered the bay's being so very open, and the probability of the swamps rendering the most eligible situation unhealthy, I judged it advisable to examine Port Jackson ; but that no time might be lost if I did not succeed in finding a better harbour, and a proper situation for the settlement, the ground near Point Sutherland was in the meantime to be cleared and preparations made for landing under the direction of the Lieutenant-G overnor. As the time in which I might be absent, if I went in the Supply, must have been very uncertain, I weni round with three Skr. I. — Vol. I— B * Note 7. 18 HISTORICAL KLOORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1788. 15 May Exploration of Porl Jack-on. Sydney Cove. The fleet in Port Jackson. Expedition of Mons. De La Perouse. boats, taking with me Captain Hunter and several officers, that by examining different parts of the porl at the same time less time might be lost. We got into Port Jackson early in the afternoon, and had the satisfaction of finding the finest harbour in the world, in which a thousand sail of the line may ride in the most perfect security, and of which a rough survey, made by Captain Hunter and the officers of the Sirius after the ships came round, may give your Lordship some idea. The different coves were examined with all possible expedition. I fixed on the one that had the best spring of water, and in which the ships can anchor so close to the shore that at a very small expence quays may be made at which the largest ships may unload. This cove, which I honoured with the name of Sydney, * is about a quarter of a mile across at the entrance, and half a mile in length. We returned to Botany Bay the third day, where I received a very unfavourable account of the ground that was clearing. The ships immediately prepared to go round, and the 25th — seven days after I arrived in the Supply — I sailed in her for Port Jackson, leaving Captain Hunter to follow with the trans- ports, it then blowing too strong for them to work out of the bay. They joined me the next evening, and all the transports were moored in the cove. Two sail had appeared off Botany Bay the 24th, under French colours, and anchored there before the Sirius left it — the Bous- sole and the Astrolabe. These ships were commanded by Monsr. La Perouse, who, having exprest a desire of sending letters to Europe, I sent an officer over, it being only eight miles, to tell him in what time it was probable the ships might sail. Captain Clonard had left the ship in one of their boats the same morning, and Lieut. Shortland, t the agent for the transports, is charged with the letters he brought. They are addressed to the French Ambassador. The officer I sent over was informed that Monsr. La Perouse sailed from France in June, 1785; that he had been to Sta. Catherina, had run along the coast of Chili and California, and had been at Easter Island, Noatka Sound, Cook's River, Kamtschatka, Manilla, Isles des Navigateurs, Sandwich, and the Friendly Islands. He had, likewise, anchored off Norfolk Island, but could not land on account of the surf. In this voyage he had not lost any of his people by sickness, but had lost two boats' crews in a surf on the north-west part of America, and at Maouna (one of the Isles des Navigateurs) Monsr. De Langle, Note 8. t Note 9. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 19 capt. of the Astrolabe, was cut off by the natives, with twelve 1788. officers and men. Many were wounded, and two long-boats he 15 May. had on shore destroyed. The ships were then under sail, and De Langle went on shore to fill some water-casks. The boats were suffered to ground, and the natives, with whom they had been on the most friendly terms, and who had supply'd them with refreshments in the greatest abundance, attacked them when they were endeavouring to get them afloat. He had forty officers and men with him, and the ships, being round a point of land, knew nothing of the accident till the small boats returned. These ships, while in Botany Bay, set up two long-boats, the frames of which they had brought from Europe. They sailed the 10th of March, I believe to return to the northward. The clearing the ground for the people and for erecting store- Foundation of houses was begun as soon as the ships got round, a labour of Sy^y* which it will be hardly possible to give your Lordship a just idea. The necks of land that form the different coves, and near the water for some distance, are in general so rocky that it is sur- prizing such large trees should find sufficient nourishment, but the soil between the rocks is good, and the summits of the rocks, as well as the whole country round us, with few exceptions, are covered with trees, most of which are so large that the removing them off the ground after they are cut down is the greatest part of the labour; and the convicts, naturally indolent, having none to attend them but overseers drawn from amongst themselves, and who fear to exert any authority, makes this work go on very slowly. Your Lordship will permit me to observe that our situation Reasons for tho' so very different from what might be expected, is neverthe- cholce ° slte- less the best that offered. My instructions did not permit me to detain the transports a sufficient length of time, to examine the coast to any considerable distance, it was absolutely necessary to be certain of a sufficient quantity of fresh water, in a situation that was healthy, and which the ships might approach within a reasonable distance for the conveniency of landing the stores and provisions, and I am fully persuaded that we should never have succeeded had it been attempted to move them only one mile from where they were landed. There are some parts of this harbour where the trees stand at a considerable distance from each other, and where there are small runs of water, which shall be cultivated when our numbers permit, and when the country inland can be examined. I make no doubt but some good situations will be found that have water, which I have never \vt been able to find, either in Botany Bay or in this harbour, but in very small streams. HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1788. L5 May. Some land that is near, and where the trees stand at a con- siderable distance from each other, will, as soon as convicts can be spared, be cultivated by the officers for raising a little corn for their stock; and this I have endeavoured to promote as much as possible, for I fear the consequences if a ship should be lost in her passage out with provisions. As there are only twelve convicts who are carpenters, as many as could be procured from the ships have been hired to work on the hospital and store-houses. The people were healthy when landed, but the scurvy has, for some time, appeared amongst them, and now rages in a most extraordinary manner. Only sixteen carpenters" could be hired from the ships, and several of the convict carpenters were sick. It was now the middle of February; the rains began to fall very heavy, and pointed out the necessity of hutting the people; convicts were therefore ap- pointed to assist the detachment in this work. February the 14th the Supply sailed for Norfolk Island, with Philip Gidley King, second lieutenant of his Majesty's ship Sirius, for the purpose of settling that island. He only carried with him a petty officer, surgeon's mate, two marines, two men who understood the cultivation of flax, with nine men and six women convicts. t Their number shall be increased when a small detachment of marines can be spared. I have the honour of transmitting your Lordship a copy of the order and instructions given to that officer, and I beg leave to recommend him as an officer of merit, and whose perseverance in that or any other service may be depended upon. The 2d of March I went with a long-boat and cutter to examine the broken land mentioned by Captain Cook, about eight miles to the northward of Port Jackson. We slept in the boat that night within a rocky point, in the north-west part of the bay (which is very extensive) , as the natives, tho' very friendly, appeared to be numerous; and the next day, after passing a bar that had only water for small vessels, entered a very extensive branch, from which the ebb tide came out so strong that the boats could not row against it in the stream; and here was deep water. It appeared to end in several small branches, and in a large lagoon that we could not examine for want of time to search for a channel for the boats amongst the banks of sand and mud. Most of the land on the upper part of this branch was low and full of swamps. Pelicans and variety of birds were here seen in great numbers. Leaving this branch, which I called the north-west branch, we proceeded across the bay, and went into the south-west branch, which is very exten- sive, and from which a second branch runs to the westward, * Xote 10. t Note 11. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 21 affording shelter for any number of ships, and as far as we 1788. examined there is water for the largest ships, having seven lo May- fathoms at the entrance, and deep water as you go up. But the almost continual rains prevented any kind of survey. Here the land is much higher than at Port Jackson, more rocky, and equally covered with timber, large trees growing on the summits of mountains that appear to be accessible to birds only. Immediately round the headland that forms the southern entrance into the bay there is a third branch, which I think the finest piece of water I ever saw, and which I honoured with the name of Pitt Water. * It is, as well as the south-west branch, of sufficient extent to contain all the Navy of Great Britain, but has only eighteen feet at low water on a narrow bar which runs across the entrance. Within the bar there are from seven to fifteen fathom water. The land here is not so high as in the south-west branch, and there are some good situations where the land might be cultivated. We found small springs of water in most of the caves, and saw three cascades falling from a height which the rains then rendered inaccessible. I returned to Port Jackson after being absent eight days in the boats. Some of the people feel- ing the effects of the rain, which had been almost constant, pre- vented my returning by land, as I intended, in order to examine a part of the country which appeared open and free from timber. Lieutenant Ball, who commands the Supply, arrived the 19th Report from of March. He made Norfolk Island on the 29th of February, Xorfolk Island and was five days before a place could be found at which it was possible to land the provisions, and saw very few places at which it was possible to land a man, so compleatly do the rocks surround that island. They succeeded, however, having found a small opening in a reef that runs across a bay that is at the south end of the island, and the six months' provisions were all safely landed. Lieut. King describes this island as one intire wood, without a single acre of clear land that had been found when the Supply left them, and says that the pine-trees rise fifty and sixty feet before they shoot out any branches. There are several other kinds of timber on the island, which, as far as he could examine it, was a rich black mould, with great quantities of pumice-stone. The trees are so bound together by a kind of supple-jack that the penetrating into the interior parts of tin- island was very difficult. Several good springs of water were found, and I apprehend his Majesty's ships in the East Indies may be supplied from this island with masts and yards, which will render it a very valuable acquisition. The cultivation of the flax-plant will be attended to when people can be sent to clear the ground. * Note 12. HISTORICAL RECORDS OF A I STRALIA. 1788. 15 . May A small island being seen on the passage to Norfolk Island, Lieutenant Ball examined it on his return, and says it abounds in turtle, but unfortunately bas no good anehoring-ground. He named it after Lord Howe. * It is in 31° 36 ' south latitude, and 159° east longitude. Part of this island may be seen sixteen leagues, and a rock that is five leagues to the southward and eastward of the island may be seen eighteen leagues. The Charlotte, Scarborough, and Lady Penrhyn, transports, were cleared of all their stores and discharged from Government employ the 24th and 25th of March, and left at liberty to proceed to China when they judged proper. The other ships remain till store-houses can be finished. Your Lordship will not be surprized that I have been under the necessity of assembling a Criminal Court. f Six men were con- demned to death. One, who was the head of the gang, was executed the same day ; the others I reprieved. They are to be exiled from the settlement, and when the season permits I intend they shall be landed near the South Cape, where, by their forming connexions with the natives, some benefit may accrue to the pub- lic. These men had frequently robbed the stores and the other convicts. The one who suffered and two others were condemned for robbing the stores of provisions the very day they received a week's provisions, and at which time their allowance, as settled by the Navy Board, was the same as the soldiers, spirits excepted; the others for robbing a tent, and for stealing provisions from other convicts. The great labour in clearing the ground will not permit more than eight acres to be sown this year with wheat and barley. At the same time the immense number of ants and field-mice will render our crops very uncertain. Part of the live stocky brought from the Cape, small as it was, has been lost, and our resource in fish is also uncertain. Some days great quantities are caught, but never sufficient to save any part of the provisions; and at times fish are scarce. Your Lordship will, I presume, see the necessity of a regular supply of provisions for four or five years, and of clothing, shoes, and frocks in the greatest proportion. The necessary implements for husbandry and for clearing the ground brought out will with difficulty be made to serve the time that is necessary for sending out a fresh supply. The labour of the convicts shall be, as is directed, for the public stock, but it is necessary to permit a part of the convicts to work for the officers, who, in our present situation, would other- wise find it impossible to clear a sufficient quantity of ground to raise what is absolutely necessary to support the little stock * Xote 13. f Note 14. % Note 15. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 23 they have ; and I am to request that your Lordship will be pleased ^ss. to direct me to what extent that indulgence may be granted the 15 May- officers of the garrison. The Sirius shall be sent to the northward to barter for stock, and which shall be employed solely for the purposes of increasing the breed of such cattle as she may procure. The Supply is no ways calculated for this service, as in the least sea her decks are full of water. The very small proportion of females makes the sending out an More women additional number absolutely necessary, for I am certain your reng HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1788. of joy. II is BOU was with him. A hatchet and several presents 15 May- were made them, and as I intended to return to Port Jackson Obeervationa t lu* 1 1 < ■ x t day every possible means were taken to secure his aborigines. friendship ; but when it was dark he stole a spade, and was caught in the fact. I thought it necessary to show that I was displeased with liiin, and therefore, when he came to me, pushed him away, and gave him two or three slight slaps on the shoulder with the open hand, at the same time pointing to the spade. This de- stroyed our friendship in a moment, and seizing a spear he came close up to me, poised it, and appeared determined to strike; but whether from seeing that his threats were not regarded — for I chose rather to risk the spear than fire on him — or from anything the other natives said who surrounded him, after a few moments he dropped his spear and left us. This circumstance is mentioned to show that they do not want personal courage, for several officers and men were then near me. He returned the next morning with several others, and seemed desirous of being taken notice of; but he was neglected, whilst hatchets and several other articles were given to the others. The men hang in their hair the teeth of dogs and other animals, lobsters' claws, and several small bones, which they secure by gum; but I never saw the women do this. Their food is chiefly fish. The shark, I believe, they never eat. The fern root, wild fig, and the kernels of a large fruit that is not unlike a pine-apple, but which when eaten by the French seamen occasioned violent retchings. Their hooks are made from shells, and their lines and nets, I believe, from the flax-plant, but I have some that were made from the fur of some animal, and others that appeared to be made of cotton. The craw-fish and lobsters they catch in small hoop nets, the making of which shows some art; yet they have no kind of cloathing. At the same time, they appear to be sensible of the cold, and to dislike the rain very much, putting on their heads when it rains a piece of bark, under which I have seen them shiver. Their huts are generally surrounded by oyster and muscle shells, and their bodies smell of oil. They cannot be called a very cleanly people, yet I have seen one of them, after having in his hand a piece of pork, hold out his fingers for others to smell, with strong marks of disgust; and tho' they seldom refused bread or meat if offered them, I have never been able to make them eat with us, and when they left us they generally threw away the bread and meat; but fish they always accepted, and would broil and eat it. The ground having been seen raised in several places, as is common in England, where poor people are buried I had one of these graves opened, and from the ashes had no doubt but that PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 29 they burn their dead * From the appearance of the ashes, the i?88. body must be laid at length only a few inches below the surface, 1SMay' and is, with the wood ashes made by burning the body, covered Observations lightly over with mould, fern, and a few stones. A grave was aborigines, opened by Captain Hunter, in which part of a jawbone was found, not consumed by the fire, but we have seen very few of these graves, and none near their huts. It is not possible to determine with any accuracy the number of natives, but I think that in Botany Bay, Port Jackson, Broken Bay, and the intermediate coast they cannot be less than one thousand five hundred. In going to examine a cove near the entrance of the harbour Exploration. (Shell Cove) I found a passage with deep water into a branch of the harbour that runs to the north-west, and finding on examin- ing that there was a run of fresh water that came from the westward, I went a few days after to examine the source. I landed with four days' provisions, several officers, and a small party of marines, and found to the northward of this part of the harbour a large lake, which we examined, tho' not without great labour, for it is surrounded with a bog and large marsh, in which we were frequently up to the middle. There we saw a black swan; it was larger than the common swan, and when it rose, after being fired at, the wings appeared to be edged with white; there is some red on the bill, and it is a very noble bird. With great labour, in three days we got round the swamps and marshes, from which all the fresh water drains that this harbour is sup- plied with. The country we past thro' when we left the low grounds was the most rocky and barren I ever saw; the ascending and descend- ing of the mountains being practicable only in particular places, but covered with flowering shrubs; and when about fifteen miles from the sea-coast we had a very tine view of the mountains inland, the northernmost of which I named Carmarthen Hills, f The Blue and the southernmost Lansdowne Hills. f A mountain between I called Richmond Hill, f and from the rising of these mountains I did not doubt but that a large river would be found, in search of which I set off the 22nd of April, with six days' provisions. ^: An expedition We were eleven officers and men, and landed near the head of the matta. harbour. Here the country was good, but we soon came to a close cover, that we endeavoured for some time to get thro' , but were obliged to return, and the next day past this cover by keep- ing along the banks of a small creek for about four miles. The three following days we proceeded to the westward, finding the country in general as fine as any I ever saw, the trees grow- ing from twenty to forty feet from each other, and. excepl in * Note 18. f Note 19. $ Note 20. 30 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. ITS*. 16 -May. Observations during the expedition on the habits of natives. particular places where the soil was stony and very poor, no under- wood. The country thro' which we past was mostly level, or only rising in sum 1 1 hills, which gave it a pleasing and picturesque appearance. The fifth day we got to a rising ground, and for the first time since we landed saw Carmarthen Hills, as, likewise, the hills to the southward. The country round this hill was so beau- tiful that I called the hill Bellevue, but the hills we wished to reach still appeared to be at least thirty miles from us. We had been five days out, and the want of provisions obliged us to return to the spot we left, by the track we went, otherwise our journey might be lengthened several days longer than we ex- pected, by meeting with deep ravines, which we might be obliged to go round; and, I believe, no country can be more difficult to penetrate into than this is, tho' we always found pools of water that had remained after the rainy season, yet, as that could not be depended on, the water necessary for the day was always carried, which, with the provisions, arms, and a couple of tents, obliged every officer and man to carry a very heavy load, but which at present was so much lightened, and having the trees marked, in one day and a half we got back to the head of the harbour. We had been thirty miles to the westward, and had seen a country that might be cultivated with ease, and I intended returning in a few days in hopes of reaching the bottom of Landsdown or Carmarthen Hills; and the tracing of the natives inland, added to the hopes of finding a large river, which the appearance of the country promised, made everyone, notwith- standing the fatigue, desirous of being of the party; but my having when I went to Broken Bay, before I was perfectly recov- ered from the complaint which had been so general, slept several nights on the wet ground, brought on a pain in the side, which this journey increased so much that I found a few weeks' rest necessary after I returned. I have had the honor of informing your Lordship that we now know there is a good country near us, and it shall be settled and cultivated early in the spring. In this journey I was surprized to find temporary huts made by the natives far inland, where they must depend solely on animals for food, and to procure which we have never yet seen any other weapon than the spear, which is certainly very inferior to our guns, and with which in this journey, tho' we were in want of provisions for the last two days, procured us barely sufficient for two meals. These huts consist of only a single piece of bark, about eleven feet in length, and from four to six feet in breath, being, when stripped from the tree, bent in the middle, and sat up as children put up a card, affording shelter against a shower of rain if you sit under it. The hut may, PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 31 perhaps, only be intended to hide them from the animals they lay 1788. in wait for. Near one of these huts we found some of the bones lD May* of a kangaroo, and saw several trees that were on fire ; the natives, I suppose, had left them on our approach. I also found the root of fern, or something like the fern root, that had been chewed by one of the natives ; he could only have left the spot a few minutes ; but we never saw any of them, and I believe their numbers in these woods must be very small. Whether they live in the woods by choice, or are driven from the society of those who inhabit the sea-coast, or whether they travel to a distant part of the country, I can form no judgment at present. The bark of many of the trees were cut in notches, and at the foot of one tree we found the fur of a flying squirrel. Many trees were seen with holes that had been enlarged by the natives to get at the animal, either the squirrel, kangaroo rat, or opossum, for the going in of which perhaps they wait under their temporary huts, and as the enlarg- ing these holes could only be done with the shell they use to separate the oysters from the rocks, must require great patience. Against several trees where the hole was near the ground, but too high to reach, boughs of trees were laid for to climb up by. We saw many places where the natives had made fires, but at one place only were any oyster or muscle shells seen, and there not more than half-a-dozen, and no fish-bones, so that when they go inland they certainly do not carry any fish to support them. In Botany Bay, Port Jackson, and Broken Bay we frequently Aboriginal saw the figures of men, shields, and fish roughly cut on the rocks ; and on the top of a mountain I saw the figure of a man in the attitude they put themselves in when they are going to dance, which was much better done than I had seen before, and the figure of a large lizard was sufficiently well executed to satisfy every one what animal was meant. In all the country thro' which I have passed I have seldom gone a quarter of a mile without seeing trees which appear to have been destroyed by fire. We have seen very heavy thunder- storms, and I believe the gum-tree strongly attracts the lightning, but the natives always make their fire, if not before their own huts, at the root of a gum-tree, which burns very freely, and they never put a fire out when they leave the place. Near some water we saw the dung of an animal that fed on zoological grass, and which I thought could not be less than a horse. note8. Kangaroos were frequently seen, but very shy, and it is a little extraordinary that more of these animals are seen Deal the camp than in any other part of the country, notwithstanding they arc fired at almost daily. Black swans are found on most of the lakes, and a bird as large as the ostrich was killed while I was ;ii HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1788. Broken Bay. It differs both from the ostrich and the emu. 15 May. Several have been seen, but they are very shy, and much swifter than the greyhounds. Here arc wild ducks, teal, and quails, with greal variety of small birds. On my return from this excursion I had the mortification to Hud that five ewes and a lamb had been killed in the middle of the day, and very near the camp, I apprehend by some of the native dogs. The beginning of May the rainy season was once more sup- posed to be set in, but after a week we had fine weather. The three transports* for China sailed the 5th, 6th, and 8th of May; and the Supply, having been caulked, sailed the 6th to Lord Howe Island, to endeavour to procure turtle, in hopes of checking the scurvy, with which most of the people are affected, and near two hundred rendered incapable of doing any work. It is not possible to send the Sirius to the northward, for she must then have her carpenters, and only three of those hired from the transports now remain; and tho' the detachment began to build barracks for the use of the men and huts for the officers the 14th of February, and near a hundred convicts were given to assist in this work, they are not yet finished, nor is the hospital or the store-house that is to receive the provisions still remaining on board three transports, and on these works the carpenters of the Sirius are employed. I have before pointed out the great labour in clearing the ground as one cause of our slow progress. Your Lordship will, I hope, excuse the confused manner in which I have in this letter given an account of what has past since I left the Cape of Good Hope. It has been written at different times, and my situation at present does not permit me to begin so long a letter again, the canvas house I am under being neither wind nor water proof . + j nave &Cj A. Phillip. [Enclosure. ] Commission^: of Philip Gidley King. By His Excellency Arthur Phillip, Esq. , Governor-in-Chief and Captain-General in and over his Majest/s territory of New South Wales and its dependencies, &c, &c, &c. By virtue of the power and authority vested in me, I do hereby constitute and appoint you, Philip Gidley King, § Superintendant and Commandant of Norfolk Island, and of the settlement to be made thereon. You are therefore carefully and diligently to discharge the duty of Superintendant and Commandant of the same, by doing and * Xote 21. t >Tote 22. % Note 23. § Note 24. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 3$ performing all and every such instructions as you have, or may 1788. hereafter, from time to time, receive from me, for the good of his lD May" Majesty's service. Given under my hand and seal, at head-quarters, in Port Jackson, New South Wales, this 12th day of February, 1788. Arthur Phillip. To Philip Gidley King, Esq. , Superintendant and Commandant of Norfolk Island. By Command of his Excellency. Andrew Miller, Secretary. * [Enclosure. ] Instructions for Philip Gidley King, Esq. , Superintendant and Commandant of the Settlement of Norfolk Island. With these Instructions you will receive my Commission appoint- ing you to superintend and command the settlement to be formed on Norfolk Island, and to obey all such orders as you shall, from time to time, receive from me, his Majesty's Governor-in-Chief and Captain-General of the territory of New South Wales and its dependencies, or from the Lieutenant-Governor in my absence. You are therefore to proceed in his Majesty's armed tender To settle Supply, whose commander has my orders to receive you with the NoifoIk island, men and women, stores and provisions, necessary for forming the intended settlement, and on your landing on Norfolk Island take upon you the execution of the trust reposed in you, causing my Oommission appointing you Superintendant over the said settle- ment to be publicly read. And after' having taken the necessary measures for securing yourself and people, and for the preservation of the stores and provisions, you are immediately to proceed to the cultivation of To cultivate the flax-plant, which you will find growing spontaneously on the Stao. eornf' island, as likewise to the cultivation of cotton, corn, and other and 8rain- grains, with the seeds of which you are furnished, and which you are to regard as public stock, and of the increase of which you are to send me an account, that I may know what quantity may be drawn from the island for the public use, or what supplies may be necessary to send hereafter. It is left to your discretion to use such part of the corn that is raised as may be found necessary; but this you are to do with the greatest economy. And as the corn, flax, cotton, and other grains are the property of the Crown, and are as such to be accounted for, you are to keep an exact account of the increase, and you will, in future, receive directions for the disposal thereof. You are to inform yourself of the nature of the soil, whal pro- To study the portion of land you find proper for the cultivation of corn, flax, Ehe°]£Snd. Ser. I. Vol. I— C * Note -25. :;i HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1788. lo May To build no large boats. Provisions for six months. To enforce religious observance. To prohibit intercourse with ships. and cotton, as likewise what quantity of cattle may be bred on the island, and the number of people you judge necessary for the above purposes. You will likewise observe what are the prevail- ing winds in the different seasons of the year, the best anchorage according- to the season, the rise and fall of the tides, likewise when the dry and rainy seasons begin and end. You will be furnished with a four-oared boat, and you are not on any consideration to build or to permit the building of any vessel or boat whatever that is decked, or of any boat or vessel that is not decked, whose length of keel exceeds twenty feet; and if by any accident any vessel or boat that exceeds twenty feet keel should be driven on the island, you are immediately to cause such boat or vessel to be scuttled, or otherwise rendered unserviceable, letting her remain in that state until you receive further directions from me. You will be furnished with provisions for six months, within which time you will receive an additional supply, but, as you will be able to procure fish and vegetables, you are to endeavour to make the provisions you receive serve as long as possible. The convicts being the servants of the Crown till the time for which they are sentenced is expired, their labour is to be for the public, and you are to take particular notice of their general good or bad behaviour, that they may hereafter be employed or rewarded according to their different merits. You are to cause the prayers of the Church of England to be read with all due solemnity every Sunday, and you are to enforce a due observance of religion and good order, transmitting to me, as often as opportunity offers, a full account of your particular situation and transactions. You are not to permit any intercourse or trade with any ships or vessels that may stop at the island, whether English or of any other nation, unless such ships or vessels are in distress, in which case you are to afford them such assistance as may be in your power. Given under my hand, at head-quarters, in Port Jackson, New South Wales, this 12th day of February, 1788. Arthur Phillip. 16 May. Convict superintendents wanted. Governor Phillip to Lord Sydney. (Despatch, No. 2, per transport Alexander, duplicate per transport Friendship, triplicate per store-ship Borrowdale ; acknowledged by Rt. Hon. W. W. Grenville, 19th June, 1789. ) My Lord, Sydney Cove, Port Jackson, May 16, 1788. I have in my first letter had the honour of observing to your Lordship the great want of proper persons to superintend PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 35 the convicts. The officers who compose the detachment are not 1788. only few in number, but most of them have declined any inter- 16 May- ference with the convicts, except when they are employed for their own particular service. I requested soon after we landed that officers would occasionally encourage such as they observed diligent, and point out for punishment such as they saw idle or straggling in the woods. This was all I desired, but the officers did not understand that any interference with the convicts was expected, and that they were not sent out to do more than the duty of soldiers. The consequence must be obvious to your Lordship. Here are only convicts to attend to convicts, and who in general fear to exert any authority, and very little labour is drawn from them in a country which requires the greatest exer- tions. In this declaration I do not mean to include the Lieut. - Governor, * who has shown every attention that could be expected from him; and the Judge-Advocate, f acting as a Justice of the Peace, with a diligence that does him the greatest credit, they are under as good order as our present situation permits. The sitting as members of the Criminal Courts is thought a Members of hardship by the officers, and of which they say they were not Crimlnal Court, informed before they left England. It is necessary to mention this circumstance to your Lordship, that officers coming out may know that a young colony requires something more from officers than garrison duty. The not having the power of immediately granting lands the Want of power officers likewise feel as a hardship. They say that they shall be to officers?11 obliged to make their minds up as to the staying in the country or returning before they can know what the bounty of Govern- ment intends them. § As it is, my Lord, impossible for the Commissary || to attend to Commissariat the issuing of provisions without some person of confidence to epar men assist and to be charged with the details, I have appointed the person j| who was charged with the victualling the convicts from England. There is likewise a very useful person who acts as Provost- Provost- Martial (the one appointed in England not having come out) , | Mart, al- and who likewise superintends the different works going on. Two people, who are farmers, and the clerk of the Sirius** are Farmers, employed in cultivating ground, and in the store, as likewise a smith that superintends the convict smiths. As the granting these people any land would at present draw their attention from the public service, I have promised that their situation should be represented to your Lordship. j jlave &c A. Phillip. ♦Note 26. t Note 27. J Note 28. § Note 29. || Note 30. If Note 81. ** Note 32. HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1768. 16 May. Governor Phillip to Lord Sydney. (Despatch No. 3, per transport Alexander, duplicate per transport Friendship, triplicate per store-ship Borrowdale; acknowledged by lit. Hon. W. W. Grenville, 19th June, 1789. ) My Lord, Sydney Cove, N. S. Wales, May 16, 1788. I have the honor of transmitting your Lordship copies of the proceedings of a battalion court-martial, and the letters which passed on that occasion, by which your Lordship will see the reasons assigned by the commandant of the detachment for puting the officers under arrest, * as likewise the reasons giving by the court for not altering the sentence. Battalion court-martial being ordered by Major Ross, as Com- mandant of the detachment, when he judged necessary, I was not informed of the courts being under arrest till the next morning, when he came to inform me, and I used every means in my power to prevent a general court-martial, the inconveniences of which were obvious. Any accommodation being declined, I did not judge it prudent to put the guards in the charge of serjants, which must have been done to assemble the court, the number of officers capable of doing duty being but thirteen. + I therefore ordered the officers to return to their duty till a general court-martial could be assembled. j have &c. A. Phillip. [Enclosure No. 1. ] Proceedings of a court-martial held at Port Jackson, by order of Major Ross, Commandant of the Battalion of Marines. Captain-Lieut. Tench, President. Members: — First Lieut. Kellow, F. Lieut. Davey, F. Lieut. Poulden, F. Lieut. Timins. 18th March, 1788. Joseph Hunt, private of the 15th Compy. , bro't to trial for striking William Dempsey, private in Captain Meredith's cy. , when going to the cooking-place. William Dempsey prosecutes, and informs the court that on Sunday evening last, as he was going to the cooking-place with a pot in his hand to boil, he saw Jane Fitzgerald, a female convict, talking to another marine. The woman (Fitzgerald) asked him how he did. He told her he was well, immediately on which the prisoner came up and struck him with a stick. On his asking Hunt the meaning of such treatment, he told him that he would let him know that he had no right to speak to any woman of his (the prisoner's) ship4 Thos. Jones, marine, then coming up, asked why he struck Dempsey. He directly called him a Ports- * Note 33. t Note 34. % Note 35. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. g mouth rascal, and told him to go directly out of his sight. On itss. further advice from Jones to return to his tent, the prisoner at 16 May- length Complied. Battalion i t • c n ■ Court-martial Thomas Jones, private of the 15th Compy. , miorms the court on J. Hunt, that he was standing near the cooking-place on Sunday evening, when he heard some words between the prosecutor and prisoner of an angry nature, but which he could not distinctly make out. He says that he saw no blows pass, and that after some little time Hunt went away towards his tent. James Wedman, private of the 5th Compy. , informs the court that he was at the cooking-place at the time William Dempsey came up, and that on a female convict speaking to him, the prisoner struck him on the shoulders with a small stick he had in his hand. Dempsey showed some dissatisfaction at this, upon which Hunt struck him twice on the head with his fist, and on being told by the prosecutor that he would complain of him, the prisoner said that if he pleas'd he was welcome to do so. After this Hunt went away to the encampment. Question from the prisoner to Wedman : — Did you hear me say to Dempsey that he should not speak to a woman of the ship I came out in? Answer: I did not. Question from the prisoner to the prosecutor: — Did I strike you with my open hand or my clench'd fist ? Answer : I am not certain what it was, tho' I think rather with the open hand. The prisoner, being put on his defence, acknowledges that he struck the prosecutor, but says that he was not in earnest in it, and did it not with the intention of hurting him. Denies having said to him that he would not allow him to speak to any woman of the ship he came out in, and submits himself to the mercy of the court. The prisoner calls on the President of the court and Lieutenants Poulden and Timins for a character, and those mem- bers are glad to have it in their power to give him the character of a good soldier. The court was of opinion that the prisoner is guilty of the crime laid to his charge, and falls under a breach of the 18th Article of the 14th section of the Articles of War, * and do sen- tence him either to ask public pardon before the battalion of William Dempsey, the soldier whom he struck and injur'd, or to receive one hundred lashes on his bare back, by the drummers of the detachment, and where the commanding officer shall appoint. Watkin Tench, Capt. -Lieut. and President. The court having met a second time, by order of the command- ing officer, to reconsider the nature and extent of the crime laid * Note 36. HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1788. to the prisoner's charge, the evidence in support of the prosecu- 16 May. tion, the prisoner's defence, and their own judgment, do not in deliberating among themselves see any cause to rescind the sentence they have already given. \y VTKIN Tench Capt. -Lt. Mars, and President. L Enclosure No. 2. ] Adjutant Long to Captain-Lieutenant Tench. Sir, Camp, Port Jackson, March the 18th, 1788. I am directed by the commanding officer to inform you that the court-martial of which you was President, and which met this morning for the tryal of Joseph Hunt, private in the 15th Compy. , for striking William Dempsey, pte. in Captn. Meredith's cy. , having pass'd a sentence by no means consistent with the martial law, it is therefore his orders that you con- vene the officers composing that court and proceed to passing a sentence without the choice of two sentences, either to the commanding officer or prisoner, and enclosed herewith you will receive the original proceedings for such alterations as you and the rest of the court may think necessary. I am, &c, J. Long, 2nd-Lieut and Adjut. [Reply to Enclosure No. 2. ] Officers' Keply. Port Jackson, March 18th, Sir, 4 o'clock in the afternoon. We have had the honor of receiving your letter of this afternoon, address'd to Captn. -Lt. Tench, ordering him to convene us for the purpose of revising a second time the sentence we pass'd, after the strictest deliberation and most impartial enquiry, on Joseph Hunt, privte. in Captn. Campbell's cy. , for striking Wm. Dempsey, private in Captn. Meredith's compy. , and beg leave to acquaint you that we do not think ourselves authoriz'd to sit in judgment a third time in the same cause, as the latter part of the 10th Article of the Act of Parliament for the regula- tion of his Majesty's marine forces while on shore expressly instructs us " that no sentence given by any court-martial, and signed by the president thereof, is liable to be revised more than once. " We have, &c. , Watkin Tench, Capt. -Lt. and President. Robt. Kellow, John Poulde* Thos. Davey, Thos. Timins, m -r. ' V 1st Lieuts. and Members. Thos. Davey, C PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 39 [Enclosure No. 3. ] 1788. Adjutant Long to Officers. i6May. Sir, Camp, Port Jackson, March the 18th, 1788. Battalion I am directed by the commanding officer to acquaint the on J. Hunt a officers composing the court that there cannot be two sentences past on a prisoner tryed for one crime, and as in their original proceedings they pass'd two sentences, leaving it to the choice of the prisoner which shall be inflicted, therefore returning those proceedings could not be a reversal, because it was not a sentence. It is, therefore, his orders that you do immediately proceed to finish the court-martial that you were in orders for, by passing only one sentence for one crime. I am, &c, J. Long, 2nd Lieut, and Adjt. [Reply to Enclosure No. 3. ] Officers' Eeply. Port Jackson, 18th March, 1788, Sir, 7 o'clock in the evening. We have been honored with your answer to our letter of this afternoon, wherein you state that the proceedings of the court-martial held this morning would not be sent back a second time by you for a reversal, because a sentence was not passed. We now beg leave to observe to you that we could not then, or •do we now, conceive it possible for us to alter a judgment which wTe gave after the most impartial enquiry and most mature delibe- ration without revising and reconsidering the nature of the crime for which the prisoner was tried, the evidence given in, and the defence — matters which we cannot think it proper or military to come again under our cognizance after we had revised them, agreable to the latter part of the 10th Article of the Act of Parliament for the regulation of the marine forces while on shore, and the custom of the Army. We have, &c, Watkin Tench, Capt. -Lt. and President. Robert Kellow \ John Poulden, ( . , , T. , , r . rp -p. V 1st Lieuts. and Members. Thos. Davey, I Thos. Timins, ) [Enclosure No. 4. ]* Officers to Governor Phillip. Sir, Port Jackson, 19th March, 1788. The friendly and handsome part you have taken in endea- vouring to reconcile the unfortunate difference of opinion which subsists between us, as the members of a court-mart in I, and Major * Note 37 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF A 1ST KALI A. 1788. Ross, as commandanl of the battalion of marines, demands our warmest and most respectful acknowledgments. It is not, at the same time, without pain that we state to you that we conceive the treatment we have received so violent, and our present dis- graceful situation so notorious, that we cannot, without injustice to our feelings, consent to have the arrest we now suffer under taken off until a public reparation should have been made for the indignity we have been used with. We farther, sir, beg permis- sion to say that it is our unanimous opinion, should the measure we have stated be deemed ineligible by the commanding officer, that no meeting of officers, short of the customary usage of ser- vice in like cases, can adequately and properly fix on a mode of extricating us from the ignominious condition in which we have the honour to subscribing ourselves, sir, Your most &c Watkin Tench. John Pouldex. Robert Kellow. Thos. Davey. Thos. Timins. [Enclosure No. 5. ] Major Ross to Governor Phillip. [In a letter to the Governor there is first a copy of the above letter (7 o'clock in the evening) and then: — ] From the above answer, finding that the court-martial seemed determined to wrest all power from the commanding officer, by passing such a sentence on the prisoner they tried as to leave it solely in his power to be punished or not, as he chose, I did not think it consistant with my duty, either to the publick or myself, to resign all authority into their hands, and give up the command of the detachment entrusted to my care, — and from their determined obstinacy I had no alternative left but the very mortifying and disagreeable one of suspending the president and members that composed the court-martial from all duty, by putting them under an arrest, which I ordered the adjutant to do for disobedience of orders, til such time as the opinion of more competent judges than either them or myself might be had thereupon. Your Excellency will therefore please to take such steps in this disagreeable businesss as may appear to you most proper for the establishment of good order and military discipline, so indis- pensible and absolutely necessary in our present critical situation. I have, &c, R. Ross. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 41 [Reply to Enclosure No. 5. ] 1788 Governor Phillip to Major Eoss. 16 May. ;alion rt-marti on J. Hunt. Sir, Head-quarters, 20th March, 1788. Court-martial I have this moment received yours of this day's date, informing me that you had suspended from all duty Capt. -Lieut. Tench, Lieuts. Robert Kellow, John Poulden, Thos. Davey, and Thos. Timins, by putting them under arrest for disobedience of orders, until such time as the opinion of more competent judges than either them or yourself might be had, or the sentence past by those officers, who were ordered by you to assemble on the 18th inst. for the trial of a private marine for unsoldierlike behaviour; your not approving of the sentence past by the said officers, which, by your letter, left a choice of two sentences to the prisoner, and they refusing to make any change in the sentence, which in their letter they say they had revised once, and were not at liberty to revise a second time, by the Act of Parliament past for the regulation of his Majesty's marine forces while on shore. As there are only four captains and twelve lieutenants* in the detachment, two of which from their sickness are unable to do their duty, the having one captain and four lieutenants under arrest out of so small a number must very materially affect the service. The opinion of most competent judges, if you mean the opinion of the officers who compose the detachment, may be had without any official application to me for that purpose, if you and the officers under arrest are satisfied to leave it to their decision; and I shall be very happy if it can be immediately settled by this means, and which I hope neither you nor the officers under arrest will refuse, as I know no other alternative, if not immediately settled, but that of a general court-martial. I have, &c, A. Phillip. [Enclosure No. 6. ] Major Ross to Governor Phillip. Sir, Camp, Port Jackson, 21 March, 1788. Having found myself reduced to the most disagreeable necessity of ordering Captn. -Lieut. Watkin Tench, First Lieut. Robert Kellow, First Lieut. John Poulden, First Lieut. Thos. Davey, and First Lieut. Thos. Timins, the first as president and the others as members of a court-martial, which I ordered to assemble on the 18th for the trial of Joseph Hunt, pte. marine, and both of the detachment under my command, under an arresl for passing what they call a sentence on the prisoner tried by them of such a nature as, in my opinion, tends greatly to the * Note 38. t-2 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1788. subversion of all military discipline, by passing two judgements, 16 May' and thereby leaving it solely in the breast of the prisoner, after finding him guilty, whether he should or should not receive corporal punishment, and for positively refusing when directed by my order to make any alteration in the sentences they had pass'd on the above Joseph Hunt, — I have therefore to request that you will please to order a general court-martial to assemble for the trial of the above officers for refusing to make any alteration in a sentence passed by them on the prisoner tried, which, if suffered to pass, intro- duces a precedent in its consequences subversive of all order and military discipline, and takes all the power of mitigation out of the hands of the commanding officer, or in any other manner that may appear to your Excellency most likely to restore har- mony and support that military discipline and good order which is absolutely necessary to maintain in the present critical situa- tion of the detachment. I have, kc, K. Ross, Major. [Enclosure No. 7. ] General Order. Parole, Bengal. Head-quarters, 22nd March, 1788. The major commandant of the detachment doing duty in this settlement having, by letter dated the 21st instant, reported the following officers under an arrest, viz. : — Captain-Lieutenant Watkin Tench, First Lieutenant Robert Kellow, First Lieutenant John Poulden, First Lieutenant Thos. Davey, and First Lieu- tenant Thomas Timins, the first as president and the others as members of a court-martial which he ordered to assemble on the 18th inst. , for the trial of a private belonging to the detachment, the said court having, in his opinion, passed a sentence which tends to the subversion of all military discipline, and requesting that a general court-martial may be ordered to assemble for the trial of the aforesaid officers for refusing to make any alteration in the said sentence, or that it might be settled in any manner most likely to restore harmony and support that military discip- line and good order which is so absolutely necessary to be main- tained. The officers under arrest having declined the proposal made of submitting the determination of this affair to any number of officers, and having informed the Judge-Advocate, who had orders to propose that or any other mode of settling this matter without a general court-martial, that they being put under an arrest by PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 43 the Commandant did not conceive that anything less than a legal 1788. decision by a general court-martial, or a public reparation from 16 Ma>"- their commandant, would clear their characters. Battalion The service does not at this moment permit a general court- on" Sunt!*1 martial to be assembled, the officers composing the detachment (exclusive of the five officers under arrest) being no more than three captains and eleven subalterns, * one of which is confined to his bed by sickness, which reduces the number of officers in this settlement eligible to sit on this occasion to thirteen, con- sequently not leaving any one officer for duty. It is therefore ordered that the minutes of the trial of the aforesaid private soldier, with the letters that have passed on the occasion between the court and the commandant of the detachment, be delivered to the Judge- Advocate, that when the service permits by there being a sufficient number of officers to form a general court- martial, and for the necessary duty of the camp, a general court- martial may be then held on the said Capt. -Lt. Watkin Tench, First Lt. Eobt. Kellow, First Lt. John Poulden, First Lt. Thos. Davey, and First Lt. Thos. Timins, if such general court-martial shall be then required by either of the parties. The officers now under arrest to return to their duty. Geo. Johnston/}- Adjut. of Orders. A true copy from the original. David Collixs, Judge-Advocate. [Enclosure No. 8. ] Declaration of Officers. We are put under an arrest by the commanding officer for dis- obedience of his orders. We are now ordered out of it, and whenever Major Ross shall think proper to bring the merits or demerits of our conduct to a legal decision we are ready to meet the charge, and we once more repeat that a general court-martial only can bring the matter to a proper issue. Watkin Texch, Cap. -Lt. of Mars. Robert Kellow, 1st Lt. Johx Poulden, 1st Lt. Thos. Davey, 1st Lt. Thos. Timixs, 1st Lt. Under Secretary Nepeax to Governor Phillip. 2nd June, 1788. 2 June, [A copy of this despatch has not yet been found. It was a covering letter to the Estimates submitted for the "financial year * Note 38. t Note 39. II HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1788. : June. 1788-1789, and was acknowledged by Governor Phillip on lJfth June, 1790, after its receipt per transport Lady Juliana on 3rd June, 1700. ] Spirits issued as medicine. Governor Phillip to Under Secretary Nepean. (Per transport Alexander, duplicate per transport Friendship : acknowledged by Under Secretary Nepean, 20th June, 1789. ) Sydney Cove, Port Jackson, Dear Sir, July the 5th, 1788. 5 July. Having, pursuant to the instructions I received from the Right Honourable the Lord Sydney, ordered the Commissary to purchase a sufficient quantity of spirits at Rio de Janeiro to serve the garrison for three years from the time of their landing, the same is issued according to the instructions; but the soldiers' wives soon after landing being sickly, and the surgeon judging that a small quantity of spirits would be of service, I then ordered the Commissary to issue to each soldier's wife half the proportion of spirits allowed the husbands — that is, one-quarter of a pint per day, on condition that the quantity so issued should be hereafter stop'd from the husbands' allowance if not approved of. Rations. The same ration is settled by the Navy Board for the detach- ment as for the convicts, and is as follows, viz. : — Rations for seven days successively for each marine and male convict — Seven pounds of bread, or, in lieu thereof, seven pounds of flour. Seven pounds of beef, or, in lieu thereof, four pounds of pork ; three pints of pease; six ounces of butter; one pound of flour, or, in lieu thereof, half a pound of rice. I am informed that seven pounds of pork is given to the soldiers in the settlement when they are served pork, and not four pounds of pork in lieu of seven pounds of beef; and here, as is the custom of the Navy, the eighth is deducted. You will, sir, be so good as to explain the intent of Government on this head. The eighth is stopped for the benefit of the Crown, and to make up for the loss in serving in small quantities. The Commissary, of course, has not any advantage from the provi- sions. Orders The one pound of flour is not clearly understood. If intended ambiguous: to ^e g{yen Weekly, as is done, or if it was intended to be given in lieu of pease, which from the manner of wording the order from the Navy Board does not appear to have been the intention PHILLIP TO NEPEAN AND SYDNEY. 45 of Government. If it is not the intention of Government that the 1788. eighth should be stopped, I have promised that they should be 5 July* repaid when the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of his Majesty's Treasury have signified their pleasure thereon. Every possible attention will be given to the cultivation of the Cultivation of flax-plant when circumstances permit, and on our first arrival in ax" this port it was frequently met with; but when I judged the seed to be ripe, and ordered it to be collected, very little was found, and none in those places where it had been seen in any quantity, which I impute to the natives pulling up the plant when in flower to make their fishing-lines. A few plants have been collected, and which are sent home under the care of the agent of the transports. Sheep do not thrive in this country at present, but as many Cattle cows with one or two young bulls as the ships intended for this requlre * settlement that touch at the Cape can receive on board will, I hope, be ordered, as likewise seeds and a few quarters of wheat, barley, and Indian corn. Cloathing for the natives, if sent out, will, I daresay, be very Clothing for acceptable to them when they come amongst us. I should recom- mend long frocks and jackets only, which will equally serve both men and women. A great part of the cloathing I have, sir, already observed* was very bad, and a great part of it was likewise too small for people of common size. If some coarse blankets were to be sent out they would greatly contribute to preserve the health of the convicts. In addition to the frocks and jackets for the natives, good Presents for house carpenters' axes, hats, hooks, and lines will be the most beneficial, as well as most acceptable, to the natives. I have, &c, A. Phillip. Governor Phillip to Lord Sydney. (Despatch No. 4, per transport Alexander, duplicate per transport Friendship, triplicate per store-ship Borrowdale ; acknowledged by Rt Hon. W. W. Grenville, 19th June, 1789. ) Sydney Cove, New South Wales, My Lord, . July the 9th, 1788. 9 July. I have had the honor of informing your Lordship of the Public stores situation of this colony prior to the 15th of May, since which two stores have been finished, and the ships are now Landing the remainder of the stores and provisions. * Note 40. i<; HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1788. i) July. Officers returning on sick leave. Marines' quarters Periodical. supplies necessary. Failure to obtain turtle The commandant of the detachment, having enclosed letters from First Lieutenant James Maxwell and Second Lieutenant William Collins, and desired that their requests to return to Europe might be complied with, if their state of health was found by the surgeon to be as represented, and the surgeon having reported First Lieutenant Maxwell as incapable of duty, from a defect in his sight, and Second Lieutenant Collins to be so debilitated in state from a long illness that his life depends on his returning to Europe, these officers have my leave; and Lieutenant Collins is charged with the despatches for your Lordship. Lieu- tenant Dawes, * who came out as a lieutenant of marines on board the Sirius, replaces one of these officers. The hutting the battalion is still going on, and though from seventy to one hundred convicts have been almost constantly employed assisting in this business, it will not, I apprehend, be finished before the end of Julyf ; and every day proves the neces- sity of proper persons being sent out to superintend the convicts. If a small number of carpenters and bricklayers are sent out with proper people, who are capable of superintending the convicts, they will soon be rendered serviceable to the State, and without which they will remain for years a burden to Government. Numbers of them have been brought up from their infancy in such indolence that they would starve if left to themselves; and many (their numbers now exceed fifty) , from old age and dis- orders which are incurable, and with which they were sent from England, are incapable of any kind of work. Thus situated, your Lordship will excuse my observing a second time^: that a regular supply of provisions from England will be absolutely necessary for four or five years, as the crops for two years to come cannot be depended on for more than what will be necessary for seed, and what the Sirius may procure can only be to breed from. Should necessity oblige us to make use of what that ship may be able to procure, I do not apprehend that the live stock she will bring in twelve months will be more than a month's provision for the colony; and the Supply is totally unfit for a service of this kind. Lieutenant Ball returned the 25th§ from Lord Howe Island, where I had sent him in hopes he would have been able to pro- cure some turtle for the sick, but the weather was bad, and that island, not having any good . water, will not be of any service to us, for Lieutenant Ball did not see any turtle, nor does he suppose they were bred there. The transports that sailed for China || had my directions not to go to that island, but they all appeared there before the Supply left it, and one was near being lost. * Note 41. f Note 42. % Note 43. § Note 44. || Note 45. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 4 The store-ships and transports, as cleared, are ordered to 17S8. prepare to return to England immediately, but some of their 9 July# sheathing being much destroyed by the worms, it is necessary tc Shipping- permit several of those ships to heave down. One of the convicts who, in searching for vegetables, had gone a convict a considerable distance from the camp, returned very dangerously pea wounded in the back by a spear. He denies having given the natives any provocation, and says that he saw them carrying away a man that had gone out for the same purpose, and who they had wounded on the head. A shirt and hat, both pierced with spears, have been since found in one of the natives' huts, but no intelligence can be got of the man, and I have not any doubt but that the natives have killed him, nor have I the least doubt of the convicts being the aggressors. Eleven male and one female convicts have been missing since we landed. A bull stock speared, calf has likewise been wounded by a spear, and two goats have been killed by some of our own people, the skin of one being found where the natives never appear, so that the little stock we now have is likely to decrease; and though robberies are punished with severity, there is not a week passes but there are people who lose their provisions and cloaths, which in our present situation it is impossible to prevent. I should hope that few convicts will be sent out this year or Artificer the next, unless they are artificers, and after what I have had wanted8 the honour of observing to your Lordship I make no doubt but proper people will be sent to superintend them. * The ships that bring out convicts should have at least the two years' provisions on board to land with them, for the putting the convicts on board some ships and the provisions that were to support them in others, as was done, I beg leave to observe, much against my intimation, must have been fatal if the ship carrying the provisions had been lost. I have the honour to enclose your Lordship the intended plan Plan of for the town. f The Lieutenant-Governor has already begun a small house, which forms one corner of the parade, and I am building a small cottage on the east side of the cove, where I shall remain for the present with part of the convicts and an officer's guard. The convicts on both sides are distributed in huts, which are built only for immediate shelter. On the point of land which forms the west side of the cove an Observatory is building, under the direction of Lieutenant Dawes, who is charged by the Board of Longitude with observing the expected comet. £ The temporary buildings are marked in black; those intended to remain, in red. We now make very good bricks, and * Note 46. t Note 47. J Note 48. Sydney, 48 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. L788. the stone is good, but do not find either limestone or chalk. " As stores and other buildings will be begun in the course of a Plan of Sydney. few months, some regular plan £01 the town was necessary, and in laying out of which I have endeavoured to place all public buildings in situations that will be eligible hereafter, and to give a sufficient share of ground for the stores, hospitals, &c, to be enlarged, as may be necessary in the future. The principal streets are placed so as to admit a free circulation of air, and are two hundred feet wide. The ground marked for Government House is intended to include the main guard, Civil and Criminal Courts, and as the ground that runs to the southward is nearly level, and a very good situation for buildings, streets will be laid out in such a manner as to afford a free air, and when the houses are to be built, if it meets with your Lordship's approbation, the land will be granted with a clause that will ever prevent more than one house being built on the allotment, which will be sixty feet in front and 150 feet in depth. This will preserve uniformity in the buildings, prevent narrow streets, and the many incon- veniences which the increase of inhabitants would otherwise occasion hereafter. The hospital is a building that will stand for some years. It is clear of the town, and the situation is healthy. * The barracks and huts now building for the officers and men will stand three or four years. If water could be found by sinking wells on the high ground between the town and the hospital, I proposed building the barracks on that spot, and surrounding them with such works as we may be able to make, and which I did intend beginning as soon as the transports were cleared and the men hutted; but I now find that without some additional workmen the progress must be so very slow that that design is laid aside, and the only building I shall attempt will be a store-house. That will be secure, those we have already built being not only in danger from fire, from being thatched, but of material that will not stand more than two years. The barracks, and all buildings in future, will be covered with shingles, which we now make from a tree like the pine-tree in appearance, the wood resembling the English oak. Murders by The 30th of May two men employed collecting thatch at some natives. distance from the camp were found dead; one of them had four spears in him, one of which had passed through his body; the other was found at some distance dead, but without any apparent injury. This was a very unfortunate circumstance, and the more, as it will be impossible to discover the people who committed the murder, and I am still persuaded the natives were not the aggressors. These men had been seen with one of their canoes, but I was not informed of that circumstance for some days. * Note 49. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 49 Though I did not mean to punish any of the natives for killing 1788> these people, which, it is more than probable, they did in their 9 Jul>- own defence, or in defending their canoes, I wished to see them, Explanations and as they had carried away the rushcutters' tools, I thought soug ' they might be found out, and some explanation take place, for which purpose I went out with a small party the next day, and landed where the men were killed; but after traversing the country more than twenty miles we got to the north shore of Botany Bay without meeting any of the natives. There we saw about twenty canoes fishing. It was then sunset, and as we made our fires and slept on the beach I did not doubt but some of them would join us, but not one appeared; and the next morning, tho' fifty canoes were drawn up on the beach, we could not find a single person; but on our return, keeping for some time near the sea-coast, we came to a cove where a number of the natives were assembled, I believe more than what belonged to that particular spot. Though we were within ten yards when we first discovered each other, I had barely time to order the party to halt before numbers appeared in arms, and the foremost of them, as he advanced, made signs for us to retire, but upon my going up to Phillip's him, making signs of friendship, he gave his spear to another, nra\ajv™ent of and in less than three minutes we were surrounded by two hun- dred and twelve men, numbers of women and children were at a small distance, and whether by their superiority of numbers, for we were only twelve, or from their not being accustomed to acj; with treachery, the moment the friendship I offered was accepted on their side they joined us, most of them laying down their spears and stone hatchets with the greatest confidence, and after- wards brought down some of their women to receive the little articles we had to give them. I saw nothing to induce me to believe these people had been concerned in the murther which had been committed. We parted on friendly terms, and I was now more than ever convinced of the necessity of placing a confidence in these people as the only means of avoiding a dispute. Had I gone up to them with all the party, though only twelve, or hesitated a moment, a lance would have been thrown, and it would have been impossible to have avoided a dispute. Here we saw the finest stream of fresh water I have seen in this country, but the cove is open to the sea. When the natives saw we were going on towards the next cove, one of them, an old Friendly , . , , . n i 1 natives. man, made signs to let him go first, and as soon as we were at the top of the hill he called out, holding up both his hands (a sign of friendship) to the people in the next cove, giving them to under- stand that we were friends; we did not go to thai cove, but saw Bee. 1. Vol. I— d 50 HISTORICAL h'KCOKhS CM- AUSTRALIA. 1788. n some particular occasion, the inhabitants are still more numerous than 1 bad imagined. I have before had the honor of observing to your Lordship that we had traced tin- natives thirty miles inland, and this morning, in crossing the hills between Botany Bay and Port Jackson, we saw smoke on the top of Landsdowne Hills, so that I think there cannot be any doubt of there being inhabitants fifty miles inland. His Majesty's birthday was observed with every possible mark of attention our situation permitted. The three men that had been reprieved from death, * in order to be exiled, were fully pardoned, and for the twenty-four hours I believe there was not one heavy heart in this part of his Majesty's dominions. If we had been unfortunate in our live stock in general, I had the satisfaction of seeing the cows and horses thrive; but the man who attended the former, having left them for a short time, they strayed and were lost. f The loss of four cows and two bulls will not easily be repaired. Pardon, my Lord, these tedious relations of robberies and losses; it is the only means I have of giving your Lordship a faint idea of the situation in which I am placed. Of the live stock purchased at the Cape, part died on the passage, and the greatest part of what remained since landing. Having reason to believe that one of the natives had been murthered and several wounded, which, it is probable, occasioned the attack on the rushcutter, I have promised to emancipate any convict that will discover the aggressors; it will, I hope, at least prevent anything of this kind in future. A convict who had committed a robbery, and absconded the 5th of June, returned the 24th, almost starved; he found it impossible to subsist in the woods. One of the natives gave him a fish, but then made signs for him to go away. He says he after- wards joined a party of the natives, who would have burned him, but that he got away from them, and that he saw the remains of a human body on the fire. In the woods he saw four of the natives who were dying, and who made signs ^or food. This man was tried, pleaded guilty, and suffered with another convict. He persisted in the story respecting the natives intending to burn him, and I now believe they find the procuring a subsistence very difficult, for little fish is caught. The 22nd of this month (June) we had a slight shock of an earthquake; it did not last more than two or three seconds. I felt the ground shake under me, and heard a noise that came from the southward, which I at first took for the report of guns fired at a great distance. Xote 50. t Xote 51. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 51 Four ships are now clear, and preparing to sail the first week 1788. in July;* a fifth will be clear in a few days, if the heavy rains 9 July- we have had these two days will cease, and will sail with Shipping, them. The store-ship that has the spirits on board must remain some time longer. I hope to send Ler away by the middle of August. Tho' we have had heavy rains at the change of the moon, this cannot be called a rainy season. The climate is a very fine climate, one, and the country will, I make no doubt, when the woods are cleared away, be as healthy as any in the world, but is, I believe, subject to violent storms of thunder and lightning. Soon after we landed, several trees were fired by the lightning, and several sheep and hogs killed in the camp. Of the convicts, 36 men and 4 women died on the passage, 20 ^^tsics men and 8 women since landing — eleven men and one woman absconded; four have been executed, and three killed by the natives. The number of convicts now employed in erecting the necessary buildings and cultivating the lands only amounts to 320 — and the whole number of people victualled amounts to 966f — consequently we have only the labour of a part to provide for the whole. Your Lordship will doubtless see the necessity of employing a considerable force in the country, and I presume an addition of five hundred men will be absolutely requisite to enable me to detach three or four companys to the more open country near the head of the harbour. I could have wished to have given your Lordship a more pleasing account of our present situation; and am persuaded I shall have that satisfaction hereafter; nor do I doubt but that value of this country will prove the most valuable acquisition Great colon*- Britain ever made; at the same time no country offers less assist- ance to the first settlers than this does; nor do I think any country could be more disadvantageously placed with respect to support from the mother country, on which for a few years we must entirely depend. The heavy rains have prevented the provisions and stores being landed so soon as I expected. It is now the 9th July, * and the ships sail the 12th. Duplicates and triplicates of my despatches to your Lordship go by these ships, and I have the honor of enclosing your Lordship the returns of the detachment and of the sick; the necessary demands for the hospital, &c, are sent to the Under Secretaries of State. T , 1 nave, &c, A. Phillip. * Note 42. f Note 52. HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1788. ) July. I Enclosure No. 1. ] An Account of Live Stock in the Settlement, May 1st, 1788. To whom A a s i 03 g belonging. g ■I. 3 | (D i i/. ' z i i - ■c O H - c - 3 M Eh ■- = o A X <-. o 33 O CO O w - - - ^ ~ Government 1 2 2 2 1 ram 12 ewes 1 1 boar 19 sows Governor 1 3 2 3 wethers 1 ewe 1 lamb 10 3 5 8 17 22 Lieut. -Governor.. 1 1 7 5 6 4 'J Officers and men belonging to the detachment ... 1 L2 10 17 2 6 9 8 55 25 Staff 11 5 7 1 2 6 6 36 62 Other individuals Total 1 1 3 3 2 5 29 19 49 25 . ") lb 29 ■Ao L22 87 Since the 1st of May, three sheep dead, and the cows and bulls lost. Andrew Miller, Commissary. [Enclosure No. 2. 1 The Marines. General Return of the four Companies of Marines doing duty in the Settlement in New South Wales, July the 9th, 1788. Present- Fit for duty Unfit for duty Adjutant of orders and Officer of engineers Absent — On command With leave Without leave In gaols Wanting to complete Total Alteration since last return — Joined the detachment .... Discharged Dead Deserted Promoted to Serjeants , , corporals Reduced Drummers made privates... Privates made drummers .. o - 1-5 -C 12 12 12 N. B. — John Ross, * volunteer, doing duty without pay. R. Ross, Major. Note 53. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 53 Return of the Officers. Officers' Names. 1788. 9 July. Present. Doing duty at Head- quarters. Absent. S3 « o g fi5 >> T3 S3 o O c <3 CO o '5 S-l V S3 eS s s CD > OS o o g o (S3 ^"° ^ a 1 ^ «io OS o Major-Commandant, Robert Ross Captains — James Campbell John Shea Capt . -Lieutenants — James Meredith Watkin Tench First Lieutenants — George Johnstone John Creswell Robert Kellow John Poulden John Johnstone James Maitland Shairp Thomas Davey Thoma? Timins Second Lieutenants — Ralph Clarke William Dawes William Faddy Adjutant, Second Lieutenant, John Long... Q'r-master, First Lieutenant, James Furzer Judge-Advocate, David Collins 1 ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: r* .. '. .. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. "i "Sick. R. Ross, Major. [Enclosure No. 3. ] A Return of Sick, &c, June 30, 1788 :— Marines sick in the hospital 4 Convalescents in ditto 2 Marines sick in camp 18 Convalescents in ditto 6 Wives and children of marines sick in ditto 6 Total belonging to the battalion under medical treatment ... 36 Of marines dead from the time of embarkation to landing 1 Women ditto 1 Children ditto 1 Marines dead since landing 3 Women ditto 0 Children ditto 2 Medical returns. Total dead from the time of embarkation to the prpsent date 8 1788. 9 July. HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. A Return of Sick, &c. , — continued. Convicts sick in the hospital 20 Convalescents in ditto 4 Convicts sick in camp 26 Convalescents in ditto 16 Total of convicts under medical treatment 66 Male convicts dead from the time of embarkation to landing 36 Female convicts ditto 4 Convicts' children ditto 5 45 Male convicts dead since landing 20 Female ditto 8 Convicts' children ditto 8 Total dead from the time of embarkation to the present date 81 Convicts unfit for labour from old age, infirmities, &c 52 John White, Surgeon. Sydney Cove, Port Jackson. Governor Phillip to Under Secretary Nepean. (A private letter; acknowledged by Under Secretary Nepean, 20th June, 1789. ) My Dear Sir, Sydney Cove, July the 9th, 1788. You will see by my letters to Lord Sydney that this colony must for some years depend on supplies from England. The Sirius will be sent to the northward for live stock as soon as we can spare her carpenters; and from what Monsieur La Perouse said to Captain Hunter, one of the lies des Naviga- teurs is the most likely to furnish us with what we want. But though these islands supply two or three ships very abundantly, they will afford but very little towards the support ot this colony, the situation of which I have particularly pointed out in my letter to Lord Sydney, and which I shall recapitulate in this, as the ship by which I now write may arrive before either of those that have my despatches on board. * The Lieutenant-Governor has about four acres of land in culti- vation. I have from eight to ten in wheat and barley. The officers will be able to raise sufficient to support the little live % * Note 54. PHILLIP TO NEPEAN. 55 stock they have, and which is all that can be expected from 1788. them. All the corn raised this year and the next will be saved for 9 July• seed, and if necessity should oblige us to use it it would be only a few days' support for the colony; and from the rats and other vermin the crops are very uncertain. This country is subject to very heavy storms of thunder and Climate, lightning, several trees having been set on fire and some sheep and dogs killed in the camp since we landed. All the provisions we have to depend on until supplies arrive storehouses from England are in two wooden buildings, which are thatched. unsafe- I am sensible of the risk, but have no remedy. The greatest part of the stock brought from the Cape is dead, Report on ^nd from the inattention of -the men who had the care of the cattle, those belonging to Government and two cows belonging to myself are lost. As they have been missing three weeks, it is probable they are killed by the natives. All my sheep are dead, and a few only remain of those purchased for Government. The loss of four cows and two bulls falls very heavy. * The horses do very well. With respect to any resources that the Cape of Good Hope Difficulties to might afford, I have only to observe that the strong westerly beaA01ded- winds that prevailed all the year between that Cape and the southern extremity of this country would render a passage to the Cape very tedious if attempted to the southward, and little less so if ships go to the northward. Batavia and our own settlements are at a great distance, and when the transports are sailed I shall have only the Sirius to employ on a service of this kind; and as I should not tKink myself at liberty to send either to the Cape or the East Indies unless in a case of the greatest necessity, it would in all probability then be too late. I mention these cir- cumstances just to show the real situation of the colony, and I make no doubt but that supplies will arrive in time, and on which alone I depend. The provisions sent to support this colony for two years being put on board three ships was running a very great risk, for had they separated and afterwards been lost the consequence is obvious, for this country at present does not fur- nish the smallest resource except in fish, and which has lately been so scarce that the natives find great difficulty in supporting themselves. Any accident of this kind will be guarded against, of course; and soldiers or convicts when sent out will be put on board the ships with provisions to serve them for two years after they land; and in our present situation I hope few convicts will be sent out for one year at least, except carpenters, unisons, and bricklayers, or farmers, who can support themselves and assisl in * Note 51. 56 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1788. supporting others. Numbers of those now here are a burthen njllly- and incapable of any kind of hard labour, and, unfortunately, we have not proper people to keep those to their labour who are capable of being made useful. Conductof Officers decline the least interference with the convicts, unless marine officers. . ' when they arc immediately employed for their (the officers) own convenieney, or when they are called out at the head of their men : the saying of a few words to encourage the diligent when they saw them at work, and the pointing out the idle when they could do it without going out of their way, was all that was desired. The convicts were then employed clearing the ground on which the officers were encamped, and this they refused; they did not suppose that they were sent out to do more than garrison duty, and these gentlemen (that is, the majority of the officers) think the being obliged to sit as members of the Criminal Court an hardship, and for which they are not paid, and likely think themselves hardly dealt by, in that Government had not deter- mined what lands were to be given them. " But I presume an additional force will be sent out when the necessity of making detachments in order to cultivate lands in the more open country is known, and from four to six hundred men will, I think, be absolutely necessary. Trained farmers If fifty farmers were sent out with their families they wrould do more in one year in rendering this colony independent of the mother country, as to provisions, than a thousand convicts. There is some clear land, which is intended to be cultivated, at some distance from the camp, and I intended to send out convicts for that purpose, under the direction of a person that was going to India in the Charlotte, transport, but who remained to settle in this country, and has been brought up a farmer, but several of the convicts (three) having been lately killed by the natives, I am obliged to defer it untill a detachment can be made. wanted. ^oluhtion ^e natiyes are ^ar more numerous than they were supposed to be. I think they cannot be less than fifteen hundred in Botany Bay, Port Jackson, and Broken Bay, including the intermediate coast. I have traced thirty miles inlandf and the having lately seen smoke on Landsdown Hills, which are fifty miles inland, I think leaves no doubt but that there are inhabitants in the interior parts of the country. stores j Lists of what articles are most wanted will be sent by the Commissary; and I am very sorry to say that not only a great part of the cloathing, particularly the women's, is very bad, but most of the axes, spades, and shovels the worst that ever were- * Note 29. f Note 55. required. PHILLIP TO NEPEAN. 57 seen. The provision is as good. Of the seeds and corn sent from 1788. England part has been destroyed by the weevil; the rest in very good order. The person I have appointed Provost-Marshall* is likewise very Appointments, useful in superintending the carpentry; the person sent out by the contractor, who assists the Commissary in the delivery of provisions, one that was clerk of the Sirius, a master smith, and two farmers are very useful people, f and I beg leave to recom- mend them to Government. The granting them lands would draw their attention from their present occupations. We had a slight shock of an earthquake in the afternoon of the Earthquake. 22nd [June] ; it lasted between two and three seconds, and was attended with a noise like the report of very distant cannon, which came from the southward. The Fishburn, store-ship, is detained until a proper place can Shipping be provided for the spirits; and the rains have for some days prevented the landing the remainder of the provisions from the Golden Grove; therefore those two ships will sail together, I hope, by the end of August; the other ships have all cleared, and preparing to sail. The masters of the transports having left with the agents the Convict indent bonds and whatever papers they received that related to the P convicts, I have no account of the time for which the convicts are sentenced, or the dates of their convictions:}: some of them, by their own account, have little more than a year to remain, and, I am told, will apply for permission to return to England, or to go to India, in such ships as may be willing to receive them. If lands are granted them, Government will be obliged to support them for two years; and it is more than probable that one-half of them, after that time is expired, will still want support. Until I receive instructions on this head, of course none will be per- mitted to leave the settlement; but if, when the time for which they are sentenced expires, the most abandoned and useless were permitted to go to China, in any ships that may stop here, it would be a great advantage to the settlement. The weather is now unsettled, and heavy rains fall frequently, Climate, but the climate is certainly a very fine one, but the nights are very cold, and I frequently find a difference of thirty-three de- grees in my chamber between 8 o'clock in the morning and 2 o'clock in the afternoon, though the sun does not reach the ther- mometer, which is at the west end of my canvass house. ^ A convict who fled to the woods after committing a robbery returned after being absent eighteen days, forced in by hunger; he had got some small support from the people, and the tew fish * Note 31. f Note 5G. J Note 4. g Note 22. HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTEALIA. 17--. 9 July, Proposed exploration. Value of colonv. left by accident on the beach after hauling the seine, and had endeavoured to live amongst the natives, but they could give him but little assistance; he says they are now greatly distressed for food, and that he -aw several dying with hunger. It is possible that some of the natives at this time of the year might find it easier to support themselves on birds, and such animals as shelter themselves in the hollow trees, than on fish; but then, I think, they would not go to the top of the mountains, where at present it must be very cold. I intend going to Landsdown or Carmar- then Hills as soon as the weather permits, if it is possible, and which will explain what is at present a mystery to me, how people who have not the least idea of cultivation can maintain them- selves in the interior parts of this country. When I went to the westward, in hopes of being able to reach the mountains, we carried six days' provisions, and proceeded five days to the west- ward; returning we were very short of provisions, and our guns only procured us two scanty meals. I shall now conclude with saying that I have no doubt but that the country will hereafter prove a most valuable acquisition to Great Britain, though at present no country can aiford less support to the first settlers, or be more disadvantageously placed for receiving support from the mother country, on which it must for a time depend. It will require patience and perseverance, neither of which will, I hope, be wanting on the part of Dear Sir, Yours, &c, A. Phillip. County of Cumberland. His Majesty's Commission, with that for establishing the Courts of Civil and Criminal Judicature, were read soon after landing, * and as it is necessary in Public Acts to name the county, I named it Cumberland, and fixed its boundaries by Carmarthen and Landsdown Hills to the westward, by the northern parts of Broken Bay to the northward, and by the southernmost part of Botany Bay to the southward. I have enclosed copies of a letter I have received from the surgeon, reporting the state of the hospital and the great necessity of blankets and sheets, as well as sugar, and those articles coming under the denomination of necessaries, and the want of which is equally felt by the marines and convicts. The number of marines now under medical treatment 36 Convicts 66 Unfit for labour from old age and infirmities 52 * Xote 57. PHILLIP TO NEPEAK. 59 [Enclosure No. 1. ] 1788. A List of Articles most wanted in the Settlement. House carpenters' axes Iron in bars Chalk-lines (none sent out) Steel in ditto Felling-axes Armourers' tools (none sent out) Cross-cut saws Gunpowder, musquet balls and paper Pit saws for the use of the garrison (none SaAv setts sent out) Files for cross-cut and pit saws (a Strong double tin plates considerable number, as they soon Stonemasons' tools wear out) Trowels for bricklayers Gimlets, augers, chissels and gouges Glass, not less than 10 inches by 8 Iron pots of 3, 4, and 5 gallons Fifteen puncheons of red wine, for (much wanted at this time) the use of the hospital Billhooks Hooks and fishing lines for the natives Scyths and reap-hooks Cloathing for the men and women Nails, mostly of 1 8, 20, and 24 penny convicts, with a large proportion Nails (spike) , brads of shoes Sheet and pig lead Long frocks and strong jackets for Swan and buck shot the natives White and red paint Soldiers' blankets for the convicts Oil for ditto Twelve turn-over carts Wheel-barrows For boats' Four timber carriages sails Blacksmiths' hammers Carpenters' ditto Turkey stones for the carpenters' Canvas, No. 3, 6 bolts " „ 4, „ „ 6, 8 „ '» '' 8^6 " Twine, one hundred weight tools (none sent out) Sail needles Rope, of 1^ inch, 1 coil Copper nails for repairing boats , , 1 , , , , Andw. Miller, 9th July, 1788. Commissary. [Enclosure No. 2. ] Surgeon White* to Governor Phillip. Sydney Cove, Port Jackson, Sir, July the 4th, 1788. Among the troops, their wives and children, as well as among the convicts who have been ill, the want of necessaries to aid the operation of medicine has been most materially and sensibly felt. My duty leads me to mention this circumstance to your Excellency in order that you may use such means for their procurement as may seem most expedient. For your Excellency's information I have taken the liberty to insert the articles in the marginf which come under the head of necessaries, to which I beg leave to add blankets and sheets for the hospital, none of which are in the colony, altho' they are essential and absolutely necessary. The want of them makes * Note 58. t Sugar, sago, barley, rice, oatmeal, currants, spices, vinegar, portable soup, tamarinds. 60 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1788. ) July. that observance and attention to cleanliness (a circumstance which among sick persons cannot be too much inculcated or attended to) , utterly impossible. With respect to necessaries, our situation here, constantly living on salt provisions without any possibility of a change, makes them more necessary than perhaps in any other quarter of the globe. I have, &c. , John White, Surgeon. 10 Julv. Division of fleet. Australian coast sighted. Arrival at Botany Bay. Governor Phillip to Secretary Stephens. * (Per transport Alexander, duplicate per transport Friendship. ) Sydney Cove, New South Wales, Sir, July 10th, 1788. You will please to inform the Right Honorable the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty that I sailed from the Cape of Good Hope with the ships under my command the 12th of November, leaving my despatches for their Lordships with Captain Cox, who was at the Cape on his way to Europe from India. The wind continuing southerly for some days after we sailed, it was the 23rd before we past the Cape, and the 25th being eighty leagues to the eastward of it, then having strong westerly winds, I left the Sirius and went on board the Supply, armed tender, in order to precede the transports, in hopes of gaining a sufficient time to examine Botany Bay, and fix on the most eligible situation for the colony; at the same time I named Lieutenant Shortland. f the agent for the transports, who was on board the Alexander, to follow with that ship, the Scarborough, and Friendship. They sailed better than the other transports, and I wished to make some preparation for landing the stores and provisions, which the convicts on board those ships would enable me to do, if they arrived soon after the Supply, and before the other ships, as I had reason to expect. Captain Hunter, in the Sirius, was left with the rest of the transports. This was the first separation that had taken place since we left England, and the ships were then all very healthy. The strong westerly wind continued, shifting regularly from the N. W. to the S. W. quarter, and then backing round to the northward, very seldom coming to the eastward, and then for a few hours only, untill the 3rd of January, when we saw the southern extremity of New South Wales. The westerly winds now left us, and we had variable winds with southerly currents until the 18th, when we anchored in Botany Bay. The Alexander, Scarborough, and Friendship * Note 59. t Note PHILLIP TO STEPHENS. 61 came in the next day, and the Sirius, with the rest of the ships, i78S. the day following. These ships had all continued very healthy. * 10 July- * * * * * * Major Koss having, by letters of the 8th and 10th of May, requested that the surgeons might be ordered to examine into the state of health of First Lieutenant James Maxwell, who had not officers done any duty for some months, on account of a defection in his ^EnSand sight, and of Second Lieutenant William Collins, who from a very long and severe illness was in so weak a state that there were no hopes of his recovery in this country, an order was given to the principal surgeon of the garrison and the surgeon of his Majesty's ship Sirius to enquire into the same, who have given it as their opinion that the recovery of these officers depended on their return to Europe, they have my leave; the report of the surgeons is enclosed for their Lordship's information. As Major Ross will inform their Lordships of the particulars Marine returns, respecting the detachment of marines under his command, I do not trouble their Lordships with a repetition, and only inclose the returns. Lieutenant Dawes, of the Sirius, who had done duty with the detachment for some time, replaced Second Lieutenant Collins. The transports began to land their provisions and stores as Shipping, soon as store-houses were ready to receive them. The Prince of Wales was cleared the 23rd of May, and the Borrowdale the 12th of June; the rest of the ships in succession, and, the Fishburn and Golden Grove excepted, all were cleared by the 25th. These ships as they were cleared had orders to get ready to return to Europe, but the worm had so much destroyed their sheathing that most of them were obliged to heave down. The Fishburn, having the spirits on board for the garrison for three years, was retained untill a proper place could be got ready to receive them. Lieutenant Ball, in the Supply, having sailed the 6th of May, lord Howe returned the 25th without being able to procure any turtle; by the account that officer now gives of the klandf it will not be any great use to us; no turtle breed there, there is no good water, or any anchoring-ground; the Supply being obliged to come too lost an anchor and cable. The three transports that sailed for China came to this island before the Supply left it, and one of them was near being lost. I shall send the Sirius to the northward as soon as her car- Regular supplies penter can be spared, and from what Monsieur La Perouse said ^JJ^f10118 I think one of the Isles des Navigateurs the most likely to fur- nish the refreshments we want; at the same time, no supplies we shall be able to procure in this country for several years will * Note 60. t Lord Howe Island. with natives. 62 HISTORICAL EECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1788. maintain the colony, and regular supplies of provisions must be sent from Europe. The seeds we have been able to put in the ground this year will, I hope, furnish sufficient seed for the next year, and that is the most I expect. Of the live stock brought from the Cape the greater part is dead ; several of the sheep have been killed, and it is doubtful whether by the natives' dogs or by some of our own people, intercourse^ The natives, who are far more numerous than I expected to find them, have lately revenged the insults they received from some seamen and convicts, by wounding one of the convicts, and carrying off a second, who, from circumstances, there is no doubt but they killed; these people were out collecting vegetables; and two men who were cutting rushes have been killed by the natives. As I am well convinced that we have been the agressors, and it is not possible to find out the people that committed these murthers, I have only taken such steps as may prevent the like accidents in future, and have endeavoured, by going to the places to which the natives generally resort, to satisfy them that our intentions are friendly; but since these accidents, except two canoes that went alongside the Sirius, the natives generally avoid us. The day after the two last men were killed I went out in hopes of finding their tools on some of the natives, which might have enabled me to have come to an explanation with them; but not a native appeared in Botany Bay, where I slept that night, and though twenty canoes were fishing when we made our fire on the beach, none came near us; fifty canoes were seen on the beach next morning, but not a man could be found, and, on our return to Port Jackson, in a small cove on the sea-shore, we fell in with a number of hutts, and the moment we appeared, the natives armed, and made signs for us not to advance, but on my going forward unarmed, and making signs of friendship, most of them laid down their spears, and though we were within ten yards of them before they discovered us in less than three minutes amounted to two hundred and twelve men. We parted with these people on good terms, and their behaviour convinces me that they will never be the first agressors, though I have been fully satisfied that they revenge the smallest affront. Whether from their superiority of numbers, for we were only twelve, or from their not being accustomed to act with treachery, the moment the friendship I offered was accepted on their side they joined us, most of them laying down their arms; and afterwards, with the greatest confidence, brought down their women to receive fish-hooks, and what we had to give them. Of these people we know little; for though I go amongst them as often as the many circumstances which draw my attention PHILLIP TO STEPHENS. 63 permit, yet not being able to remain any time with them, and 1788. they never coming near us, but when we are near the coves in 10 Jul^'- which they reside, or for a few minutes in their canoes alongside the Sirius, very few words of their language are attained. The store-ships and transports are now preparing to return to Shipping. Europe, the Eishburn excepted. That ship cannot be cleared untill a secure place is made for the spirits, which I hope will be done, so as to permit her to sail before the middle of August. I have only to add that, with respect to this country, the Climate, climate is very good, and it will, I make no doubt, be as healthy as any in the world when the woods are cleared round us. At present the only disorder that prevails is the scurvy, which still rages. The storms of thunder and lightening, judging from what we had soon after we landed, must be very heavy in the summer ; and as several trees have been fired and some sheep and hogs Danger from killed in the camp, all the provisions the colony has to subsist on untill fresh supplies are sent from Europe being in two stores, •which are thatched, give me some anxiety, but for which there is no remedy at present. Had the three store-ships parted company and afterwards been lost the consequences must have been fatal to the settlement, for no resources within our reach would have supported us untill supplies could have been procured from the Cape or any European settlement. Their Lordships will, without doubt, order that those sent out Future in future are embarked in the ships that bring the provisions intended to support them for two years after they land, which is the least time they can be victualled for, untill a regular culti- vation has taken place, and which will, I apprehend, be four years. The islands may furnish us with live stock to breed from, but I am fully satisfied that all the Sirius will be able to procure in a year will not be more than a month's subsistence for the colony, should we be obliged to make use of it. The Supply is no way calculated for a service of that kind. Cloathing in this country is full as necessary as in England, the nights and mornings being very cold; and before any supplies can be sent out most of the people will be without shoes, the most necessary article. * ****** The rains setting in have prevented the Golden Grove being Shipping cleared, and that ship will sail, with the Fishburn, as soon as possible after the other ships. The weekly accounts, returns of marines on board the Sirius. and last weekly return of the detachment serving on shore are inclosed. j h. nv &Ctj A. Phillip. * Note GO. 64 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1788. [Enclosure No. 1. ] 10 July. , Surgeons Report. Pursuant to an Order of this Day's date unto Us directed by H. Excellency Arthur Phillip, Esqr. , Governor-in-Chief and < aptain-General in and over H. M. Territory of New South Wales, &c, &c, &c. We have in the most strict and impartial manner enquir'd and examin'd into the state of S. Lieut. William Collins of the Marines health, who we find in so weak, low, and debilitate a condition occasioned by an obstinate Dysentry under which he has labor;d for three months, and so very subject to Relapses from the most trifling causes, that it is our Opinion his return to Europe is not only necessary for the re-establishment of his health; but the preservation of his Life depends on it. We have also in conformity to H. Excellency's command in- cluded in the same Order, with care and strict impartiality enquir'd and examin'd into the state of F. Lieut. James Maxwell of the Marines health, who we find to labor under an Amaurosis, and his health otherwise so generally impair'd by a Dysenteric complaint, with which he has been afflicted for sometime; that has rendered him incapable of performing his Duty. We there- fore are of opinion that his return to Europe is absolutely necessary and the only chance he has of recovering. Given under our hands at the Genl. Hospital, Sydney Cove, this 12th day of May, 1788. J. White, Surgeon to the Settlement. G. B. Worgan, Surgeon of H. M. S. Sirius. To Major Ross, Commandant of the Battalion of Mars. [Enclosure No. 2. ] [This return is similar to enclosure No. 2 of despatch No. k of Governor Phillip to Lord Sydney, dated 9th July, 1788. '] [Enclosures Nos. 3 and 4. ] [Copies of these returns, the Commissary's and marines on H. M. S. Sirius, have not yet been found. ] t Governor Phillip to Lord Sydney. (Despatch No. 5, per transport Alexander, duplicate per transport Friendship, triplicate per store-ship Borrowdale ; acknowledged by Rt. Hon. W. W. Grenville, 19th June, 1789. ) My Lord, Sydney Cove, July the 10th, 1788. In obedience to the instructions I received under the Royal Sign Manual, respecting the natives, and transmitting an account PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 65 of the nature and quality of the soil in and near the settlement, 1788. and the mode, and upon what terms and conditions, according to 10 July* the best of my judgment, lands may be granted, * I have the honor of informing your Lordship that the natives have ever been The natives. treated with the greatest humanity and attention, and every pre- caution that was possible has been taken to prevent their receiv- ing any insults; and when I shall have time to mix more with them every means shall be used to reconcile them to live amongst us, and to teach them the advantages they will reap from culti- vating the land, which will enable them to support themselves at this season of the year, when fish are so scarce that many of them perish with hunger, at least, I have strong reason to suppose that to be the case. Their number in the neighbourhood of this settlement, that is within ten miles to the northward and ten miles to the southward, I reckon at fifteen hundred. With respect to the soil, I have had the honor of informing Agricuituiai your Lordship that near the head of the harbour there is a tract ProsPects- •of country running to the westward for many miles which appears to be in general rich, good land; the breadth of this tract of country I have not yet been able to examine, but I believe it to be considerable. These lands, and several particular spots, may be settled, and the ground cleared of timber, without the great labour we experience in the situation in which I have been obliged to fix the colony. Farmers and people used to the culti- vation of lands, if sent out (and without which agriculture will make but a very slow progress) , must be supported by Govern- ment for two or three years, and have the labour of a certain number of convicts to assist them for that time, after which they may be able to support themselves, and to take the convicts sent out at the expence which Government is put to for their trans- portation; but then, I presume, none should be sent whose sen- tence is for a less term than fourteen years. + A yearly fine to be paid for the lands granted, after the fifth year; the fine to be in grain, and in proportion to the crop; and this, I should hope, would be the only tax laid on the crops, giving the church lands in the room of tythes. The sending out settlers, who will be interested in the labor of the convicts, and in the cultivation of the country, appears to me to be absolutely necessary. Lands granted to officers or settlers will, 1 presume, be on condition of a certain proportion of the lands so granted being cultivated or cleared within a certain time, and which time and quantity can only be determined by the nature of the ground and SEE. I. Vol. I— E * Ante, pp. 14-15. t Note 61. GG 1788. 1U July. HISTORICAL EECOEDS OF AUSTRALIA. situation of the lands; and, in thai case, when lands arc -ranted to officers, the garrison must be sufficient for the service of the place, and to permit such officers occasionally to be absent at the lands they are to cultivate, and for a certain time; they likewise must be allowed convicts, who must be maintained at the expence of the Crown. Your Lordship will be pleased to consider this opinion as given in obedience to orders, on a subject which requires more con- sideration than I can give it at present, and at a time when I have only a very superficial knowledge of the country for a few miles around. : w> &^ A. Phillip. Governor Phillip to Under Secretary Nepean. (Per transport Alexander, duplicate per transport Friendship; acknowledged by Under Secretary Nepean, 20th June, 1789. ) Sydney Cove, Port Jackson, Dear Sir, July the 10th, 1788. By the Alexander, under the care of Lieutenant Short- land, agent for the transports, I have sent dispatches to the Eight Honourable the Lord Sydney and for yourself, with a rough sur- vey of Port Jackson. Duplicates of these dispatches go by the Friendship, under the care of Lieutenant Collins, of the marines, triplicates of most by the master of the Borrowdale, and a quadriplicate of my publick letters to you by the Prince of Wales. With your dispatches I have sent duplicates and tripli- cates of my publick letters to the Admiralty and Navy Board, * and I have taken the liberty of troubling you with some private letters. Lieutenant Shortland is likewise charged with a box of letters from Monsieur La Perouse for the French Ambassador. Yesterday twenty of the natives came down to the beach, each armed with a number of spears, and seized on a good part of the fish caught in the seine. The coxswain had been ordered, how- ever small the quantity he caught, always to give them a part whenever any of them came where he was fishing, and this was the first time they ever attempted to take any by force. While the greatest number were seizing the fish, several stood at a small distance with their spears poised ready to throw them if any resistance had been made, but the coxswain very pru- * Note 62. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 67 dently permitted them to take what they chose, and parted good 1788. friends. They, at present, find it very difficult to support them- u y' selves. In consequence of what happened yesterday, no boat will in future go down the harbour without an officer. I have, &c, A. Phillip. Governor Phillip to Lord Sydney. (A private letter per transport Alexander. *) My Lord, Sydney Cove, fJuly> 1788. The publick letters to your Lordship will show the situa- tion of this settlement, and the little difficultys we have met with, which time, an additional force, and proper people for culti- vating the land will remove; and your Lordship may be assured that anxious to render a very essential service to my country, by Phillip's the establishment of a colony, which from its situation must duty. 0n hereafter be a valuable acquisition to Great Britain, no perse- verance will be wanting on my part, and which consideration alone could make amends for the being surrounded by the most infamous of mankind, it is to your Lordship and to Nepean only that I make a declaration of this kind. Time will remove all difficultys, and with a few f amilys who have been used to the cul- tivation of lands, this country will wear a more pleasing aspect, and those who are to come out, knowing what the country really is, will be less disapointed. As to myself, I am satisfied to remain as long as my services are wanted : I am serving my country, and serving the cause of humanity. I flatter myself that by the return of the ships that brought us out provisions, and on which is placed our sole dependence, I shall be able to give your Lord- ship a more satisfactory account of this country. Lt. Philip Gidley King, the second lieut. of the Sirius, who is Lt. King's at Norfolk Island, is a very steady, good officer. He, too, is cut merlts- off from all society, and is in a situation that will require patience and perseverance, both of which he possesses, with great merit in the service as an officer; as such I beg leave to recommend him to your Lordship. The rank of master and commander he well earned in the late war, and I should be very happy if he now attained it, thro' your Lordship. I have now, my Lord, only to request that my compliments may be made acceptable to Lady Sydney and family, and as I have directed my official letters to Mr. Nepean, to Mr. Townshend^: in particular, I hope he will not forget his exiled friend. Note 63. t Note 64. J Note 65. HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. L788. Of your Lordship's friendship I have had proofs, and of which I retain a ju. -t Bense; add to the obligation, my Lord, by believing that I merit the friendship you honor me with, and that I am, with esteem— Your Lordship's, &c. , A. Phillip. Governor Phillip to Lord Sydney. (A private letter per transport Alexander. *) My Lord, Sydney Cove, July 10th, 1788. I have now closed all my publick letters, which, from the hurry in which they have been written, will appear unconnected, and stand in need of an apology. Your Lordship will see by the last letter that the natives, armed, took some fish by force from the boat's crew. The temptation was great, for the quantity caught was considerable, and fish is now very scarce. We shall guard against any dispute on this head in future, and when the ships sail I shall have time to go amongst them and to give them some little assistance if, from the rains having ceased, fish can be caught in any quantity. The enclosed memorandum contains the articles for your Lord- ship, which are on board the Alexander, and of which I beg your acceptance. The wine will, I hope, be improved by the voyage. I have once more the pleasure of assuring your Lordship of my esteem, and of a just sense of the friendship with which I am honor'd, and of requesting that my respects may be made accept- able to Lady Sydney, with compliments to Mr. Townshend. The birds from Lord Howe Island may be acceptable to Lady Chat- ham; and I am sorry that I have not been able to procure any small birds for Miss Townshend, to whom, likewise, your Lord- ship will please to make my compliments. The kangurroo for your Lordship is the largest I have yet seen. As it stands it measures five feet nine inches. This extra- ordinary animal makes the same use of his fore feet as the monkey does. Major Koss has one alive. It is young, very tame, and comes to you and embraces your hands with the fore feet. The female was killed, and the young one remained by the body. Wishing your Lordship health, I have the honour to be, with the greatest esteem, &c. , j± Phillip. Lt. Collins, whose bad state of health obliges him to return, I beg leave to recommend to your Lordship's notice. * Note 63. PHILLIP TO NEPEAX AND SYDNEY. 69 Governor Phillip to Secretary Stephens. 1788 , T 12 July. 12th July, 1788. [This despatch is similar to the letter of Governor Phillip to Under Secretary Nepean, dated 10th July, 1188, and has been omitted. ] Governor Phillip to Under Secretary Inepean. (Per transport Alexander, duplicate per transport Friendship. ) My Dear Sir, Sydney Cove, July 12th, 1788. To the articles which I have mention'd as more immediately stores wanted, the following, tho' so very necessary, have escaped my reciulred- memory till this moment. Leather for soals for the men's shooes, and the materials for mending them. Shooes here last but a very short time, and the want of these materials, and thread to mend the cloathing, will render it impossible to make them serve more than half the time for which they were intended. This country requires warm cloathing in the winter ; the rains are frequent and the nights very cold. You will excuse the repetition of our wants; they will, I hope, be less in future. I have, &c, A. Phillip. Vinegar will be very acceptable; it is very much wanted. Governor Phillip to Lord Sydney. (Despatch No. 6, per H. M. Ship Sirius to the Cape of Good Hope; acknowledged by Rt. Hon. W. W. Grenville, 19th June, 1789. ) Sydney Cove, Port Jackson, My Lord, 1st September, 1788. l Sept. I had the honor of informing your Lordship of the situa- Despatches, tion of this colony, by the agent for the transports, Lieutenant Shortland, who sailed the 13th of July, in the Alexander, with the Friendship and Prince of Wales, transports, and the Borrowdale, store-ship; duplicates of my letters to your Lordship being sent at the same time by Lieutenant William Collins, whose bad state of health obliged him to return to Europe; and triplicates by the master of the Borrowdale. These ships went to the northward, intending to follow Captain Carteret's track* between New Britain and New Ireland ; and as it * Note 66. HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1788. is not now impossible but that the ships by which I have now the honor of writing to your Lordship may be the first that arrive, I shall recapitulate the heads of my former letters. [Here follow extracts from letters already given. '] I have, sails I intend going up the harbour to the ground pointed out in my former letters as more easily cultivated than the land round us, * with a small detachment, consisting of two lieutenants, one captain, twenty-five non- commissioned and privates, and forty or fifty convicts, who will be employed in cultivating the ground. I purpose remaining with this party until they are settled, and have no doubt when settlers come out, and proper people to superintend the convicts that will be employed for the Crown, but that two or three years will give this country a very different aspect; and in the mean- time the clearing the ground near the settlement shall not be neglected. The hutting the detachment has been going on under the direc- tion of the Major-Commandant. The officers have all separate houses, and except one or two are now under cover. The barracks are still in hand. There being some carpenters and sawyers in the different companies, I ordered them to be employed as such; and it being customary to pay the soldiers when so employed, and Major Ross thinking that they could not otherwise be set to work as artificers, I have inclosed his report of such as have been employed for your Lordship's approbation. I have likewise the honour of inclosing your Lordship his returns of such officers as wish to be relieved at the expiration of the three years for which they were sent out, f and of those who are desirous of remaining, as likewise copies of his letter and my answer respecting the encouragement offered by Government to settlers. The barracks, officers' houses, hospital, store-houses for the use of the detachment and for the public stores, are buildings that will stand for some years, as they will hereafter be walled up with brick or stone, if limestone can be found in the country, or if sent out as ballast in the transports. The detachment is now inclosing ground for their gardens, and we have about six acres of wheat, eight of barley, and six acres of other grain, all which, as well as such garden seeds as were not spoiled, promise well; and though the soil is in general a light sandy soil, it is, I believe, as good as what is commonly found near the sea-coast in other parts of the world. The great inconvenience we find is from the rocks and the labour of clear- ing away the woods which surround us, and which are mostly gum-trees of a very large size, and which are only useful as firewood, though I think that when we can cut them down in the winter and give them time to season they may be made useful in building. * Note 68. f Note 69. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 75 The fish begin to return with the warm weather, but I fear we 1788. shall never be able to save any part of the provisions by the quantity that will be taken. Habits of fish. The rainy season is, I hope, nearly over, and though we have had very heavy rains they have not been more frequent than was expected, and were chiefly confined to a few days near the full and change of the moon. The climate is equal to the finest in Europe, and we very Climate, seldom have any fogs. All the plants and fruit-trees brought from the Brazil and the Cape that did not die in the passage thrive exceeding well; and we do not want vegetables, good in their kind, which are natural to the country. With respect to the sending to the Islands for women, * your Women. Lordship will, I believe, think that in the present situation of this colony it would be only bringing them to pine away a few years in misery; and I am very sorry to say that those we have are most of them very abandoned wretches. Still, more women will be necessary when more convicts are sent out. Stone houses that will not be in danger from fire will, if pos- stone to be sible, be erected in the course of the summer, as likewise a place used m bmldm§- of worship; and if ships coming out bring limestone as ballast these very necessary works will go on fast. At present we are obliged to lay the bricks and stones in clay, and of course to make the walls of an extraordinary thickness, and even then they are not to be depended on. This country is supposed to have mines of iron and tin or silver Metals reported by those who have been used to work in mines ; but I give no t0 exlst" encouragement to search after what, if found in our present situation, would be the greatest evil that could befal the settle- ment. A convict, used to work in the Staffordshire lead mines, says the ground we are now clearing contains a large quantity of that metal; and copper is supposed to be under some rocks which have been blown in sinking a cellar for the spirits. I have no doubt but that the earth contains iron and other metals, and that mines may hereafter be worked to great advantage. The red used by the painters, and which they call Spanish brown, is found in great abundance; and the white clay with which the natives paint themselves is still in greater plenty; and which the Abbe that came out with Monsieur Perouse as a naturalist told me, if cleared of the sand (which may be done with little trouble) , would make good china. Specimens were sent to Sir Joseph Banks, f and a stone taken out of a slate quarry that 1 thought contained some metal. * Note 10. f Note 70. 76 eistokical w words of Australia. 1788. Free settlers required. Observations on the natives. Sour Lordship will, 1 hope, judge it expedient to send out Bottlers, t<> whom ;i certain number of convicts may be given; they, my Lord, will bo interested in cultivating the lands, and when a few carpenters and bricklayers are sent out who will act as overseers, and have some little interest in the labour of the convicts who are under their care, a great deal of labour will be done by them who are employed on the public works. I have in a former letter mentioned that a couple of decked vessels of 30 or 40 tons burthen, * if sent out in irames, and two or three good shipwrights, would be of great service. The natives, though very friendly whenever they are met by two or three people who are armed, still continue to attack any of the convicts when they meet them in the woods, and two or three have been lately wounded by them. I have been with a small party to examine the land between the harbour and Broken Bay; we went as far as Pittwater, and saw several of the natives, but none came near us. There are several hundred acres of land free from timber, and very proper for cultivation, when a small settlement can be made on the coast. On our return to the boats near the mouth of the harbour, we found about sixty of the natives, men, women, and children, with whom we stayed some hours; they were friendly, but, as I have ever found them, since they find we intend to remain, they appeared best pleased when we were leaving them, though I gave them many useful articles; and it is not possible to say whether it was from fear or contempt that they do not come amongst us. I have already had the honor of informing your Lordship of the little we know of these people. Most of the women, and all the female children I saw had lost two joints from the little finger of the left hand, and two women were scarred on the shoulders like the men, the first I had seen. The women, when we first came on the beach, were in their canoes fishing, which is their constant employment, the men chiefly employing themselves in making canoes, spears, fizgigs, &c. The day before we returned, the boat that was waiting for us, near the harbour's mouth, saw about two hundred men, who assembled in two parties, and who, after some time, drew up opposite to each other, and from each party men advanced singly and threw their spears, guarding themselves at the same time with their shields. I suppose this to have been no more than an exercise, for the women belonging to both parties remained together on the beach; though towards the end of the combat they are said to have run up and down, uttering violent shrieks Note 71. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 77 As it had been supposed that many of the natives had left 1788. this part of the coast on account of the great scarcity of fish, the ^ Sept- different parts of the harbour were examined in one day, and the Observations , j , 1 . , , , on the natives. canoes counted; not more than sixty-seven canoes and one hun- dred and thirty-three people were seen; but it was the season in which they make their new canoes, and large parties were known to be in the woods for that purpose. I went a few days after to examine the coast between this harbour and Botany Bay, in which journey few of the natives were seen; but a young whale being driven on the coast, all we met had large pieces, which appeared to have been lain on the fire until the outside was scorched, in which state they eat it. These people last summer would neither eat shark nor stingray; but the scarcity of fish in the winter, I believe, obliges them to eat anything that affords the smallest nourishment. They have two kinds of root which they chew after roasting; one is the fern-root; they eat together, that is, in families, and seldom broil their fish (the only way they ever dress it) for more than a few minutes. I am sorry to have been so long without knowing more of these people, but I am unwilling to use any force, and hope this summer to persuade a family to live with us, unless they attempt to burn our crops, of which I am apprehensive, for they certainly are not pleased with our remaining amongst them, as they see we deprive them of fish, which is almost their only support; but if they set fire to the corn, necessity will oblige me to drive them to a greater distance, though I can assure your Lordship that I shall never do it but with the greatest reluctance, and from absolute necessity. As there are paths which are much frequented betwen this harbour and Broken Bay, I apprehend they frequently change their situation; but have no reason to suppose they go to the northward in the winter, and return in the summer. The kangaroo is the only animal of any size that we have yet Kangaroos, seen, and they are frequently killed; they are of two sorts, one seldom weighing more than sixty pounds; these live chiefly on the high grounds; the hair is of a reddish cast, and the head shorter than the large sort, some of which have been killed that weighed one hundred and fifty pounds; both are of the opossum kind, and the young ones, several of which have been taken, grow very tame in a few days, but none have ever lived more than two or three weeks. I have now given up all hopes of recovering the two bulls and Live Btock four cows that were lost, * and one sheep only remains of upwards of seventy which I had purchased at the Cape on my own account and on Government's account. It is the rank grass * Note 51. 78 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1788. under the trees which has destroyed them, for those who have 28 Sept. onjy jla(j one or j. WQ siieep which have fed ahout their tents have preserved them. Hogs and poultry thrive and increase fast. Black cattle will thrive full as well, and as we shall be able in future to guard against their straying, your Lordship will please to determine whether it wTould not be necessary to order any ship that was coining to the settlement with provisions to purchase at the Cape as many cows as could be conveniently received on board, with a couple of young bulls. But the ship for that purpose should be able to stow them between decks; and I beg leave to observe that a forty or fifty gun ship that brought out provisions and stores, leaving her guns out, would answer the purpose better than any transport, and at once stock this settlement. Savu is at too great a distance for the Sirius to be employed on that service to any extent. Your Lordship will, I hope, excuse so long a detail of matters trifling in themselves, and which I should not have dwelt on but that I wished the situation of the colony to be known as fully as possible. j have? faf A. Phillip. [Enclosure No. 1. ] Surgeon White to Governor Phillip. General Hospital, Sydney Cove, Sir, 12th September, 1788. Hospital stores ^s ^s Majesty's Ship Sirius is shortly to sail for the Cape wanted. 0f Good Hope, I am induced from a sense of Duty, as well as Motives of Humanity, again to bring to your Excellency's Recol- lection how much the Marines, their Wives and children, as well as the Convicts are and have been distressed when ill, for the Want of Necessaries to aid the operation of Medicine, there being none sent out for the Use of the Hospital after landing, Wine excepted; those Supplied by the Navy Board for the Voyage I have issued with the Strictest economy, but they have long been expended, and the time for which they were Supplied, elapsed. As Returns from Europe cannot arrive here for a considerable time, I beg leave to particularize a few necessarys which are absolutely and indispensably requisite, and probably may be procured at the Cape, a list of which I have taken the Liberty to enclose. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. When Necessarys are sent from England, I hope Blankets and Sheets for the Hospital will not be overlooked, as none were sent out although demanded. j have &c# John White. 1788. 28 Sept. [Sub-enclosure. ] [A copy of this return has not yet been found. '] [Enclosure No. 2. ] The Marines. General Return of the Four Companies of Marines doing duty Returns of in New South Wales. marines- October 1st, 1788. "I c i . . . - , /. ' - . to remain in Privates, as arc desirous "t remaining in tins country after -NSNV- the time when their Lordships, the Commissioners of the Admiralty, intended to relieve the Detachment, as expressed in their letter* of the 8th of October, lT^i. New South Wales, 1st October, 1788. Number of Names and Quality. Desirous of remaining in this country. Company. Watkin Tench, Capt. -Lieut.. As a soldier, for one tour more of three years. George Johnston, First Lieut Having been so short a time in this country, cannot deter- mine whether he would wish to remain or not; as to set- tling can say nothing. John Johnstone, ditto Having been so short a time in this country, cannot deter- mine whether he would wish to remain another tour or not; as to settling can say nothing, till he knows on what terms. James Maitland Shairp, ditto Being so short a time in the country, he cannot yet judge whether he would wish to remain or not another tour ; as to settling, until he knows the terms and nature of the grants, cannot determine. William Dawes, Second Lt... As a soldier for one tour more of three years. 53 William Baker, Serjeant As a soldier. 5 George Fleming, Private ... As a soldier for three years more. 26 Isaac Tarr, ditto As a settler. 56 James Manning As a soldier. All the officers, non-commissioned officers, drummers, and private men of the detachment, whose names are not expressed in the above list, wish to return to England at the time proposed by their Lordships' letter of the 8th October, 1786, or as soon after as their Lordships may find it convenient. R. Ross, Major. * Note 72. 1788. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. [Enclosure No. 6. ] Major Boss to Governor Phillip. Camp, Sydney Cove, New South Wales, Sir, 8th August, 1788. I think it proper to inform your Excellency, that the Eight Honorable the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty did, in their Letter of the 8th of October, 1786, and addressed to the Commanding Officer of each of the Divisions of Marines, direct me to signify to such Marines as would make a voluntary Tender of their Services for Botany Bay, should, at the Expiration of their Station (intended by their Lordships' Letter, to be three Years) , be intitled to their Discharge on their return to Eng- land, provided their good Behaviour during this Service, merited such Mark of Favour. Or that they should be discharged in this Country, at the Belief, and permitted to settle in it, provided they chose it. As I am directed to transmit a List of such Officers, non- commissioned Officers, and Privates of this Detachment, as chuse to be discl^arged in this Country, as well as of such as make a Choice of returning to England at the time of the Belief, I think it highly necessary to give their Lordships this informa- tion by the next Ships that sail from this Place, as I do not see any Probability of my having another Opportunity of giving their Lordships the necessary timely Notice. But before I put the Question to either Officers or Privates, I have, in Justice to them, to request that Your Excellency will please to inform me of what Encouragement Government have held out to induce them to remain here either as Soldiers or Settlers. I have the Honor to be, &c, E. Eoss, Major. [Enclosure No. 7. ] Governor Phillip to Major Eoss. Head Quarters, Sydney Cove, Sir, 9th of August, 1788. In answer to your Letter of the 8th Instant, in which you mention your Intentions of transmitting to the Eight Honorable the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty a List of such Officers and Men belonging to the Detachment as may be desirous of being discharged in this Country, as well as of such as make Choice of returning to England at the Time of the Belief; and desiring to know what Encouragement Government holds out to induce them to remain here either as Soldiers or Settlers: HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1788. 23 Sept. I have to inform you from that Part of the Royal Instructions which I some time since shewed you, that as soon as Government is informed of the actual State of the Country, and of the Quality of the Soil at and near the Settlement, proper Instruc- tions and Authorities will be sent out for the purpose of giving every reasonable Encouragement to such of the Military and others as may be desirous of cultivating the Lands, and to whom Grants will be made, when Government, from knowing the State of the Country can determine on the most eligible Mode of granting Lands. You will be so good as to let me have a Copy of the List you transmit to the Admiralty. I have the Honor to be, &c, A. Phillip. [Enclosure No. S. ] Return of Sick, 27th September, 1788. Marines sick in hospital 4 , , camp 21 Marine women and children in camp 5 Deaths since last return 0 Total belonging to the battalion under medical treatment 30 Male convicts sick 62 Female ditto and children 31 Total of convicts under medical treatment 93 Male convicts dead since the last report of June 30 6 Female convicts ditto since ditto 4 Total convicts dead since ditto 10 Convicts unserviceable from old age, infirmities, &c 53 [Enclosure No. 9. ] Return of men, women, and children belonging to the settlement that have died since the 13th of May, 1787 * Died on the passage. ' Marines 1 Do. wives 1 Do. children 1 Convicts — Men 36 Do. women 4 Do. children 5 Total number dead on the passage 48 Note 73. PHILLIP TO NEPEAX. Keturn of men, women, and children that have died — continued. i?88. Died since landing. 28 Sept. Marines 3 Do. wives 0 Do. children 2 Convicts — Men (including 3 killed by the natives) 26 Do. women 12 Do. children 9 Total number dead since landing 52 Total number dead since leaving England 100 Eleven men and one woman missing. Four executed. David Collins, Secretary. Governor Phillip to Under Secretary Nepean. (Per H. M. Ship Sirius to the Cape of Good Hope; acknowledged by Under Secretary Nepean, 20th June, 1789. ) Sydney Cove, Port Jackson, My Dear Sir, September 28th, 1788. I have ordered the Sirius to the Cape, for the reasons sirius ordered assigned in my letter to Lord Sydney, all the seed wheat and to the CaPe- most of the other seeds brought from England having been spoiled, as well as what wheat was put on board the Supply at the Cape; several acres sown with this wheat have been sown a second time, with the seeds preserved for next year, in case of any accident happening to what we have in the ground, and which has left us without a bushel of seed in the settlement. Having only a year's flour in store, Captain Hunter has orders to purchase as much as the ship can stow, and I apprehend he will be able to bring six months' for the settlement; as likewise what seed wheat, &c, we may want. The Sirius and Supply being victualled from the stores lessens our provisions ; and you will, I believe, see the necessity of having always two years" provisions beforehand; a store-ship may be lost a long time before it is known here or in England. No kind of necessarys for the sick after landing was sent out. stores wanted. I enclose the surgeon's letter, and what he has demanded for six months I have ordered to be purchased, and apprehend necessarys for the hospital will be sent out by the first ships. The cloaths for the convicts are in general bad, and there is no possibility of mending them for want of thread; it is the same with the shoes, which do not last a month; these necessary articles, to the amount of a few pounds, I have likewise ordered to be purchased. A strong launch to remove provisions will soon HISTOKICAL RECOKDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1788. 28 Sept. be necessary, as some convicts arc going to cultivate land near the head of the harbour, and to bring timber, for what we now use is brought already from a considerable distance, and our roads after heavy rains are bad. Bills are given to the carpenters and sawyers of the Sirius and Supply for the time they have been ashore (certificates were given to those belonging to the transports). The whole amounts to £192 17s. 6d. These small bills will give the Treasury some trouble, but this country has no Treasury. There are now only ten convict carpenters; more are absolutely necessary, as well as bricklayers, for the building to secure stores will be a heavy work, and must be undertaken; at the same time I wish to avoid hiring the ships' carpenters in future. The tools and articles in the inclosed lists will be much wanted by the time they can be sent out, and I cannot help repeating that most of the tools were as bad as ever were sent out for barter on the coast of Guinea. Of the thirty pipes of wine ordered for the hospital, only fifteen were purchased. There being no more port wine in the stores at Rio de Janeiro, you will be so good as to let orders be given for the remainder being procured at TenerifTe, if port wine is not sent from England. The ration, as settled by the Navy Board, is the same for the men convicts as for the garrison, and the giving of only four pounds of pork in lieu of seven pounds of beef I think too little. * The additional pound of flour a month is, I suppose, according to the custom of other garrisons, but this is the business of a Com- missary, and with which I am unacquainted. The eighth was stopped for some time in favour of Government, on account of the loss in issuing the provisions in small quantities, but being desirous, if possible, to do away with every cause of discontent, on Major Ross informing me that it never was done in any garrison to his knowledge, the full weight being given, and the loss falling on Government, I have ordered that deduction to be taken off, and the garrison and convicts receive their full allowance. The women have two-thirds of what is allowed the men, and the children one-third. The children's allowance is, I think, too little, and I have been obliged in several instances to order children half the men's allowance, or two-thirds, as the women are allowed. The wooden ware sent out were too small; they are called bowls and platters, but are not larger than pint basons. f There was not one that would hold a quart. * Note 74. t Note 75. PHILLIP TO NEPEAN. ^7 As the candles sent cmt will not last more than two years, I 1788. wish to know if it is the intention of Government to furnish the 28 Sept* settlement with that article for any longer term. The requisites for mending the men and women's cloaths and shoes, as well as some kind of bedding for them, are very neces- sary, and some kind of covering will be wanted for the children. This is not an expense that will be necessary to continue after a number of settlers are in the colony, for then the convicts will have some resources; at present they have none. Amongst our many wants a few proper people to superintend Convict the convicts has been mentioned, and we are at a great loss for suPennten ents* the necessary people to attend the stores and see the provisions issued. The convicts who are proper for this are those who have had some little education, and they are the greatest villains we have. In fact, there is no choice of persons of any class, and I am obliged to continue such as we have in places for which they prove themselves very unfit subjects. The paint I have desired is chiefly for the gun-carriages, boats, &c. The knowing when the time expires for which the convicts Convicts' have been transported is very necessary, many of whom will desire to return; and there are many that will be a burthen to Government, and who I should be glad to send away. This I mentioned more particularly in a former letter. Copies of the order and instructions given to the Commandant of Norfolk Island are inclosed, as likewise what articles are ordered to be purchased at the Cape. The good behaviour and industry of two convicts, Noah Mor- well-behaved timer and Edward Westlake, have induced me to request that convlcts- their families may be sent to them* The men are at Norfolk Island, and which they do not wish to leave after the time for which they have been transported expires. The names and places of abode of these two families are inclosed. An account of the artificers belonging to the detachment who Artificers have been employed as such is inclosed in my letter to Lord pfty Sydney. You will, sir, be so good as to inform me what they are to be paid a day; and, as the ships that may come out will bring many necessarys which these people stand in need of, they hope that money will be sent out to pay them, as bills would be attended with great loss and inconvenience. The carpenters belonging to the transports had notes given to them for what they had earned, at the rate of three shillings per 'ote 78. PHILLIP TO STEPHENS. Governor Phillip to Secretary Stephexs. 1788. 28 Sept. (Per H. M. Ship Sirius to the Cape of Good Hope. ) Sydney Cove, Port Jackson, Sir, September 28th, 1788. Lieutenant Shortland, who sailed from hence the 13th of Despatches. July, in the Alexander, with the Friendship, Prince of Wales, and Borrowdale, transports, was charged with my dispatches for the Eight Honourable the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. Those ships went to the northward, intending to follow Cap- tain Carteret's track* between New Britain and New Ireland. You will please to inform their Lordships that as soon after the sailing of those ships as the weather permitted the two remaining store-ships were cleared of the provisions; and the Golden Grove was immediately hove down and ordered to pre- pare for sea, the Fishburn being obliged to remain with the . . . . . , , , - 7 Provisions tor spirits on board until! a place oi security was prepared. Lieu- Norfolk island, tenant Ball sailed the 20th of July with provisions for Norfolk Island, and returned the 26th of August, having met with very strong gales in his passage, and very indifferent weather while he was off the island. From Lieutenant Philip Gidley King, the Commandant I received the following particulars. f The having a settlement on Norfolk Island, and the extent of this harbour, as well as the great necessity there will be of pro- curing that kind of wood which is proper for building, and which is not to be got even at present but with the labour of a great small vessels number of convicts, will render two vessels of thirty or forty tons rei"ired. of infinite service to this settlement. I presume they might be sent out in frame, but it will be necessary to send a few ship- wrights to put them together, and who, as well as a mast-maker, and one that understands the manner of tapping the pine-trees, will be of great service. I inclose the state and condition of his Majesty's ship Sirius, and Supply, armed tender, the returns of the detachment of marines, and the returns made by the surgeon of the hospital. The Sirius is now ready to sail for the Cape, and the Golden Grove for Norfolk Island. The sketch of Howe Island made by Lieutenant l. all is inclosed. _ . „ 1 have, cVc, A. Phillip. * Note 66. t Note 70. 17*8. 28 Sept. HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. I Enclosures Nob. 1 and 2. ] State and Condition of H. M. Ships Sirtus and Supply. [Copies of these reports have not yet been found. ~\ [Enclosures Xos. 3 and 4. ] [These are duplicates of Enclosures Xos. 2 and 8 to the despatch No. 7 of Governor Phillip to Lord Sydney, dated 28th September, 1788. '] Governor Phillip to Lord Sydney. (Despatch No. 9, per store-ship Golden Grove; acknowledged by Rt. Hon. W. W. Grenville, 19th June, 1789. ) 27 Oct. Sydney Cove, Port Jackson, My Lord, 27th October, 1788. I am very sorry to be under the very disagreeable necessity of troubling your Lordship with the following particulars, but the very unpleasant situation of the detachment doing duty in this country, from the discontents between the Commandant and the officers, will, I presume, satisfy your Lordship of that neces- sity, as I am sorry to say it is not in my power to restore that harmony which is so very requisite in our situation. Having received a letter from Major Ross requesting a general court-martial on an officer* for neglect of duty, contempt, and disrespect to him, I issued a warrant for assembling a general court-martial; but the thirteen senior officers, when assembled, declared that they could not sit as members of a general court- martial under that warrant, being, as a part of his Majesty's marine forces, amenable only to the authority of the Commis- sioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral of Great Britain. The warrant was issued under the authority of his Majesty's Commission for assembling general courts-martial, but they declined sitting under the Act of Parliament made for the Army. Having assigned their reasons in writing to Major Ross (to whom the warrant was directed) , I have the honor to enclose your Lordship a copy. Though the letter from the commanding officer of the detach- ment was very sufficient grounds for ordering the court-martial, if the officer could have been tried on the spot, as it was now determined that there was no legal authority in this country for ordering a general court-martial on any part of the marine corps, and the officer accused declared himself innocent of every part * Note 80. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 91 of the charge, I ordered a court of enquiry to be assembled to 1788. enquire into the particulars of the charge, and to report whether 27 Qctj there was, or was not, sufficient ground for a general court- Court of martial, intending, if the court of enquiry reported that they ordered, found sufficient ground, to order a court of enquiry to examine fully into the charge and to report their opinion, which was the only means I had left of doing justice to both parties, as no court- martial could be held; for though I knew that courts of enquiry always preceded courts-martial, yet in the present instance I was fully satisfied that the warrant I had issued for holding the court-martial was totally done away by the officers having denied the legality of it, as far as it respected themselves, and consequently a court of enquiry perfectly regular; and I had reason to suppose that both parties would have consented to such a determination, no other being possible, under our present circumstances. The court of enquiry met, and I received the following answers, signed by the President : — That had the Result abortive, business been referred to them before the application for a court- martial they might then have proceeded with the consent of both parties, but that at present they thought themselves precluded from making any enquiry, and only reported that an application from a commanding officer was always deemed a sufficient ground for a general court-martial (which was never doubted). They had refused to sit as members of the court-martial, not deeming the warrant legal, with respect to themselves, as being marine officers, and they now refused to make any enquiry because that warrant had been issued. To order an officer to return to his duty under the same com- Difficulties manding officer whom he was accused of treating with contempt created. or disrespect, or to let him remain under arrest until he could be tried in this country, might be attended with very disagree- able circumstances, for of seventeen officers* composing the detachment five have been put under arrest by their commandant, and are only returned to duty by my order until a sufficient number of officers to form a general court-martial can be assembled, as I have in a former letter had the honor of inform- ing your Lordship. I therefore ordered the evidence on both sides to be taken by the Judge- Advocate, and intended to send them home with the officer, but before that could be done I received a letter from Major Ross, informing me that the officer had fully satisfied him respecting the charge, and desiring that he might be permitted to withdraw his request for a court-martial. I therefore ordered the officer to return to his duty. * Note 38. HISTOBICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1788. When the warrant was granted for assembling a general court- 27 Oct. martini, I did not know thai an Act of Parliament had boon passed for a limited time by which the marines serving in America had been tried; nor did any officer in the detachment entertain a doubt of the propriety of "their Bitting under a \v;iiT;int issued by the authority of his Majesty's commission, until the evening before the court was to assemble, when the doubt arose, on the Judge- Advocate's reading over the oath. The present situation of the detachment will be obvious to your Lordship. I have, &c, A. Phillip. [Enclosure No. 1. ] Captain Campbell to Major Ross. Sydney Cove, Port Jackson, Sir, 13th October, 1788. The officers assembled by your order for the purpose of holding a general court-martial beg leave to acquaint you that not conceiving they can legally sit as members of a court-martial under any other than a warrant from the Admiralty, enclose you their reasons for that opinion, which they request you will lay before his Excellency the Governor, and afterwards transmit a copy of the same to the Right Hon'ble the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. They further request they may be allowed to accompany you to his Excellency with the statement of their opinion. I have, &c, Jas. Campbell, Captn. [Enclosure No. 2. ] Officers' Objections. The officers of marines, assembled by order of their commanding officer, for the purpose of holding a general court-martial, beg leave to state the following particulars: — The Legislature every year passes an Act for the regulation of his Majesty's marine forces while on shore in any place within the realm of Great Britain, or in any other of his Majesty's dominions, which Act empowers the Lord High Admiral, or three or more of the Commissioners for executing that office, to grant a commission to any officer of the said forces, not under the degree of a field officer, for holding general courts-martial at any place within the intent and meaning of the Act, and to make articles for the punishment of mutiny and desertion. By this Act of Parliament, and by these Articles of War, the marine PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 93 forces have always been regulated and governed, except during 1788. the late war in America, when the marines serving in that 27 0ct' country were included in the provisions of an Act of the same General Legislature, pass'd in the year 1775, for the purpose of amending and rendering more effectual in his Majesty's dominions in America an Act for punishing mutiny and desertion, and for the better payment of the Army and their quarters. At the succeeding sessions the usual Act for the regulation of the marine forces while on shore was passed, that is for the regulation of such part of the corps as were not in America, for- the marines were included in the Act for the punishment of mutiny and desertion amongst the troops serving in that country; and at all general courts-martial where marine officers sat in conjunction with those of the land forces, or appear'd before a military tribunal, they were guided and directed by the articles of war for the Army. In the oath prescribed by the (Marine) Act of Parliament the members swear not to divulge the sentence of the court until it shall have been approved by the Lord High Admiral, or three or more of the Commissioners for executing that office. Nor does it appear in that Act of Parliament that they can assemble for the trial of any marine officer or soldier but by warrant from the Admiralty. The Judge-Advocate is also directed to transmit the original proceedings and sentence of every court-martial to the Secretary of the Adm'lty, as no sentence can be put in execution until a report shall have been made of the whole proceedings to the Board. Neither can a commiss'd marine officer be dismiss'd the service except by an order from his Majesty, or by the sen- tence of a general court-martial, approved by their Lordships. Hence it plainly appears that this Act of Parliament is meant for the internal regulation of the marine forces, and that when- ever it is intended they shall be under any other a particular Act of the Legislature has been deemed necessary. The situation then of that part of the corps of marines that is serving in New South Wales, under the Government of his Majesty's Governor-in-Chief, Captain-General of that territory, is attended with the following peculiarities: — A commission* has issued from his Majesty empowering the said Governor-in-Chief to assemble general courts-martial for the trial of any officer or soldier of the troops under his command, and to confirm or set aside their sentence. The usual Act of Parliament for the regulation of the marine forces while on shore, passed a month or two before the departure * Isote 80. HISTORICAL RKCORDS OF AUSTBALIA. 1788. of the detachment from that corps ordered for New South Wall 9, , ' without any alterations or new provision being made for their particular situation. A Judge-Advocate was appointed by the Admi'lty, who was instructed in their warrant to keep the Act of Parliament constantly for his rule. Xo other power than the Admiralty is authorized to grant a warrant for their holding general courts-martial, and the members are sworn to the same oath of secrecy as their brethren at home. The prisoner also is to wait the approval of the Admiralty before he can know his Eate. Under all these circumstances and considerations, the officers directed to assemble for the purpose of holding a general court- martial are humbly of opinion that, being officers of his Majesty's marine forces, they cannot sit for that purpose under the warrant of his Excellency the Governor, and beg leave to represent the unpleasant situation they feel themselves placed in, hoping that this statement of it may be transmitted to the Right Hon'ble the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, under whose direction they always consider themselves, and from whom they hope such remedy will be applied as their Lordships may think expedient. At the same time they solicit that in this business they may be understood to be acting only in conformity to an Act of the British legislature passed expressly for their regulation while on shore in any part of his Majesty's dominions; and that they have not in any shape been wanting in the respect that belongs to the high authority of his Majesty's commission, or to the officei invested with it in this country. Jas. Campbell, Captain. Jno Johnstone, 1st Lieut. Jno. Shea, do. Js. M. Shairp, do. Watkn. Tench, Oapt. -Lieut. Thos. Davey, do. Geo. Johnston, 1st Lieut. Thos. Timixs, do. Jno. Creswell, do. Ralph Clarke, 2nd Lieut. Robt. Kellow, do. Wm. Dawes, 2nd Lieut. John Poulton, do. Camp, Sydney Cove, 13th October, 1788. David Collins, Judge-Advocate. Governor Phillip to Secretary Stephens. 27th October, 1788. [A despatch, similar to that which was sent to Lord Sydney of the same date marked No. 9, was forwarded to the Admiralty. '] PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 95 Governor Phillip to Lord Sydney. 1788 (Despatch No. 10, per store-ship Golden Grove ; acknowledged bv 30 0ct- Rt. Hon. W. W. Grenville, 19th June, 1789. ) Sydney Cove, Port Jackson, My Lord, 30th October, 1788. By his Majesty's ship Sirius I had the honor of informing sirius sent to your Lordship of my reasons for sending that ship to the Cape *[je jjjg3 for of Good Hope; the loss of all the seed wheat, and the greatest part of the other grains and seeds, brought from England, which had been heated in the long passage, and very little of which, when sown, ever vegetated; all the seed wheat put on board the Supply at the Cape of Good Hope had likewise been destroyed by the weevil; and after sowing the ground a second time with what seed had been brought from Rio de Janeiro and the Cape of Good Hope there did not remain sufficient to sow a single acre ; and the crops in the ground are exposed to various accidents in our present situation. The Sirius sailed the 2nd instant, to go round the South Cape; and Captain Hunter has directions to purchase for the use of the garrison what flour the ship can receive, after having corn- pleated his own provisions; the quantity will not be very con- siderable (at present we have 18 months' bread in store). Neces- sarys for the hospital were likewise ordered to be purchased, none of any kind being sent out either for the detachment or convicts after they landed. Your Lordship will see by my former letters the little progress Agriculture, we have been able to make in cultivating the lands, and, I pre- sume, the necessity of a few proper persons being sent out to superintend the convicts, as well as settlers, who have been used to cultivation; for at present this settlement only affords one person* that I can employ in cultivating the lands on the public account. Most of the officers have cultivated a little ground, but it is merely for their own conveniency, and none more than a single acre, except the Lieutenant-Governor, who has about three acres. I have sixteen at a small farm on the public account. It must, my Lord, be settlers, with the assistance of the settlers wanted, convicts, that will put this country in a situation for supporting its inhabitants; nothing but the uncertainty of the time in which my letters may reach England, and the possibility of those last written being the first received, would make me trouble your Lordship in this letter with a repetition of what I have fully explained in my former letters — that people who are not convicts are necessary for the stores, from which provisions or stores are delivering almost hourly, and that we want for superintending the convicts such as have been brought up in the line in which they are to be employed. * Note 81. it t It* wanted. HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. If the Bhips that bring oul provisions were such as could receive on board black cattle a1 the Cape of Good Hope, I think we shall in future be able to preserve them; and s ship to remain here as a store-ship would be attended with many advantages. It is still a doubt whether the cattle we lost have been killed by the natives, or if they have strayed into the country. * I fear the former, and am sorry to say that the natives now attack any straggler they meet unarmed; and though the strictest orders have been given to keep the convicts within hounds, neither the fear of death or punishmenl prevents their going out in the night; and one has been killed since the Sirius sailed. The natives, who appear strictly honest amongst themselves, leave their fizgigs, spears, &c, on the beach, or in their huts, when they go a -fishing; these articles have been taken from them by the convicts, and the people belonging to the transports buy them at the risk of being prosecuted as receivers of stolen goods, if discovered. The natives, as I have observed, revenge themselves on any they meet unarmed; it is not possible to punish them without punishing the innocent with the guilty, and our own people have been the aggressors. The natives still refuse to come amongst us, and those who are supposed to have murthered several of the convicts have removed from Botany Bay, where they have always been more troublesome than in any other part. I now doubt whether it will be possible to get any of those people to remain with us, in order to get their language, without using force; they see no advantage that can arise from us that may make amends for the loss of that part of the harbour in which we occasionally employ the boats in fishing. If my former letters have reached your Lordship the situation of this settlement is known, and as most of the officers have declined any kind of interference with the convicts, except when immediately employed by themselves, the little progress made in clearing land that requires so much labour will be accounted for. A letter sent from the Admiralty to the commanding officers of marines at Portsmouth and Plymouth is what the officers say they govern themselves by, and in which they say no extra duty is pointed out. What I asked of officers was so very little, and so far from being what would degrade either the officer or the gentleman in our situation, that I beg leave to report once more to your Lordship the request I made soon after we landed, and which was made in the following words : — " That officers would, when they saw the convicts diligent, say a few words of encour- agement to them, and that when they saw them idle, or met them straggling in the woods, they would threaten them with punish- * Xote 51. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 97 1788. going out of their way ; it was all I asked, and was pointedly 30 0ct" refused. They declared against what they called an interference with convicts, and I found myself obliged to give up the little plan I had formed in the passage for the government of these people, and which, had even that been proposed to the officers, required no more from them than the hearing any appeal the overseer might find it necessary to make, and a report from the officer to me, or to the Judge-Advocate, if he thought it necessary, but which never has been asked of the officers, as they declined any kind of interference. The Golden Grove store-ship sailed for Norfolk Island the 2nd Detachment for of October, with provisions and some stores, and carried a mid- Norfolk Island. shipman, two seamen, a serjeant, corporal, and five privates, with twenty-one men and eleven women convicts. * Their numbers will be increased in the course of the summer. The Fishburn is now fitting for sea, that she may sail with the Golden Grove, as soon as that ship returns from Norfolk Island. The same reason which makes me trouble your Lordship with commissariat, tedious extracts from my former letters makes it necessary to point out in this letter that we at present depend entirely for provisions being sent from England; and I beg leave to observe that if a ship should be lost in the passage it might be a very -considerable time before it could be known in England. The Sirius, from the length of the voyage, would not be able to supply this settlement from the Cape, and though the Islands may furnish refreshments in great abundance to one or two ships, if the Sirius was employed between the Islands and this settle- ment, the quantity procured would be but small for so great a number of people ; but, my Lord, I hope a very few years will put this country in a situation to support itself, for I have the pleasure of seeing what land has been cleared in a very flourish- ing state. I am now preparing to go up the harbour with a small detach- Settlement at ment of one captain, two lieutenants, and twenty privates, who Parram:ltta- are to protect some convicts intended to clear land near the head of the harbour, where it is a fine open country, having very little timber, and being perfectly free from underwood. The Supply remains here, as I think that vessel necessary in the harbour at present, and which was my reason for sending the store-ship to Norfolk Island. Returns of the detachment and the quantity of provisions in store are enclosed to Mr. Nepean. I have, &c, A. Phillip. Ser. I. Vol. I— G * Note 77. 98 BISTOBICAL KKCOKDS OF A I'sTWALI A. 1788. 10 Nu\ Reports i t < mii Norfolk Island Reef discovered. Settlement at Parramatta. Governor Phillip to Lord Sydney. (Despatch No. 11. per store-ship Golden Grove; acknowledged by Rt Hon. W. W. Grenville, L9th June, L789. 1 Sydney Cove, Port Jackson, M. v Lord, November 1G, 1788. Since I closed my letter of the 30th of October to your Lordship the Golden Grove has arrived from NorfolK Island, where the people and provisions were landed, and from whence I have received the most favourable accounts. They have vege- tables in great abundance, as well as fish. The grain that had been sowed after the first had tailed (from having been heated in the passage, or injured by the weevil) promises a great increase. The soil is extremely rich, and to the depth of many feet wherever they have dug; the people very healthy, and perfectly satisfied under an officer, who will in less than two years render that island independent of this colony for the necessarys of life, if we can procure black cattle to send him. He will have an additional number of people in the course of the summer. A few honest, industrious families would then find themselves happy in a good climate, as healthy as this settlement (and no place can be healthier) , with a rich land, easy of cultivation, and where the storms of thunder and heavy rains have not been felt. The flax- plant will supply the settlers on that island with rope and canvas, as well as a considerable part of their cloathing, wThen they can dress it properly; but a person experienced in dressing flax is much wanted, as well as a few good husbandmen, for those we have been able to send there are not only in general idle and abandoned, but ignorant. A cocoanut that was as good as if just taken from the tree, and a small piece of wood, said to resemble the handle of a flynap, as made in the Friendly Islands, and which did not appear to have been long in the water, have sug- gested an idea that some island which is inhabited lays at no great distance, but which my present situation does not permit me to determine. The remains of two or three canoes have been found on the rocks. The Golden Grove, in her passage from Norfolk Island, saw7 a very dangerous reef, the south end of which lay in the latitude of 29° 25' south, longitude 159° 59' east. " It appeared from the N. E. by N". to N. when they were four leagues from it, but no judgment can be formed how far it extends to the northward. I had the honor of informing your Lordship of my intentions of fixing a settlement near the head of the harbour, f and I have lately passed several days in examining the country. The land is good, and though there is none we can take possession of at present which can be cultivated without clearing the ground of * Note 82. t Note 83. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY AND STEPHENS. 99 the timber — for if the trees are at the distance of thirty or even 17&8. fifty feet the roots spread — the labour there, nevertheless, will 16 Nov* not exceed the fourth part of what is required in our present situation, and there the land appears to be the best I have seen in this country; and as far as I could examine, which was for a couple of miles round the spot on which I have fixed, I think the country as fine as any I have seen in England. I had an ofiicer and ten men with me, which I left to finish a small redoubt, and in a few days the remainder of the detachment will be sent up with some convicts. A soldier has been lately missing, who, I suppose, lost his way a soldier in the woods, and has either been killed by the natives or died by missins- a fit, to which he was subject. Except the old, and those who brought incurable complaints with them, the people are very healthy. The weather is now settled, and the two store-ships are ready to sail, and intend going round the South Cape. A small quantity of flax, as I received it from Norfolk Island Botanical is enclosed with the despatches. A plant that produces pepper, specimen and supposed to be the same as the East India pepper, is found in great plenty in Norfolk Island. Several roots of this plant, and some of the pepper, are sent to Sir Joseph Banks, who I have requested to inform your Lordship or Mr. Nepean if it proves to be, as supposed, the black pepper used in England. In sinking a well the sand was thought to contain a very large proportion of metal, a small quantity of which is sent by the two ships. It has been twenty-four hours in a strong fire, but we could not get it to melt. I suppose it to be blacklead. * I have, &c, A. Phillip. Governor Phillip to Secretary Stephens. (Per store-ship Golden Grove. ) Sir, Sydney Cove, Port Jackson, November 16, 1788. By his Majesty's ship Sirius, that sailed from hence for the Cape of Good Hope the 2nd of October, I had the honor of trans- Despatches, mitting, for the information of the Lords Commissioners, particu- lars respecting this settlement and Norfolk Island, with such drawings of that and Lord Howe Island as I had received from the lieutenants King and Ball. A survey made by Captain Hunter and the officers of the Sirius, of this harbour was sent with my dispatches in July, under the care of Lieutenant Shortland. The loss of all the seed wheat and most of the other grain and seeds that was brought from England, by being heated, was my * Note 84. 100 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF Al'STRALIA. 1788. 16 Nov, Shipping. Population of Norfolk Island. The natives Store-ship wanted. Soldier missing. Keef discovered. reason for Bending th<> Birius t. » the Oape. You will. sir. please to inform their Lordships thai the Fishburn is n< i:> Convicts Children !» Total convicts since their embarkation 04 Convicts unfit for hard labour from disease, age, &e 51 John White, Surgeon. [Enclosure No. 3. ] [A copy of the Commissary's return has not yet been found. ] Governor Phillip to Under Secretary Nepean. (Per store-ship Golden Grove. ) 17 Nov. Sir, Sydney Cove, 17th November, 1788. The flax contained in this box is from Norfolk Island. c I have mentioned in my former letters the want of a person that understands the preparing and manufacture of flax. If properly dressed, I think it would be superior to any that grows in Europe. Of the cotton seed brought from England very little vegetated. I have, &c, A. Phillip. Governor Phillip to Under Secretary Nepean. (Per store-ship Golden Grove. ) Sir, Sydney Cove, Novr. 17th, 1788. The enclosed Lists, are of such Men belonging to ye Detachment, as having been employed as Artificers, their Quali- fications against their Names, will shew what they are, if paid from the Treasury, and their request made thro' the Major Commandant of the Detachment (as mention'd in my former letters) is granted. They beg to have the money sent out, as Bills would be of little Service to them in this part of the World. I have, &c, A. Phillip. PHILLIP TO NEPEAN. [Enclosure. ] Monthly Return of Artificers Employed for the Battalion with the Numbr. of Days Empd. from ye 1st Octobr, to 31st 1788 Inclusive : — No. of No. of Com- Names. Trades. Days pany. Emp'd. 33 Chas. Brixey . . . Shingler 27 Superintendg. the shingle-makers. 11 Jno. Brown Mason 23 Stone-cutter. 47 Jno. Folly do Uh Mason and bricklayer. 41 Mark Hurst .... do 22£ do do 8 Thos. Phillips . . do 23£ Stone-cutter. 54 Chas. Reynolds.. Carpenter 26£ An indifferent carpenter. 6 Patk. Connel .... do 25i do do 6 Willm. Dowlan . . do 26" do do but a good sawyer. 59 Edwd. Dinger . . do 26 A very ordinary carpenter. 41 Heny. Wright . . do 24i Willing and handy with the axe or 61 Thos. Scott do 26 Ordinary joiner and tollerable sawyer. 35 Andw. Fish burn do 26 Ordinary carpenter. 5 Ralph Brough . . do 25£ Ordinary carpenter. 18 Jno. Lewis do 26i Ordinary carpenter and sawyer. 11 Josh. Lewis do 5 do do do 35 Richd. Knight . . Sawyer 21 A tollerable sawyer. 24 Willm. Strong . . do 24| Good sawyer. 51 Jno. Griffiths.. . . do 23£ do do 15 Jas. Rogers ... do 19 Tollerable sawyer. 60 Geo. Chislet do i\ do do 51 Willm. Browning do 3 Good sawyer. 30 Thos. Jackson . File-cutter . 23i Employ'd at the puhlick forge. Total No. of Days 477 R. Ross, Major. 1788. 17 Nov. Governor Phillip to Under Secretary Nepean. (Per Lieut. King in the Supply to Batavia, and thence by Dutch packet to England ; acknowledged by Under Secretary Nepean, 12th March, 1791. ) Sir, Sydney Cove, February 20th, 1789. The present situation of this colony renders it necessary to state the following particulars, and which you will please to communicate to the Right Hon'ble the Lord Sydney. When on the death of Captain Shea, who died the 2nd of Feb. , geafhff, 1789, Major Ross, as commandant of the detachment, came to inform me of that event, I observed to him that First Lieut. Vacancy George Johnston, then doing duty as my Adjutant of Orders (and who was then present) , would of course succeed to the capt, - lieutcy. which then became vacant, as being the oldest first lieutenant in the detachment, and that I should in future do 1789. 20 Feb. captain Shea. HISTORICAL RKCORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1789. 20 Feb. without an adjutant, aa there were bo few officers. No# direct Miiswer was given by Major Ross, who Left me, and sending for the Judge-Advocate offered him the company vacant by the death of Capt. Shea, telling him he was directed so to do by- Lord Howe, and that if he accepted the corny, he was to give up the appointment of Judge- Advocate to the detachment. This offer being declined, any interference on my part was unneces- sary; but as a circumstance of this kind may happen in future, I beg leave to observe that if the Judge- Advocate had accepted of the company he must have given up the appointment of Judge- Advocate to the settlement, for he could not possibly have attended to that charge, supposing he had always remain'd at head-quarters, but which could not have been the case, for the captains relieve each other every three months at Kose Hill; therefore, if officers who may be sent out in civil employs are at liberty to resign the place they hold when any vacancy happens in the detachment, the colony, in its present situation, may lose an officer who is immediately necessary, and who, as in the present instance, cannot be replaced; nor is there any officer in this settlement so absolutely necessary as the Judge-Advocate, who likewise acts as a Justice of Peace, * and which employs a very considerable part of his time. When this circumstance is laid before Lord Sydney, I doubt not but his Lordship will see that the civil Government of this colony may be very materially affected by directions of such a nature being given to the commandant of the detachment, and by him carried into execution without the knowledge or consent of the Governor, and which I presume never was intended by Lord Howe. The first information 1 received of any such offer being intended was from the Judge-Advocate's saying that he would not accept the offer. I was the next day told by Major Ross that he intended to give commissions to the officers he promoted in consequence of Captn. Shea's death, and some days afterwards he came to ask me if his giving his son a commission as a second lieutenant would meet with my approbation. As Major Ross had not even at that time mentioned his having offer'd the company to the Judge-Advocate, or made any reference to me respecting the filling up the vacancys, I desired he would excuse me from giving any approbation to that appointment in particular. Captain Lieut. Meredith as succeeding to the vacant company, First Lieut. Geo. Johnston succeeding him as capt. -lieutenant, Second Lieut. R. Clark succeeding to the first lieutcy. , and A. J. Ross (who appears in the returns as a volunteer doing duty * Note 86. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. without pay) as being appointed a second lieutenant in the 1789. detachment, were afterwards presented to me as such by their 20 Feb# commandant. I have, &c, A. Phillip. Lender Secretary Xepeax to Governor Phillif. 3rd June, 1789. [A copy of tli is letter has not yet been found. It was received per transport Lady Juliana and acknowledged by Governor Phillip, IJfth June, 1790, and was a covering note for the Esti- mates of the financial year, 1789-1790. '] 107 Governor Phillip to Lord Sydney. * (Per Lieut. King in the Supply to Batavia, and thence by Dutch packet to England; acknowledged by Lord Grenville, 19th February, 1791. ) My Lord, Sydney Cove, Port Jackson, 5th June, 1789. 5 June. I am sorry to be under the disagreeable necessity of Objection of troubling your Lordship with the enclosed papers. Criminal The letters Xos. 1, 2, and 3 I received from the Judge- Court- Advocate the 26th of April, and Major Ross the next morning brought on three letters, which he desired I would read. Two of those letters were copys of Xos. 2 and 3; the third letter was from Captain Campbell to Major Ross, as commandant of the detachment. It stated that as he had always understood there was no power in Major Ross to compel the officers to sit as members of the criminal court contrary to their own inclination, he desired that his name might not in future appear in the orderly-book as a member of that court. After having pointed out the authority by which the criminal court was established, how much it was the officers' duty to sit as members of that court when called on, and the obvious neces- sity of it, I informed Major Ross, as I had done the day I first heard of the busyness, that the Judge-Advocate had declared in the most solemn manner that he never had intended any offence to Captain Campbell by his letter; and as I saw no reason for that officer's refusing what was most undoubtedly a part of his duty, I desired that he would think seriously of the consequences. The precept for assembling a criminal court was ready to be issued as soon as the names of the officers were inserted who were next for that duty, and if Captain Campbell should persevere in refusing that duty I desired to have his reasons in writing. Major Ross soon after brought me a letter, of which No. 4 is a copy, and as he told me Captain Campbell was fixed in his * Note 87. 108 HISTORICAL KKCORDS OF AISTKALIA. 1780. ;. June. Objection of officers to Criminal Court. Court of inquiry. Criminal Court procedure. opinion that the sitting as a member of the criminal court was no pari of his duty, and which he therefore declined, I desired that the officer next on the rosier for that Bervice might be named in his room; but Major Koss said that be did not see how that could be done, as lie believed that I Bhould find the officers in general of opinion that the sitting as members of the criminal court was not a duty to which they were obliged to submit, but a service in which they had volunteered it, and added "that he knew of no article of war to compel them. "* I had been given to understand, soon after the commission for establishing the criminal courtf had been read, that the officers thought it a very disagreeable duty, and that it was looked on as a hardship by some; but I never had supposed officers thought it a service which they were at liberty to decline at their pleasure, and I observed to Major Eoss that I could hardly believe it possible that such an opinion was general, but which would be known, as the precept for assembling the court should be issued. At the same time, being desirous to restore tranquillity, if pos- sible, I consented to the demand then made by Major Ross that a court of inquiry might be ordered to give an opinion on the Judge-Advocate's letter before the precept was issued, and after having pointed out the consequences that must follow the officers refusing what was so necessary a part of their duty, and being declared such by an Act of Parliament, required no articles of war or particular instructions to the commandant of the detach- ment, I assured him that while there were ten men in ye detachment officers should not be wanting to form a criminal court. A reference to the officers who had composed the court at which the woman in question had been a witness was afterwards proposed, but those officers desired to decline any interference; and the court of inquiry, when assembled, declared, as appears in their report No. 5, that they did not think themselves to be competent to give an opinion on a private dispute, which appeared to them to involve in itself a point of law. It may be necessary to inform your Lordship of the manner of assembling the criminal courts. Those assembled on our first landing were composed of the senior officers of the detachment and of the Navy, the first court being given out in general orders^: after which a roster was kept for that service by the adjutant of the detachment; and when it was necessary to assemble a court the Judge-Advocate sent to the adjutant for the names of the officers next for that duty, whose names being inserted, and the precept signed and sealed by me, is then shewn to the differ- ent officers who are to compose the court, by the provost- Note 28. t Note 88. % Note 89. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 109 martial, and which is always done one or two days before the 1789. court is to meet, the battalion orders of the day pointing out the ° June' officers of the detachment who are for that duty. °ffi^ectito °f Since landing fifteen criminal courts* have been assembled, criminal and on any particular occasion, as when the six marines were Court- tried for robbing the stores, the senior officers in the detachment composed the court. The court of inquiry which was ordered to meet on the Judge- Advocate's letter, having reported that they did not think them- selves competent to judge on the matter laid before them, that court was dissolved, and Major Ross came to inform me that Captain Campbell would protest against the report, which he said was a partial report, in stating that the matter before them was of a private nature, and desired that the request made by the members of that court for copies of the letters laid before them might not be granted. Captain Campbell afterwards declined making any protest against the proceedings of the court of inquiry, and copies of the letters which they thought necessary, in order to justify their proceedings to the Admiralty, were given them. The adjutant of the detachment had my orders to give the Judge-Advocate, as usual, the names of the officers who were next for the duty of the criminal court, as soon as the court of inquiry had made their report, but he then came to inform me that Major Ross dici not choose to let him give the names of the officers at the Judge-Advocate's request, and desired that it might appear in general orders, or that a verbal message might be sent him from me. The message was sent, and in the names given to the Judge-Advocate, Capt. Campbell's appear'd, and he sat the next day as a member of the criminal court. I had sent for several of the officers before the court met, in order to point out to them the consequences which would follow their refusal of so essential a part of their duty, and the officers 1 saw on that occasion assured me that they had never doubted its being a part of their duty, after they heard the Act of Parliament and the commission read, which established that court, but Major Ross, afterwards, on the 6th of May, telling me that he was still of opinion that many of the officers did not think the sitting as members of the Criminal Court any part of their duty, I desired that Major Ross would assemble the officers, that their separate opinions might be taken on that head. By the report No. 6, which is inclosed, it appears that all the officers thought it a part of their duty, and Capt. -Lieut. Merridith and Lieut. Tini- mins, then absent from head-quarters, have since declared the same. * Note 90. BISTORICAL RECOKDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1789. 5 June. As no legal inquiry into the conduct of any officers can be made bere, and Capt. Campbell was fche only officer that could be called on to sit as a member of the criminal court who did not think it a pari of his duty, I judged it best, for the quiet of the settlement, to lei him -it as a volunteer when his name was returned, and here I hoped that affair would have rested Eor the present, for tho' officers had, when I sent for them to point ou1 to them the necessity of obeying the precept, mentioned their com- mandant's having heard their opinions, I did not choose to ask any questions as to what might have passed between them and their commandant; but being some time after informed that the officers had been assembled, and the Governor's conduct in calling on Captain Campbell to sit as a member ot the criminal court had been stated to them by Major Ross as oppressive, and that endeavours had been used to induce them to join in Captain Campbell's opinion that the criminal court was not a part of their duty, I then thought it necessary to inquire what grounds there were for such a report, and the first officer I spoke to on that subject, doubting of the propriety of saying what pass'd at a meeting to wdiich the officers had been call'd by their com- mandant, I directed the Judge- Advocate to send for some of the senior officers then in quarters, and to ask them the necessary questions; and the adjutant, who had assembled the officers and attended the meeting, was afterwards sent for. By the answers given by those five officers it appears that all the officers at head- quarters were call'd together on the 27th of April, after Major Ross had brought me Capt. Campbell's refusal to attend the duty of the cl. court, and that the tenor of Major Ross's discourse appear'd calculated to induce them to join Capt. Campbell in declining the duty of the criminal courts, saying that he had told the Governor that both he and the officers at large considered that service as what they had volunteer'd, not as a duty; that the Governor's conduct in calling on Capt. Campbell or on officers for that service was oppressive, and that he thought it hard officers should be obliged to sit as members of the criminal court, and oppressive to the highest degree. The consequences wrhich must have followed had the officers in general been of that opinion will be obvious to your Lordship; but as no legal inquiry could be made respecting the conduct of the officer to whom, as the Lieutenant-Governor and commandant of the detachment, I was naturally to look for support, and from whom the situation of this colony at the time call'd for an address of a very different nature, I did not think it proper to direct any more officers to be sent for on that subject, unless Major Ross should desire it, when the officers informed him they had been PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. HI examined respecting that meeting, and which they did as soon as 1789. they left the Judge-Advocate; and being asked what questions 5 June' had been put to them, they desired to refer him to the Governor for the questions and their answers; but Major Ross has never mentioned that business to me, and I have therefore thought it best to let it rest in its present state. The answers given by the officers, and to which they sign'd their names, are inclosed, No. 7; and I have now, my Lord, only to repeat my regret at being obliged to lay a business of this kind before your Lordship, but which the service and the situation of this colony renders unavoidable; and as the discontents in the detachment, which have been represented in my former letters, still continue, and into which I have not authority to make a legal inquiry, I can only inform your Lordship that those dis- contents, which have existed from the time this detachment landed, still continue. * I have, &c, A. Phillip. [Enclosure No. 1. ] Judge-Advocate Collins to Governor Phillip. Sir, Sydney Cove, 25th April, 1789. Having this day received a message from Captain Camp- The case of bell respecting Mary Turner, one of the evidences on the late Mary Turner- trial of the soldiers for robbing the store-house, t I beg leave to lay before your Excellency the following particulars of that affair. It appearing to the members of the court, as well as to myself, on the examination of the said Mary Turner, that she had not sworn the truth in giving her testimony, on her being told to withdraw, the provost-martial was ordered to detain and keep her apart from the other witnesses. The conviction and condemna- tion of the six prisoners very shortly followed, and the court was dissolved. On maturely weighing and considering the whole of Mary Turner's deposition, and comparing it with those of the other witnesses, since the trial, I was of opinion there was not sufficient proof to affect her on an indictment for perjury; and as I have always wished to avoid lightly grounding a prosecution against the convicts, from the bad effect it might have, in pointing out to them how far they might offend, if they could but withhold sufficient proof, I had dropped for the present any t ho ughts of Calling on Mary Turner for trial. Neither have I at any time, since then, heard it w;is the opinion or wish of any member of that court t<> bring her to trial, until this morning, when 1 was informed by the provost-imirt i;d that Captain Campbell, one of the members of the late court, had inquired of him if Bhe \\;i> in ♦ FoteOl. | Note 92. L12 BI8T0EICAL BECOBDS OF AUSTRALIA. L789. his custody, and expressed some surprize and anger on being told :> June. The ease oi Marv Turner. 3he was not. As to this Latter circumstance, 1 must observe to your Excellency, that, having do place of confinement <>r custody tor female offenders, they bave been always Buffered to go at Large un1 il wanted for trial* In consequence of the above message, I wrote to Captain Campbell a letter, wherein I informed him that "I did not think myself there was proof sufficient to bring her to trial, either for perjury or as an accessary; but, nevertheless, if he was of a different opinion, and would let me know what charge should be exhibited, it should be done" — for as I did not myself know of any proof sufficient to establish a charge against her, I was not certain but Captain Campbell might be informed of some that I was not acquainted with. I beg leave to trouble your Excellency with a copy of my letter, and of Captain Campbell's reply, which I received this afternoon; and have now only to add, that though 1 think the conviction of her being guilty of perjury may be clear in the breast and opinion of every individual of the last court, yet still there is not sufficient proof of it to convict her in the eye of the law; nevertheless, as Captain Campbell considers her as a prisoner by order of the late court, and thinks she ought to be delivered by a due course of law, I propose to bring her before the court that is to assemble in the next week, and try her on a charge of wilful and corrupt perjury at the late trial. I have, &c, David Collins. [Enclosure No. 2. ] Judge-Advocate Collins to Captain Campbell. Sir, Sydney Cove, 25th April, 1789. I understand by the provost-martial, who has just been with me, that you imagined Mary Turner was in custody ; I have to acquaint you that Mary Turner is forthcoming at any time she may be wanted, but that I myself have at present no thoughts of calling on her, as I do not think, on mature consideration, there would be sufficient proof to affect her either as an accessary in the late business or for perjury at the trial. However, if you are of a different opinion, and wish to have her tried, she may be brought before the criminal court that is to assemble on Tuesday or Wednesday next; in such case I should wish to have timely notice of the charge to be exhibited against her, and what witnesses are to be called to support it, that the necessary steps may be taken. I have, &c, David Collins. * Note 93. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 113 [Enclosure Xo. 3. ] 1789 Captain Campbell to Judge-Advocate Collixs. " The case of Sir, Sydney Cove, 25th April, 1789. Mary Turner. In answer to your letter of this day I have to say that 1 perfectly well remember, at the last criminal court held in this island, when Mary Turner was ordered to withdraw from the court she was by yourself ordered into the custody of the provost. I do not by this mean to say that it was entirely an act of your own, for myself among others desired it might be so, as we then appeared to be unanimously of opinion that she was a very proper object to make an example of. When the provost informed you this morning of my having desired him to speak to you about the woman he should have likewise informed you that I had immediately after the above was dissolved, and on my seeing the woman at liberty, desired him to make my compliments to you, and to know from you whether he had not misunderstood the orders you gave him in court — to take her into his custody, as I had myself been one of the members who desired it — nor could I till this morning possibly account for not having been acquainted with your opinion. Having this morning by accident heard that a criminal court would be assembled the beginning of next week, I judged it a discharge of a part of my duty to the publick to know what was to be done with Mary Turner, sensible that no power on this island could liberate her till she had undergone a trial. I therefore sent for the provost, who, to my great surprise, had the assurance to tell me that he never delivered my message to you, upon which I ordered him to go and do it without loss of time. Now, sir, you have the cause of your being troubled with any message from me this morning. How far such a message might authorize you to call upon me as a prosecutor I know not, nor shall I at present comment upon it. One point you have certainly gained by it, that you have effectually precluded Captain Camp- bell from sitting as a member of any criminal court that it may be necessary to assemble here, and of which you are a part. As this business may undergo future investigation I beg leave to recommend it to you to keep copies of such letters as you may <-hoose to write upon the occasion, as I assure you I shall of mine. I at the same time think it proper to inform you that tins is the only letter you will receive upon this subjecl from Sir, &c. , J \mi:s Campbell. Bra. i. vol. [— h 1 1 I HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1789. I Enclosure No. 1. 1 0-l^e' Captain Campbell to Major Ross. The case of 0. -. , _ «»-. i * . <• ^^^^ ALuy Turner. bir, feydney Cove, 27th April, 1789. As I have always understood that you are not in possession of any power to compel the officers of the detachment under your command to sit as memhers of the criminal court established in this colony contrary to their own inclinations, I have to request that you will please to direct the adjutant so as that my name may not for the future appear in your orderly book as a member of that court, as I shall be extremely concerned to be reduced to the very disagreeable necessity of objecting to any orders of yours, or any other my superior in command. I am sensible it may be said of me that I have hitherto volunteered or acquiesced in being in my turn a member of that court, from my being likewise sensible that in the present situa- tion of this colony such power could not, with any degree of propriety, be vested in any other hands but that of the Navy and Army. I have farther to say that I would still continue the same line of conduct did I think it consistent with either my character as a gentleman or my feelings as a man. You were yourself an ear-witness of the message sent by me by the provost to the Judge-Advocate on the 25th instant, to which message I very soon after received the inclosed (in my opinion) most insulting letter. * I had ever been taught to under- stand that the person officiating in his character at such courts was the person to carry on the prosecution. How far, or even how it was possible for him to construe my message into a belief that I was become the prosecutor, I know not, nor can I possibly imagine why he should call upon me individually for that pur- pose, as in his letter he certainly does, unless that he had some reason to suppose me of a more sanguinary and persecuting spirit than any other member of the court who wished the woman to be taken into custody for her having (evidently to all then present) perjured herself. The consequence of not using every possible means to prevent so dangerous a crime from getting to a head among the present inhabitants of this colony is too obvious to require any farther remarks upon it, and I am convinced that the wish of exerting every means in their power to prevent it was the motive of that court for desiring the woman to be taken into custody. With the Judge-Advocate's letter I take the liberty of inclosing for your perusal the copy of my answer to him, with the humble request that you will please to communicate the whole to the Governor, to the end that he may be convinced that I never had, . * Note 94. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 115 nor ever will have, a wish or desire of impeding the publick 1789. service, and I have no doubt but that both him and you will do une' me the justice to say that I have used every means ever put in ^rCTe°fer my power to promote it. As I have no copy of any of the papers now sent to you, I request that you will please not to part with any of them unknown to me or without my consent. I have, &c, James Campbell. [Enclosure No. 5. ] Marine Officers to Governor Phillip. Sir, Port Jackson, 28th April, 1789. Agreeable to the general and battalion orders of this Court of morning, we the following officers, 1st Lieut. John Poulden, 1st in(iuir>r- Lieut. John Johnstone, and 1st Lieut. James Maitld. Shairp, met in Captain Campbell's hut at eleven o'clock, and after read- ing the letters produced in court, came to the following resolu- tions, viz. : — The officers commanding the court, upon having read and considered the letters which passed in the business now before them, are of opinion that as the business involves in itself a point of law and a private disagreement, they feel them- selves incompetent to decide upon it — and they further beg of your Excellency that copies of all the letters which have passed may be given to them (in case of their being at any time here- after called upon) for the purpose of being inclosed and sent to the Lords of the Admiralty, which they think necessary in order to convince their Lordships of their incompetency to decide on an affair of such a nature. yye nave? &c John Poulden. John Johnstone. J. M. Shairp. I Enclosure No. 6. ] Major Eoss to Governor Phillip. Sir, Marine Quarters, May 6th, 1789. In compliance with your Excellency's command of this officers as day's date, signified to me by the adjutant, I convened the [™m|)era °J officers of the detachment, and put the questions directed by your Excellency, and received their answers, as follows, viz. : — " The Governor requests that Major Ross will assemble the officers of the detachment now at head-quarters, and report to him their separate opinions, 'whether or not they think it their duty to sit as members of the criminal court established in this 116 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1789. country. ' This the Governor desires, as Major Ross, their com- o June. mandant, is of opinon they do not think it a part of their duty, melnbei^of Captain Campbell having already given his opinion, the Governor Criminal Court, does not wish to press him further on that head. " Major Ross's question to the officers of the detachment at head-quarters: — "Whether they look upon sitting at the crim- inal court as a military duty, or an extra duty in compliance with an Act of Parliament, and whether they had any know- ledge of it before their arrival in this country ? " Answer by Captain-Lieut. Tench : — I had no knowledge of the Act of Parliament previous to my arrival in this country; from the moment I read it I look'd on it as Captain Tench's duty to sit on criminal courts whenever ordered, and still look on it as such. Answer by Captain-Lieut. Johnston: — Since I saw the Act of Parliament I have always thought it my duty to sit on criminal courts when ordered. Answer by Lieutenant Creswell: — I had never seen the Act of Parliament in England, but from the time I saw it I conceived it to be a part of my duty to sit on criminal courts when ordered, and not an extra duty, while I remain in this country. Answer by Lieutenant and Quarter-master Eurzer: — I knew nothing of the Act of Parliament before I came to this country, but since I had a knowledge of it I always conceived it to be a part of my duty to sit on criminal courts when ordered. Answer by Lieutenant Poulden : — Since I saw the Act of Par- liament I have always thought it my duty to sit on criminal courts when ordered. Answer by Lieut. J. Johnstone : — I saw the Act of Parliament before I left England, and always conceived it to be a part of my duty to sit on criminal courts when ordered. Answer by Lieut. J. M. Shairp : — I saw the Act of Parliament before I left England, and always conceived it to be a part of my duty to sit on criminal courts when ordered, during the time of my remaining in this country. Answer by Lieut. Davey: — I had not any knowledge of the Act of Parliament until I came into this country, but since that time I have ever conceived it to be a part of my duty to sit on criminal courts when ordered. Answer by Lieut. Clarke: — I had not any knowledge of the Act of Parliament until I came into this country, but from the moment I read it I considered it as a part of my duty to sit on criminal courts when ordered, while I remain in this country. Answer by Lieut. Dawes : — I knew nothing of the Act of Par- liament till I heard it read in this country, and from that time I considered it my duty to sit on criminal courts when ordered. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 117 Answer by Lieut, and Adjutant Long : — I knew nothing of the ^J89, Act of Parliament when I left England, but since I heard it read — ' in this country have considered it as a part of my duty to sit on SduC?°SS criminal courts when ordered. Answer by Lieutenant Faddy : — I knew nothing of the Act of Parliament till I heard it read in this country; since that time I have always thought it my duty to sit on criminal courts when ordered. K. K. , Major. [Enclosure No. 7. ] Questions to Officers. Sydney Cove, 28th May, 1789. It having been reported that the major-commandant of the detachment did, in the presence of many of the officers, declare that the Governor's calling on Captain James Campbell to sit as a member of the criminal court, established by Act of Parliament for the trial of criminal causes in this country, was oppressive, and that the said major-commandant did publickly address the officers then present in order to induce them to concur with Captain Campbell in refusing to acknowledge the duty of the criminal court to be any part of the officers' duty, and to persuade them to refuse sitting as members of the said criminal court, I am, in consequence of the said report, desired by the Governor to call upon such officers of the detachment who were present at that meeting, and to put the following questions to them, in order that it may be known how far the said report is founded in truth. Question 1 : — Was there such a meeting, and what reason was assigned by the major-commandant of the detachment for assem- bling the officers? Question 2: — Did the major-commandant at that meeting say that the Governor's conduct in calling on Capt. Campbell to sit in his turn as a member of the criminal court was oppressive ? Question 3 : — Did he ask the officers to join Capt. Campbell in refusing to sit as a member of that court, or what was said on that subject? Answer to question 1, by Captain-Lt. Tench: — The meeting was held on Monday, the 27th of April, by order of the major- commandant. The reason he assigned for such meeting was to repeat a conversation he had had with the Governor, to lay before them a letter he had received on service from Capt. Campbell in consequence of a correspondence he had had with the . 1 udge- Advocate, and to read the letters which had passed between them, all of which were read to the officers by the adjutant. 118 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1789. Answer to question 2: — To the best of my recollection the 5i^!!e' major-commandant said he had told the Governor that his con- conduct°SS' c^uct resPectm& Capt. Campbell was oppressive, and that officers were not to be driven in cases where they did not feel themselves at ease to act, they were not to be compelled. I recollect that the major made use twice of the word " oppressive " in speaking of the Governor's conduct. Answer to question 3: — He did not ask the officers to join Capt. Campbell in refusing to sit as members of the criminal court, but it is my opinion that the whole tenor of Major Ross's conversation pointed that way. My reason for thinking so is that Major Ross more than once mentioned to the officers assembled that he had told the Governor that both he and the officers at large considered the sitting as members of the criminal courts as what they volunteered, not as a duty. Watkin Tench, Captain-Lt. of Marines. Answer to question 1, by Lieut. Creswell: — There was such a meeting, and the reason assigned was to read the letters that had passed between the Judge-Advocate and Capt. Campbell, and to mention a conversation he had had with the Governor, and to say that the adjutant had a question to put to the officers who composed the last criminal court. Answer to question 2: — I cannot say that the major-comman- dant said that the Governor's conduct was oppressive in calling on Capt. Campbell, but I understood him that he had told the Governor so, and that officers were not to be driven, or words to that effect. Answer to question 3 : — He did not ask such a question ; but as far as opinion goes, the tenor of his conversation seemed to lead towards getting officers to be of Captain Campbell's opinion. But this is merely opinion. Johx Creswell. Answer to question 1, by Capt. -Lt. Johnston: — There was such a meeting. The reason assigned was to lay before them the cor- respondence between the Judge-Advocate and Captain Campbell. Answer to question 2 : — The officers in speaking about the duty of the criminal court, one of them said it was, though an un- pleasant duty, yet certainly a part of their duty; Major Ross replied it was an oppressive duty. Answer to question 3 : — I do not recollect that the major asked the officers to join in refusing with Captain Campbell to sit as members of the criminal court, but recollect his saying that officers were not to be driven, and believe he wished them to con- cur with Capt. Campbell's refusal. George Johxstox. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 119 Answer to question 1, by Lieut. Poulden: — There was such a 1789. meeting- , and the reason assigned was to lay before it the letters 5_^e- from the Judge- Advocate and Captain Campbell. ^°r ^oss' Answer to question 2 : — I do not recollect that the word u oppressive " was applied particularly to Capt. Campbell being ordered to sit at that court, but that it was meant, generally speaking, of that duty. Answer to question 3 : — I do not recollect that the major asked the officers to concur with Captain Campbell in refusing to sit at that court. John Poulden. Question to Lt. Long, adjutant of the detachment: — Did you assemble the officers of the detachment by direction of the major- commandant on Monday, the 27th of April? Answer: — I did. Question: — Was anything said at that meeting by the major- commandant that, in your opinion, tended to induce the officers present to decline sitting in future as members of the criminal court ? Answer: — Major Ross, when speaking of the duty, and on being reminded that there was an Act of Parliament for it, said that he not only thought it hard that officers should be obliged to sit as members of the criminal court, but oppressive in the highest degree. j0HN LoNGj Lieut, and Adjt. Marines. Taken and subscribed before me, — David Collins. Governor Phillip to Secretary Stephens. 5th June, 1789. [A despatch was written to the Admiralty similar to that sent to Lord Sydney, excepting the addition of the statement to para- graph six that " the senior officers of the Navy have always been ■called on when in the harbour. "] The Right Hon. W. W. Grenville to Governor Phillip. 5th June, 1789. [A copy of this despatch has not yet been found. II was a ■circular letter announcing Grenville's appointment as Secretary of ^tate in the Home Department, and ivas acknowledged by Governor Phillip, IJftJi June, 1790, being received per transport Lady Juliana. \ HISTORICAL lM:coiM)S OP AUSTRALIA, 1789. 19 June. The Right Eon. W. \Y. Grenville to Governob Piuli. ii'. (Despatch No. 1, per transport Lady Juliana ; acknowledged i>y Governor Phillip, 17m June, lT'. to. ) Sir, Whitehall, 19th June, 1789. The ship Lady Juliana having been taken up for the pur- pose of conveying to Port Jackson about 240 female convicts, sentenced to be transported, I avail myself of that opportunity of acknowledging the receipt of your dispatches numbered from 1 to 7 inclusive, * with numbers 9, 10, and 11, and of acquainting you at the same time that his Majesty is graciously pleased to approve of your conduct in the execution of the arduous and important service which has been committed to your care. The service of the unfortunate women on board the Lady Julianaf will, upon their landing at Port Jackson, be transferred to you, and you will cause them to be employed in such manner as may be most conducive to the advantage of the settlement. The attention paid by you to the proceedings of those who accom- panied you thither, with the view to preventing an indiscriminate intercourse with the convicts of a different sex, is extremely commendable, and leads his Majesty to entertain a well-grounded hope that the same watchful care will be taken on your part on the present occasion, and that you will continue the exertions you have hitherto so successfully made for the promotion of matrimonial connexion between the unmarried people^ — a measure which must tend to the improvement of their morals, and is indispensably necessary for securing the general peace and happiness of the settlement. You will see by the enclosed invoice and bill of lading the several tools and implements, articles of clothing, provisions, &c, which have been put on board the Lady Juliana. That ship will be followed in about a fortnight by his Majesty's ship the Guardian. By the last-mentioned ship you will receive a farther supply, equal to about three times the quantity embarked on board the former, which, excepting in the article of provisions, , you will find nearly to correspond with the estimates accompany- ing your letters upon that subject, and as these stores and provisions have been procured at a very considerable expence, it is to be hoped that you will appropriate them to the best possible advantage. In the course of the autumn I expect that about 1, 000 more convicts of both sexes will be embarked from the several gaols, and despatched to Port Jackson, together with a suitable propor- tion of clothing and provisions for their use. This measure will render it necessary that you should make arrangements for their accommodation, as well as for their employment, on their arrival. Note 95. t Note 96. % Note 97. GREXVILLE TO PHILLIP. 121 The soil of Port Jackson, which you have very properly chosen, 1789. from the very extensive harbour it possesses, is certainly a far pre- 19 une" ferable situation to Botany Bay, but, according to the information Port Jackson . ' i c approved ot. hitherto obtained from you, it does not appear to be as fertile as could have been wished, and exclusively of that consideration, the number of natives inhabiting its vicinity must render its culti- vation both difficult and dangerous, particularly whilst they continue to avoid any friendly intercourse with the settlement. From these circumstances, Norfolk Island, where the settlers Opinions re possess the advantage of a luxurious soil, and carry on their operations unmolested by any other inhabitants, is, I conceive, the most favourable position, and were it not from the great labor and expence incurred already at Port Jackson, I should have been inclined to have recommended that island's being made the principal settlement, * but although, from the circumstance which I have mentioned, this appears now to be impracticable, I think you will do right to increase its present establishment, as far as you conveniently can ; and if any similar situation equally advantageous should be discovered, you will detach thither a con- siderable part of the convicts who will be sent out in the next ships. The Guardian will have on board about twenty-five con- victs who are either artificers or persons accustomed to agricul- ture, and also eight or ten superintendents, who have been engaged in consequence of your recommendation of the measure ; to each of the latter an annual salary of £40f will be given in addition to the ration of provisions, and I have no doubt they will be found to be extremely useful in the new settlements. The obstacles which have occurred with respect to bringing to Court-martials, trial the officers of the corps of marines, by general court- martial, ^: under the authority with which you have been furnished, would, had the detachment continued in the settle- ment, most likely have been removed by an interference of Parliament, but as that detachment is so shortly to be relieved, it is to be hoped that no further inconvenience will be experienced during their continuance abroad. It is but reasonable that the persons you have employed for Commissariat the purpose of taking eharge of the issues of provisions and offl stores should receive a suitable compensation for their services, I shall therefore have no objection to the recommending the pay- ment of any moderate charge you may bring forward for that purpose in your contingent accounts. § I have. ^v<-.. W. W. ( ii:i:\viLLE. I Enclosures Nos. 1 and 2. 1 [Copies of the invoice mul hill of lading of stores, per transport Lady Juliana, have not yet been found. ] * Note 98. fNote99. : N.. t. - loo. | Note 101. HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1789. 10 June. The Right Hon. W. W. Grenville to Governor Phillii1. i Despatch No. 2, per transport Lady Juliana; acknowledged by Governor Phillip, 17th June, 1790. ) Sir, Whitehall, 19th June, 1789. The discontents which have prevailed in the marine detachment, and the desire expressed by most of the officers and men to return home as soon as they shall have performed the tour of duty "they had undertaken, have led to the making arrangements for relieving them. With that view his Majesty has ordered a corps to be raised for that particular service, consisting of three hundred rank and file and a suitable number of officers, under a major-commandant. * This corps is ordered to be in readiness for embarkation on the 1st of October next, and will, it is expected, soon after that time proceed upon the voyage. According to the engagements made with the marine detach- ment, any of the non-commissioned officers and men who may have behaved well are, if they desire it, to be allowed to quit the service on their return to England, or to be discharged abroad, upon the relief (originally designed to take place at the expira- tion of three years after their landing) , and to be permitted to settle in the country if they prefer it. It is probable that some of these people will be desirous of continuing there, and as settlers of that description will be of great utility, not only for the purposes of protection and defence, but for the cultivation of the land, it is thought advisable that every reasonable encour- agement should be held out to them to remain there. If any part of this detachment can, however, be prevailed upon to enlist and add strength to the new corps, it will be by far the most desirable plan, and in order to induce any of the non- commissioned officers or men so to do you are at liberty to offer to each a bounty of £3 ; at the same time to assure them that in case of a proper demeanour on their part they will, after a fur- ther service of five years, be allowed their discharge and a suitable quantity of land, together with such a proportion of tools and implements for agriculture as may be necessary for their culti- vating the same, and also a supply of seed grain and of provisions for their subsistence for one year. As the time for the relief of the marine detachment ap- proaches, it will be inconvenient to wait for any farther opinion from you upon the mode and conditions of granting lands to the persons above mentioned w7ho may claim their immediate discharge, and may be willing to settle in the country, or to * Note 102. NEPEAN TO PHILLIP. 123 other persons who may resort to that part of the world with 1789. a view of becoming settlers. I shall therefore avail myself of an 19 June' early opportunity of submitting to his Majesty's consideration the draft of an instruction to you for your guidance in that respect, and you may expect to receive his Majesty's commands thereupon by the next vessel that sails from home for New South Wales. I have.. &c, W. W. Grenville. 20 June. Under Secretary Nepean to Governor Phillip. (Per transport Lady Juliana; acknowledged by Governor Phillip, 16th June, 1790. ) Dear Sir, Whitehall, 20th June, 1789. I have been favoured with your letters of the 5th, 9th, and 10th of July, 28th of Sept'r, and 16th Nov'r last, and have laid them, with their several inclosures, before the Secretary of State. You will find by letters to you from Mr. Secretary Grenville, stores, which you will receive by the present conveyance, that consider- able quantities of clothing, provisions, medicines, tools, imple- ments, &c, have been put on board the Lady Juliana and Guardian, and care will be taken to forward from time to time every proper necessary supply until the settlement shall be in a condition to provide for the support of its establishment. The families of Noah Mortimer and Edward Westlake will Settlers, have a passage provided for them in the convoy expected to depart from hence early in the month of October next, if they are desirous of imbarking for that country. * The Guardian will sail in about a fortnight, ! by which ship The store-ship you will receive instructions relative to the granting of lands, Guardia°- and such other information as may be judged necessary for your guidance, together with a remittance for the paying the artificers of the marine detachment for the services they have performed. I am, &c, Evan Nepean. Under Secretary NTepean to Governor Phillip. ? June, 1789. [. A copy of this letter, giving direct Ions upon the rations to be issued to the marines, has not yet been found. It was transmitted per transport Lady Juliana and acknowledged by Governor Phillip, 16th June, 1790. 1 * Note 108, f Note 104. 1 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1789. Tin; Right Eon. \V. \Y. GreNvtlle to Governor Phillip. 22 Aug. (Desp. -itrii No. 3, per store-ship Guardian to the Cape <>f Good Hope, thence by transport Lady Juliana; acknowledged by Governor Phillip, 17th June, 1790. ) Sir, Whitehall, 22nd August, 1780. I transmit to you herewith an instruction under the royal sign manual with respect to the grants of land to be made to the several non-commissioned officers and private marines who may be desirous of remaining within your Government upon the relief of the detachment, as also to such other persons as may be disposed to become settlers, and I have no doubt of your exact compliance with his Majesty^ commands, as signified to you by this instruction. If any farther regulations should appear to you to be neces- sary for the purpose of promoting the settlement and cultivation of the lands within your Government, you will take the earliest opportunity of apprising me of your opinion thereupon, that I may submit the same to his Majesty's consideration. I have, &c, W. W. Grex villi;. [Enclosure. ] Phillip's Instructions re Land Grants. Additional Instructions to Our Trusty and Well-beloved Arthur Phillip, Esq. , Our Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief in and over Our Territory called New South Wales. Given at Our Court at St. James, the twentieth day of August, 1789, in the twenty-ninth year of our reign. Whereas it has been represented unto Us that assurances were given to the non-commission officers and men belonging to the detachment of Our Marine Forces serving on the continent of New South Wales that such of the said non-commission officers and men as shall have behaved well shall be allowed to quit Our Service on their return to England, or be discharged abroad upon the relief (designed to take place at the expiration of three years after their landing) and be permitted to settle in that country. * And whereas it is probable that in consequence of that engage- ment some of the said non-commission officers and men will be desirous of continuing in that settlement or upon the islands comprised within Your Government: And as persons of that description will be of great utility in the new settlements, not only for the purposes of protection and defence, but for the cultivation of the land : We have thought it advisable that every reasonable encouragement should be held out to them to induce them to be aiding in such salutary purposes. It is therefore Our * Note 72. GRENVILLE TO PHILLIP. 125 Royal Will and Pleasure that You do issue Your Warrant to the 1789. Surveyor-General to survey and allot to such of the non- 22 Aug" commission officers and men as shall be disposed to become instructions t . i • iTT rt , . , . . , , . , re land grants. settlers withm Your Government, on their desiring the same, the proportions of land hereinafter mentioned, subject, however, to the following conditions and regulations: — To every non-commission officer one hundred acres, and to every private man fifty acres, over and above the quantity directed by Our General Instructions to You to be granted to such convicts as may hereafter be emancipated or discharged from their servitude, * free of all fees, taxes, quit rents, and other acknowledgements for the space of ten years; but after the expira- tion of that time to be liable to an annual quit rent of one shilling for every ten acres. And whereas it will be of advantage to Our Service that the non-commission officers and men disposed to continue in New South Wales or the islands dependant thereon can be prevailed upon to enlist into the corps appointed for their relief: It is Our farther Will and Pleasure, and You are hereby authorised to offer to each of them a bounty of £3 per man, at the same time to assure them that in case of a proper demeanor on their part they shall, after a farther service of five years, be entitled to double the proportion of land that would be granted to them, provided they should quit Our Service on the intended relief, free of all fees, fines, quit rents, &c, for the space of fifteen years, subject, however, after that time to the same quit rent for every ten acres as is specified in the preceding article of these Our Instruc- tions. And as a farther encouragement to the non-commission officers and men composing the detachment of Our Marine Forces serv- ing on the continent of New South Wales or the islands dependant thereon who may be disposed to continue therein: It is our farther Will and Pleasure that you do upon their discharge, either on the intended relief or after a farther service of five years, issue to them out of the publick stores a proportion of clothes and of provisions for their subsistance for one year, together with a suitable quantity of seed grain for the tillage of the land, to be granted to them as before mentioned, and also a proportion of tools and implements proper for their use. And whereas from the disposition of many people to emigrate from this country there is a groat probability that sonic of them may be desirous of becoming settlers in New South Wales or the Baid islands dependent thereupon: It is also Our Will and Pleasure that in ease persons of that description should arrive from hence, or from any other part of Our Dominions, and apply * . Note 96. HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1789. to You for grants of land, Yon do afford them every encourage- ment that can be given in that undertaking, without subjecting the public to cxpence; and that grants of land to such amount as you shall judge proper shall be made out for each person apply- ing, not exceeding, however, in quantity the number of acres which you are hereby instructed to grant to the non-commission officers before mentioned, and subject to the same quit rents pay- able unto Us at the expiration of five years after the passing of such grant. And whereas many of the non-commission officers and men of the marine detachment, or other persons who may become settlers upon Our said continent of New South Wales, or the said islands dependant thereupon, may be desirous of availing them- selves of the labour of part of the convicts now under your orders : It is Our Will and Pleasure, that in case there should be a prospect of their employing any of the said convicts to advan- tage, that you assign to each grantee the service of any number of them that you may judge sufficient to answer their purpose, on condition of their maintaining, feeding, and clothing such con- victs in such manner as shall appear satisfactory to You, or to Our Governor of New South Wales for the time being. You are to take care that all grants to be given of lands in Our said continent or islands be made out in due form, and that the conditions required by these Our instructions be particularly and expressly mentioned in the respective grants. That the same be properly registered, and that regular returns thereof be trans- mitted by the proper officers to Our Commissioners of Our Treasury and to the Committee of Our Privy Council appointed for all matters of Trade and Foreign Plantations within the space of twelve months after the passing of such grant. * It is also Our Will and Pleasure that in all grants of land to be made by You, as aforesaid, regard be had to the profitable and unprofitable acres, so that each grantee may have a proportionable number of one sort and of the other, as likewise that the breadth of each track to be hereafter granted be one-third of the length of such track, and that the length of such track do not extend along the banks of any bay or river, but into the mainland, that thereby the said grantees may have each a convenient share of what accommodation the said harbour or river may afford for navigation or otherwise. It is also Our Will and Pleasure that between every two such grants of one hundred acres or of fifty acres, and adjacent to one of them, you do reserve for the benefit of Us, Our Heirs and Suc- cessors, a space of ten acres in breadth and of thirty acres in length, which spaces so reserved You are not to grant without * JTote 10*. GliEXYILLE TO PHILLIP. \21 Our special direction and license; but You are at liberty to lease 1789. the same for any term not exceeding fourteen years, and on such 22 Aug> terms and conditions as You shall judge advantageous to Our instructions re land grants. service. And whereas it has been found by experience that the settling plantees in townships hath very much redounded to their advan- tage, not only with respect to the assistance they have been able to afford each other in their civil concerns, but likewise with regard to their security, You are therefore to lay out townships of a convenient size and extent, in such places as You, in Your discretion, shall judge most proper; having, as far as may be, natural boundaries extending up into the country and compre- hending a necessary part of the sea-coast, where it can be con- veniently had. You are also to cause a proper place in the most convenient part of each township to be marked out for the building a town sufficient to contain such a number of families as You shall judge proper to settle there, with town and pasture lots convenient to each tenement, taking care that the said town be laid out upon or as near as conveniently may be to some navigable river or the sea-coast; and You are also to reserve to Us proper quantities of land in each township, for the following purposes, viz. , for erect- ing fortifications and barracks, or for other military or naval services, and more particularly for the building a town-hall, and such other public edifices as you shall deem necessary, and also for the growth and production of naval timber, if there are any woodlands fit for that purpose. And it is Our further "Will and Pleasure that a particular spot in or as near each town as possible be set apart for the building of a church, and four hundred acres adjacent thereto allotted for the maintenance of a minister, and two hundred for a school- master. And whereas it is necessary that a reasonable compensation shall be made to the Surveyor-General of Our lands for surveying and laying out of the said lands for the use of such persons who may be disposed to become settlers in the said continent or islands dependant thereupon, We have thought fit to establish the table of fees hereunto annexed, which You are to allow him to de- mand from all persons whatsoever, excepting the non-commission officers and men of the detachment of Our Marine Corps, or to convicts emancipated or discharged, who aiv not to be subjected to t lie payment of such fees. You are to cause the above-mentioned table of let's to be hung up in one of the most public places, that all persons concerned L28 HISTORICAL IM:coiM)S OF A1STRALTA. 1789. may be apprised of the demands which may V demanded of them ~1_!!8' "ii their taking up lauds within the said continent or islands instructions dependanl thereon. re land grants, ■ Fees on Land Grants, 1789. Governor s Fees. £ s. d. For the Great Seal to every grant not exceeding 1, 000 acres 0 5 0 For all grants exceeding 1, 000 acres, for every 1, 000 acres each grant contains 0 2 6 For a license of occupation 0 5 0 Secretary's Fees. For every grant, and passing the seal of the provinces, if under lOOacres 0 5 0 Between 100 and 500 acres 0 10 0 All above 0 15 0 For grants of land where the number of proprietors shall exceed twenty, each right 0 2 6 For do. where the number shall not exceed twenty, the same as for grants in proportion to the quantity of land 0 2 6 For every license of occupation of land 0 2 6 For every grant from 1, 000 to 20, 000— for the 1st 1, 000 acres 15 shillings, and for every 1, 000 acres more 2s. 6d. Fees to be taken by the Chief Surveyor of Land. For every lot under 100 acres 0 2 6 From 100 to 500 acres 0 5 0 Above 500 acres 0 7 6 Every township, if above 20 rights, each right 0 2 6 Auditor's Fees. For the auditing of every grant 0 3 4 Registrar's Fees. For recording a grant of land for or under 500 acres 0 13 from 500 to 1, 000 acres 0 2 6 For every 1, 000 acres to the amount of 20, 000 0 0 6 For recording the grant of a township 10 0 Assistant Chaplain. The Eight Hon. W. W. Grenville to Governor Phillip. (Despatch Xo. 4, per store-ship Guardian to the Cape of Good Hope, thence per transport Lady Juliana ; acknowledged by Governor Phillip, 17th June, 1790. ) Sir, Whitehall, 22nd August, 1789. As from the increase in the number of convicts sent to New South Wales, and from the distance of the settlements from each other, one person will not be able to attend in a proper manner to the performance of the religious duties of the colony, his Majesty has judged it expedient that an additional clergy- man should proceed thither, and has accordingly appointed the GRENVILLB TO PHILLIP. 129 Revd. John Crowther, * a gentleman of exemplary character, to be 1789. assistant chaplain, with a salary of eight shillings per diem, to be 22 Aug" charged in the estimate; he will take his passage in the Guardian, and receive your orders with respect to his place of residence. I have, &c, W. W. Grexville. The Eight Hon. W. W. Grexville to Goverxor Phillip. (Despatch No. 5, per store-ship Guardian to the Cape of Good Hope, thence per transport Lady Juliana ; acknowledged by Governor Phillip, 20th June, 1790. ) Sir, Whitehall, 24th August, 1789. 24 Aug. I enclose to you herewith a general invoice and bill of stores per lading of sundry articles of clothing, tools, implements for agri- culture, medicines, &c, which have been provided by Government, and shipped on board the Guardian, for the use of the convicts and other persons residing within the limits of your Govern- ment. The heavy expence which attends the providing of these articles, and the sending them out to New South Wales, makes it extremely necessary that you should pay the utmost attention to appropriate them to the best advantage, and that you should from time to time transmit to me particular accounts of your proceedings in this respect. The provisions which that vessel and the Lady Juliana contain are calculated, as you will see by the inclosed estimates, to afford an ample supply for a considerable time. I have no doubt that you will carefully attend to the manner in which they are issued, and I must particularly recommend to you to use every practic- able exertion in order to put the colony in such a situation as not to depend on Great Britain for its supply in the articles of provisions. A farther proportion of these articles will accompany the con- Further victs who are to be sent out in the autumn, but I cannot help s npmen s- flattering myself that after that period very little farther aids will be wanted from this country for the subsistence of the convicts. You will attend very particularly to this subject, and send me by the first opportunity an account of what you conceive to he the situation of the colony in this respect. One thousand and five barrels of flour, part of the intended supply, which the Guardian could not conveniently store, will be forwarded to you by the next ships that proceed to New South Wales. I have acquainted you in a former letter that in consequence Buperlntendeata of your representation of the want of proper persona to instruct a, ' , """M the convicts in the manner of tilling the land and t<> superintend their labor, his Majesty was pleased f<> authorize me t<> nominate Si k. I. Vol. I— T. * Note 106. HISTORICAL RKCORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1789. 24 Aug. nine persons to be sent out for that service. These people pro- ceed to New South Wales in the Guardian, and on their arrival will put themselves under your orders; they have been engaged for the term of three years, and, in addition to the ration of provisions with which they are to be supplied out of his Majesty's stores, they will each of them be allowed a salary of £40 a year, which will be brought forward in the estimate to be annually laid before Parliament, and to be voted in like manner as the rest of the salaries charged on the civil establishment of your Govern- ment. I enclose a list of their names and qualifications. You will understand that during the period of their engagement they are not to be allowed to settle any land on their own account. Your proposal of sending out a few artificers you will find upon the arrival of the Guardian has also been attended to, by the embarkation of twenty-five convicts of that description. Their service* will be transferred to you by her commander, who has entered into the contracts required by law for that purpose. I have, &c, W. W. Grenville. [Enclosure No. 1. ] List of Goods sent by the Guardian 150 sail -needles 3, 000 fish-hooks 12 stock locks 20 casks — 8d. , lOd. 12d. , 18d. , 24d. nails 75 painters' brushes 7£ rheams cartridge paper 900 pairs of men's shoes 600 pairs of women's do 75 pairs of children's do. 1, 500 lb. soleing leather 700 lb. twine, assorted yarn 310 fishing-lines 72 chalk-lines 675 p'r men* hose 600 p'r women's hose 5, 6251b. thread, as- sorted 30 M. needles 900 men's hats 600 women's do. 55 boys' do. 19, 425 y'ds. osnaburghs 11, 250 y'ds. sheeting l, 056f y'ds. sail-cloth 2, 362| do. napt bags 1, 008 pieces of tape. 500 do. worsted tape. For the Hospital 1st June, 1789. 1, 237^ do. plain do. 2, 025 do. brown cloth 1, 125 yds. bags for children 75 p'rs small blankets 1, 545 do. hospital do. 705 do. do. 225 hammocks 600 palliasses 7, 500 lb. oatmeal 900 women's neck- kerchiefs 15 barrels gun- powder, F 2, 250 lb. portable soup 3, 000 lb. of brown sugar 1, 500 lb. of loaf do 1, 4771b. of sago 14, 9131b. rice 3, 000 lb. currants 113| lb. cinnamon 112 \ lb. nutmegs 150 lb. cloves 4, 433 lb. pearl barley 687 lb. tamarinds Medicines amounting to £420. [Enclosure No. 2. ] [A copy of the bill of lading of goods per Guardian has not yet been found. ] [Enclosure No. 3. ] [A copy of the calculation for the Commissariat Department has not yet been found. ] * Note 96. GRENVILLE TO PHILLIP. ] [Enclosure No. 4. ] 1789 Superintendents on board the Guardian. 24 Aug. Whitehall, August 24th, 1789. List of superintendents of convicts ordered to be received on board the Guardian for their passage to New South Wales : — James Smith, George Austin, gardeners, lately employed in the King's Botanical Garden at Kew; Philip Schaffer, formerly a lieutenant in one of the Hessian corps which served in America, has been accustomed to farming; Thomas Clarke, a farmer; Philip Divine, Andw. Hume, understand farming, have lately been employed by Mr. Duncan Campbell as superintendents of convicts at Woolwich; James Reid, formerly an American planter, and has been commander of a merchant ship; John Barlow, John Thos. Dodge, have served as officers in the Army, the former a good surveyor, and has also been employed as an engineer at Jamaica. Secretary Stephens to Governor Phillip. (Per transport Lady Juliana; acknowledged by Governor Phillip, 17th July, 1790. ) 28th August, 1789. 23 Aug. [Three despatches as above were forwarded, copies of which have not yet been found. ] The Right Hon. W. W. Grenville to Governor Phillip. (Per transport Neptune; acknowledged by Governor Phillip, 14th July, 1790. ) Sept. -Dec, 1789. [A copy of this despatch has not yet been found. It was a despatch probably of the circular type, dated between September and December, 1789, giving instructions as to the treatment of the Spanish exploring vessels Descuvierta and Atrevida. See the despatch of Lieut. -Gov. Grose to the Right Hon. Henry Dundas, dated 19th April, 1793. '] The Right Hon. W. W. Grenville to Governor Phillip. (Despatch No. 6, per transport Scarborough* ; acknowledged by Governor Phillip, 14th July, 1790. ) Sir, Whitehall, 24th December, 1789. 24 Dec. In my letters of the 20th Junef and 24th August, I informed you that it was the intention of Government that ;i farther number of convicts should be sent out in the autumn, with a view to your making such arrangements as might be necessary for their reception. I am now to acquaint you that * Note 107. t Note 108. 132 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1789. !4 Dec. I'll*' second fleet. Supplies. Detachment to Norfolk Island. New South Wales Corps. measures have been taken for that purpose, and that nine hundred and thirty males and seventy-eight females* have boon embarked on board the ships named in the margin, f now assembled at Spithead, and in readiness to depart the momenl the wind proves favourable for their proceeding down Channel. The number of female convicts bearing a great disproportion to that of the males, it was thought adviseable that such of the latter as were married should be allowed to take their wives with them on board the ships in which they have been embarked, or even women that cohabited with them; but notwithstanding the indulgence held out to them of supplies of provisions and cloth- ing, very few of the two latter descriptions of women have been prevailed upon to accede to the proposal. Such of them, how- ever, as shall arrive within the limits of your Government are to be furnished with the same proportions of those articles as the female convicts. The three ships above mentioned, and the Justinian, which has been taken up as a store-ship, and now in the river under orders to follow, contain a large supply of clothing, provisions, tools, &c, the particulars of which are specified in the inclosed estimates. All these articles will be found to be of the first quality, and will, I hope, be applied to the best possible advantage. After the arrival of these ships it will be extremely desireable that you should, if no other more eligible situation shall have presented itself to you since your last communications, take the earliest opportunity that circumstances will admit of detaching a considerable number of the convicts to Xorfolk Island, with a suitable proportion of provisions, &c. But as the ships in which they are now embarked are chartered by the East India Company to bring home teas from China, it will be necessary that the con- victs, with the stores, provisions, &c. , on board them, should be landed at Sydney, and that the ships should be discharged, and left at liberty to proceed upon their voyage as soon as possible, employing the services of the Supply, tender, in removing such convicts and stores to Norfolk Island or elsewhere whenever that arrangement can be carried into effect. The disembarking the convicts at Sydney, exclusive of the consideration before men- tioned, seems indeed to be a measure highly necessary, as from the length of the passage from hence, and the nature of their food, there is every reason to expect that many of them will be reduced to so debilitated a state that immediate relief will be found to be expedient for the preservation of their lives. The corps which I before informed you was to be raised to serve within your Government, instead of the marines now doing duty there, has been complete for some time past. A detach- Note 109. f Surprize, Scarborough, Neptune. GRENVILLE TO PHILLIP. l 33 ment from it, consisting of about 100 officers and men, has been 1789. put on board the convict ships for their greater security against 24 Dec> any attempts which the convicts might meditate, and the re- mainder, under the command of Major Grose, amounting, as you will see by the enclosed establishment, to upwards of 200 more, will, I expect, embark at Portsmouth on board her Majesty's ship the Gorgon in the course of a few days. Major Grose has been appointed to succeed to the Lieut. - Major Grose. Government of N. S. Wales, * and on his arrival you will direct Major Ross and the officers of the marine corps serving under his command, together with such of the non-commission officers and private men as may be desirous of returning home, to be embarked as soon as possible for that purpose. I am led to hope from the bounty and other indulgences which Marines, you have been authorized to offer to the non-commission officers and men that many of them will be induced to remain within your Government; and if such a number of them as shall be sufficient to compose a company equal to those of the new corps can be prevailed upon to accede to your proposals, his Majesty in such case has signified his intention of allowing you to recom- mend any three officers from amongst the marines already holding the rank of captain, 1st lieutenant, and 2d lieutenant, whom you may judge to be most deserving of his Majesty's favor, to be appointed to that company, and to be incorporated in the new corps with the rank of captain, lieutenant, and ensign. This measure will, however, be notified to you through his Majesty's Secretary at War by the Gorgon. f In the meantime you will make your arrangements accordingly. From the present crowded state of the hulks, and the increase 1. 000 more which must be expected of the number of felons under sentence raUbpo1' of transportation, not only in this kingdom, but in Ireland, after the next Spring Assizes, it is intended that about one thousand men shall be sent abroad, and preparations must be made for their reception. With these last-mentioned convicts it is proposed thai an additional company of troops shall be embarked, which, upon their arrival within your Government, will be annexed to the new corps, and will compose a force, I hope, competent to every neces- sary service that may occur. The promoting Lieutenant King to the rank of master and Lieut. King, commander cannot be done without much difficulty and incon- venience; but as his services at Norfolk Island merit some mark of favor, I have submitted to his Majesty's consideration the appointing Mr. King to be Lieutenant-Governor of that island; and I have the pleasure of informing you that hi- Majesty has * Note 110. t Note 111. HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1789. been pleased to order a commission to be prepared for that pur- pose, to which appointment will be annexed a salary of ti'50 per annum, payment of which will be provided for in the next esti- mate to be laid before Parliament, together with a salary for the Deputy-Commissary of Stores and Provisions. I am &e> W. W. Grenyille. [Enclosures Nos. 1 and 2. ] [Copies of the Estimates of Stores on the Second Fleet find of the Establishment of the New South Wales Corps have not yet been found. ] Commissioners of the Navy to Governor Phillip. ? December, 1789. \_A copy of this letter has not yet been found. It gave instruc- tions re the transports of the Second Fleet, and was acknowledged by Governor Phillip, 2Ifth July, 1790. '] 1790. lFeb. Governor Phillip to Lord Sydney. (Per Lieut. King in the Supply to Batavia, thence by Dutch packet to England; acknowledged by Lord Grenyille, 19th February, Government House, Sydney Cove, My Lord, Feb. 1st, 1790. As every obstacle thrown in the way of the civil govern- ment is rendered doubly embarrassing from our situation, and which does not permit those steps which would be taken on similar occasions in any other of his Majesty's settlements, I am under the disagreeable necessity of laying the following particu- lars before your Lordship. Few nights having past for several months in which individuals had not suffered by having their gardens robbed, or by losing of poultry, I found it necessary to establish a watch, and the regu- lations (No. 1) when drawn up were sent to Major Ross for his opinion respecting the detachment, and which he approved of, some little change being made at his request. The watch was then established, and which so fully answered the purpose that for three months not a single robbery was committed in the night. The watch consisted of twelve convicts. , They assembled im- mediately after the tap-too had beat, and patroll'd during the night. No complaint was ever made of them. They were par- ticularly cautioned against having any dispute with a soldier or sailor, and were promised to be rewarded in future if they were honest and vigilant, which they were, for they acted very properly on several occasions when they met with soldiers or sailors in the night, and they prevented many robberies. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 135 Soldiers and sailors, when stopped by the watch, were left at 1790. the guard-house till the next morning, when, if nothing criminal * Feb' was laid to their charge, they were delivered to their proper The night officers. But a soldier being one night stopped by the watch in Arrest of a the convicts' camp, and delivered, as usual, to the guard, Major soldier. Ross, the next morning, sent the adjutant to tell the Judge- Major Ross> Advocate (under whose direction I had placed the night-watch) , action. " that he considered a soldier being stopped, when not committing any unlawful act, as an insult offered to the corps, and that they would not suffer themselves to be treated in that manner, or be controuled by the convicts, while they had bayonets in their hands. " (Here I must beg leave to observe to your Lordship that the last sentence, respecting the bayonets, was never men- tioned to me till after this business was settled, for if it had I should not have been induced to have withdrawn the order, which directed the night-watch to stop a soldier, by so pointed a menace, for I should not have thought it could tend to the good of his Majesty's service. ) As soon as I was informed that Major Ross deemed the stopping that soldier by the night-watch an insult offered to the corps, I desired to see him. Soldiers had been frequently stopped in the night by the watch, and I wished to •convince him of the necessity of stopping the soldier, as well as the sailor, when found in the convicts' camp or in suspicious places during the night, and the doing which had been the means of preventing many robberies; but I could obtain no other answer than "that it was an insult to the corps; if I wished to say anything further on that subject, he would wait on me the next day with two of his officers, giving me at the same time to understand that by the 5th Article in the Regulations given to the watch I had put the soldiers under the command of the •convicts, and which Article, he hoped, would be withdrawn. " Major Ross did not deny but that the robberies which had been so very frequent before the watch was established had been very effectually put a stop to. I had pointed out that robberies had been committed by the soldiers, and by whom the stores had been robbed the year round, which could not have been the case if the watch had been then established, and the little probability there was of detecting a soldier if he was never to be questioned, unless caught in the very act of stealing; but as he persisted in the opinion that it was an insult offered the corps, and that they were put under the command of convicts, no other alternative was left mi' but to withdraw the order respecting the soldiers, and consequently leave them at liberty to be about the gardens and the stores at all hours of the night, or run the risk of disputes between the soldiers and the watch ; and it was not to be supposed 136 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1790. that soldiers would quietly Miller themselves to be stopped by ;t 1 e ' convict watchman, after such declarations from their command- The night ;III^ ;111(] wlnch were known. watch. ' I therefore withdrew the 5th Article of the instructions, so far as it respected the detaining any soldier found straggling after the taptoo had beat, and having examined the report made by the captain of the day to his commandant, the information given me by the Judge-Advocate, and the examination of the watch, though I saw nothing which in my opinion could be deemed an insult to the corps, still, being desirous of doing away that idea, I sent the adjutant to inform his commandant that, though there did not appear to me to have been any insult offered, I was still ready to direct such enquiry to be made as Major Ross might judge necessary, and as he had proposed bringing two officers with him, I desired, if he thought it necessary to see me with two officers, that all the officers at head-quarters might come with him. The answer I received was " that he still thought an insult had been offered the corps, but as he had taken the necessary step, he did not wish any further inquiry. " What those necessary steps are I know not, nor do I know if all or any of the officers are of this commandant's opinion; but as I have now laid before your Lord- ship every information I have received on this business, and the regulations for the watch, with the officer of the guard's report, are enclosed, if I have by giving an improper authority to the convicts employed as a night-watch (and I have none but convicts to employ on such a service) put the soldiers under the command of convicts and insulted the detachment, it will be seen; but if, on the contrary, it appears that, as the only means of preventing those consequences which might naturally have been expected to follow such declarations from the commandant of the detach- ment, I have been driven to the necessity of withdrawing an order calculated for the public good, and which so fully answered the end proposed, and that I have been without reason accused of insulting those who are under my command, as I have been on a former occasion accused of oppression for calling upon officers in their turn to sit as members of the criminal courts, then I trust and hope that such an inquiry will be ordered as may the most effectually do" away such groundless charges. As I have said that I am a stranger to the officers' opinions on this matter, it may be necessary to inform your Lordship of the state of the detachment, and which will point out my reason for never making any reference to or taking the opinion of officers in any shape. I have always used my endeavours to reconcile PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 137 them to their commandant, and have cautiously avoided any- 1790. thing which might tend to have a contrary effect. 1 Feb" Officers have been put under arrest by their commandant, and ThL^ght courts-martial have been demanded, and which have likewise state of been requested by the officers in defence of their conduct, but no marine corps. inquiry into the conduct of any individual above the rank of a non-commissioned officer can take place, and the consequences will be obvious to your Lordship, where so little harmony prevails between the commandant and his officers. The strength of the detachment consists of only eighteen officers, * one of whom is on duty at Norfolk Island, and a second has never done any duty since he was appointed by Major Ross; of the sixteen remaining for the duty of this settlement, five have been put under arrest by the commandant, and are only doing duty till a general court-martial can be assembled, in consequence of a sentence passed by them at a battalion court-martial; a sixth officer is suspended in consequence of a representation made by the corps of his unofficerlike behaviour, f a seventh is suspended by his commandant for unofficerlike behaviour in taking a soldier who had been abused by a convict to make his complaint to the magistrates, without having first given information to his com- mandant; and both adjutant and quarter-master of the detach- ment have been equally under his displeasure, whilst the Judge- Advocate's conduct has been complained of by Major Ross, as commandant of the detachment, and as the Lieutenant-Governor, and the Judge-Advocate, in his turn, has represented his having been treated in such a manner by the Lieut. -Governor and Captain Campbell, before convicts and others, that he wished to resign his office of Judge-Advocate; and Captain Hunter, who one day in the week, while the Sirius is in the harbour, assists the Judge- Advocate as a Justice of the Peace, :}: thought himself treated on the same occasion so very improperly by the Lieu- tenant-Governor that he represented it to me, and desired to be excused from that weekly attendance as a magistrate; and had those two officers declined that duty I could not have replaced them, for though other officers have been appointed to act as civil magistrates I have found it necessary to avoid calling on them to act in that capacity. Your Lordship will excuse my having entered on this detail: it will point out the necessity of some change being made, or an additional force being sent out; and it will prevent my troubling your Lordship further on this subject, as I shall now enclose the letters I have received From the Lieut. -Governor and Judge- * Note 38. t Note by Governor Phillip. - " This offlcei haa since returned to hi> duty, at the desire of Major Ross aixl all the officers ol the detachment. " : Note 86. watch. L38 BISTOBICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1790. Advocate to Mr. Nepean*; but I feel myself bound, in justice to __L' the Judge-Advocate, to say that I have Been no cause ever to be state of dissatisfied with his conduct; on the contrary, I have always JiKinilt' COrpB* . 11* 1 l • l c n l l i • l found him ready to exert himself for the pubhck good. I have, &c, A. Phillip. I Enclosure No. 1. ] The night The following regulations to be observed by the night-watch appointed for the more effectual preservation of public and private property, and for preventing or detecting the com- mission of nightly depredations. A night-watch, consisting of twelve persons, ! divided into four parties, is appointed, and fully authorised to patrol at all hours in the night, and to visit such places as may be deemed necessary for the discovery of any felony, trespass, or misdemeanor, and for the apprehending and securing for examination any person or persons that may appear to them concerned therein, either by entrance into any suspected hut or dwelling, or by such other manner as may appear expedient. 2. — Those parts in which the convicts reside are to be divided, and numbered in the following manner : — The convicts' huts and the public farm on the east side of the cove to be the first division. Those at the brick-kilns and the detached parties at the different farms in that district the second division. Those on the western side, as far as the line that separates the district of the women from the men, the third division. The huts occupied from that line to the hospital, and from thence to the observatory, to be the fourth division. :}: 3. — These districts or divisions to be each of them under the particular inspection of one person, who shall be judged qualified to inform himself of the actual residence of each individual in his district, as well as of his business, connections, and acquaint- ance. •i. — Cognisance is to be taken of such convicts as may sell or barter their slops or provisions, as also of such as game for either of the aforesaid articles, and report is to be made of them to the Judge-Advocate. 5. — Any soldier or seaman found stragling after the taptoo has beat, or who may be found in the convicts' huts, is to be detained, and information to be immediately given to the nearest guard- house. 6. — On any person's being robbed during the night, he is to give immediate information thereof to the watch of his district, * Note 112. | Note 113. J Note 114. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 139 who on the instant of application being made shall use the most 1790. effectual means to trace out the offender or offenders, so that he __!_* or they may be brought to justice. watch!ght 7. — The watch of each district to be under the direction of one person, who will be named for that purpose, and all the patrols to be immediately under the inspection of Herbert Keeling. * They are never to receive any fee, gratuity, or reward from any individual to engage their exertions in the execution of the above trust ; nor are they to receive any stipulated encouragement for the conviction of any offender; but their diligence and good behaviour will be rewarded by the Governor, and for which purpose their conduct will be strictly attended to by those who are in authority over them. 8. — The night-watch to go out as soon as the taptoo has done beating, to return to their huts when the working-drum beats in the morning, and reports to be made at twelve o'clock to the Judge-Advocate of all robberies and misdemeanors, by Herbert Keeling. Any assistance the patrols may require will be given them on applying to the officer of the nearest guard, and by the civil power if necessary; for which application is to be made to provost-martial. 9. — Any negligence on the part of those who may be employed on this duty will be punished with the utmost rigour of the law. The night-watch to consist of the following persons : — Charles Peat. Wm. Bradbury. William Hubbard. Thos. Oldfield. John Coen Walsh. Stephen Le Grove. John Neal. John Archer. A. Phillip. 7th August, 1789. David Collins, Judge- Advocate. 9th November, 1789. Notwithstanding the 5th Article of the regulations established for the night-watch directs that any soldier found stragling after the taptoo has beat, or in the convicts' huts, is to be detained, and information immediately given to the nearest guard, the night-watch are not in future to stop any soldier, unless he is found in a riot, or committing any unlawful act, in which case such soldier is immediately to be taken to the nearest guard. [Enclosure No. 2. 1 [A copy of tlic report of the officer of the guard has not yet been found. ] • NntO 115. UO HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1790. Governor Phillip to Loud Sydney. (Per Lieut King in the Supply to Batavia, thence by Dutch packet to England; acknowledged by Lord Grenville, L9th February, 1791. ) Government House, Sydney Gove, My Lord, February 12th, 1T90. I had the honor of informing your Lordship of the state of this colony by the last ships which sailed from hence, and I shall now proceed to lay before your Lordship such circumstances as have occurred since their departure. Transactions In February [1789] the Supply, armed tender, went to Norfolk isian°drf°Ik Island with provisions and twenty-seven convicts, for although the officer who commanded there had but a very small number of free people, and in whom alone he could place any confidence, yet from the apparent impossibility of the convicts succeeding I never supposed they would attempt an escape, and which was the less to be apprehended from the great lenity they had been treated with. But when the Supply returned I was informed that the convicts had laid a plan for confining the officers and free people on the island, which was to be carried into execution the first Saturday after the Supply or any store-ship arrived. It was usual for the commandant to go every Saturday to a farm at a small distance from the settlement. There he was to be seized, and they were then to send, in his name, for the sur- geon and several others, who, as they came out, were to be confined with him, and the marines, going on Saturdays into the woods to get cabbage-tree, were to be met on their return and confined with the rest, as well as those who came on shore from the ship, after which two convicts were to go off in a small boat belonging to the island and inform those on board that their boat had been staved in landing. This intelligence they supposed would bring more people and boats on shore. The people were to be secured with the others, and the convicts were then to go and take possession of the ship, with which they intended to go to Otaheite, and there form a settlement. A woman discovered this scheme to a man belonging to the Sirius, with whom she lived, in hopes of persuading him to leave the island, and some of the convicts, being examined, confessed their intentions. * The commandant, finding there were only three convicts who had not engaged in this affair, and that it would not be possible to send them all away when a ship should arrive, after taking such steps as he judged would prevent their attempting to carry * Note 116. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. HI their scheme into execution, returned them all to their different 1790. labours, and when the Supply arrived he received the convicts 12 Feb' sent in her. 2t Norfolk™ The convict who had first proposed the scheme was sent here to island, be tried; but no capital punishment could be inflicted upon him, as no attempt had been made to carry the scheme into execution. My former letters mentioned that the officer sent to make the settlement on Norfolk Island, and who I had appointed to remain there as superintendant and commandant, was the second lieu- tenant of the Sirius. He speaks well of the few he had to depend on, and I beg leave to assure your Lordship that he acted in that affair with great prudence. It had been thougnt necessary, after the discovery was made, to cut down all the trees which were within certain distance of the huts, and which probably saved many lives, for in the fol- lowing month they had a violent hurricane. It came from the south-east, and crossed the island, confining itself to a very nar- row space, so that while all the trees on one side of the valley were broken down or torn up by the roots, the trees on the opposite side did not suffer the smallest injury. One tree, which from its situation had been left standing, fell on a granary, which it destroyed. This hurricane was accompanied by very heavy rain, and a torrent of water, which came down from the hills, destroyed all their gardens of Indian corn, as well as doing considerable damage to the provisions. I do not think the island is subject to hurricanes; if it was, some vestiges would appear, which I am told is not the case. Several of the pines which were blown down measured an hun- dred and eighty feet in length. When the Sirius sailed from hence the 2nd of October, 1788, voyage of the Captain Hunter was to have made the passage round the South Sirius. Cape, which I am confident will be found the best passage from hence to the Cape of Good Hope; but having the wind southerly when he sailed, he did not attempt that passage, but went round Cape Horn. Arrived at the Cape of Good Hope the 2nd of January. Left it the 20th of February, and anchored here the 8th of May, 1789, having met with a very heavy gale of wind when so close in with the South Cape that it was for some time doubtful if it would be possible to clear it. By the Sirius we received some seed wheat and barley and four months' flour for the settlement, which was all that ship could bring, with a year's provisions for the ship's company. After the arrival of the Sirius the Supply was sent to ^Norfolk Detachment tor Island with provisions, and carried a lieutenant, one non-com m is- -N"""lk ""ad- sinned officer, and fourteen privates. L42 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1790. 12 Feb. fortifications, Supply exploring. Condition of Norfolk Island. Lord Howe Island. Two guns had been landed from the Supply, and a small iv- doubl was to be erected, which, with this little additional force, will, I presume, prevent the convicts from making any future attempts. The Supply, after landing the people and provisions, had orders to go in search of the reef Been by the Golden Grove, store-ship, and a shoal or island which Lieutenant Short land informed me (by the Sirius) he had seen in his passage to tin. ' northward. The Supply cruized for several days in the latitude and longitude in which Lieutenant Shortland places the island, but returned without seeing it. There is some reason to think that a mistake has been made as to the latitudes in which the island and shoal are placed by Lieutenant Shortland*; and I trouble your Lordship with this information in case any ship sent into those seas should go to the northward without calling at this port, and which, from the accounts received from the Cape of Good Hope, there is reason to suppose the Bounty, store-ship, has done. The weather did not admit of the Supply's going in search of the shoal seen by the Golden Grove. The Sirius is now under repair; and, when ready for sea, I shall send that ship and the Supply to determine the situation and extent of the shoals and the island. When the Supply left Norfolk Island the public were all very healthy, the damages sustained by the hurricane had been re- paired, and they had vegetables in the greatest abundance. They get fish when the weather permits the boats to go without the reef, and at times in such quantities that fish is served to the people in lieu of salt provisions. They make their lines from the flax-plant; but unfortunately we have not any person who under- stands how to dress it. Half a pod of cotton being found on this island, supposed to be brought there by a bird, and a cocoanut which was perfectly sound, and appeared to have been but a short time in the water, being thrown upon the beach, have given some reason to suppose that both those articles will be found on some island at no great distance. Parts of two canoes, which answer the description given of the canoes of New Zealand, have been found on the rocks, and a wooden figure (very rudely carved) , and which in every respect answers the description given of the idols seen in the Friendly Islands, has likewise been found, and probably was carried thither in one of the canoes. Lord Howe Island has been examined, but no fresh water or good anchorage being found it can be of no other advantage to this settlement than occasionally supplying a few turtle. Note 82. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. U3 I had the honor of informing' your Lordship that a settlement 1790. ' was intended to be made at a place I named Rose Hill. At the 12 Feb' head of this harbour there is a creek which at half flood has Parramatta. water for large boats to go three miles up, and one mile higher the water is fresh and the soil good. A very industrious man who I brought from England is employed there at present, * and has under his direction one hundred convicts, who are employed in clearing and cultivating the ground. A barn, granary, and other necessary buildings are erected, and seventy-seven acres in corn promise a good crop. The soil is good, and the country for seventy miles to the westward, which is as far as I have exam- ined, lays well for cultivation, but even there the labour of clear- ing the ground is very great, and I have seen none that can be cultivated without cutting down the timber, except some few particular spots, which, from their situation (lying at a distance from either of the harbours) can be of no advantage to us at present ; and I presume the meadows mentioned in " Captain Cook's Voyage " were seen from the high grounds about Botany Bay, and from whence they appear well to the eye, but when examined are found to be marshes, the draining of which would be a work of time, and not to be attempted by the first settlers. But I shall have the honor ot giving your Lordship a more par- ticular account of the country hereafter. The captain's guard which untill lately did duty at Rose Hill is now reduced to a lieutenant and twelve privates, and intended merely as a guard to the store which contains the provisions, and which is in the redoubt; for I am sensible there is nothing to be apprehended from the natives, and the little attention which had been desired of the officers more than what was immediately garrison duty, when at Rose Hill, is now no longer required. At Sydney Cove all the officers are in good huts and the men progressat in barracks; and, although many unforeseen difficulties have Sydney Cove, been met with, I believe there is not an individual, from the Governor to the private soldier, whose situation is not more eligible at this time than he had any reason to expect it could be in the course of the three years station ; and it is the same with the convicts, and those who have been in any ways industrious have vegetables in plenty. The buildings now carrying on are of brick and stone. The house intended for myself was to con- sist of only three rooms ; but, having a good foundation, has been enlarged, contains six rooms, and is so well built that 1 presume it will stand for ;i great number of years. f The stores have been lately overrun with rats, and they arc Losses from equally numerous in the gardens, where they do considerable niU- damage; and as the loss in the stores could only be known by * Note 81. t Note 1 17. HISTORICAL HKCOKDS OF AlSTRALIA. 1790. 12 Feb. removing all the provisions, i lint was done, and many casks of Hour and rice were found to be damaged or totally destroyed. The loss in those two articles by the rats since landing has been more than twelve thousand weight. While the stores were under examination the Commissary one morning found that a key had been broken in a lock. This had been done in the night, and a convict, Smith, knew the wards of the key left in the lock to belong to a marine, who, being confined with several others on suspicion, one of them offered himself as an evidence for the Crown, and accused six of his comrades, who were tried, and the charge being fully proved the six were exe- cuted. One of those who suffered accused two others, but no proof could be brought against them. These men had for many months robbed the stores of pro- visions and spirits, and in a manner that did not expose them to any great risk; for having procured keys for all the locks, they never attempted to rob the store but when one of the party was centinel at the door. The key was in the lock when they unex- pectedly heard the patrole, and, in the hurry, they turned the key the wrong way, and not being able to get it out broke it, knowing that the locks were always examined by the patrole. Vegetables and provisions having been frequently stolen in the night from convicts and others, twelve convicts were chosen as a night-watch, * and they have effectually answered the end proposed, no robbery having been committed for several months, and the convicts in general have lately behaved better than I ever expected. Only two convicts have suffered death in the last year; four were executed the first year. A marine tried for committing a rape on an infant was found guilty ; but being particularly recom- mended for mercy by the criminal court, his sentence was changed to transportation to Norfolk Island for life. As near two years have now passed since we first landed in this country, some judgment may be formed of the climate, and I be- lieve a finer or more healthy climate is not to be found in any part of the world. Of l, 030f people who were landed, many of whom were worn out by old age, the scurvy, and various dis- orders, only seventy-two have died in one-and-twenty months; and by the surgeon's returns it appears that twenty-six of those died from disorders of long standing, and which it is more than probable would have carried them off much sooner in England. Fifty-nine children have been born in the above time. Since the last ship sailed (November, 1788) two marines and two convicts have been lost in the woods. One convict has been killed by the natives, and ten wounded — for it is impossible to Note lis. t Note 52. PHILLIP TO SYDNE5T. 145 prevent the convicts from straggling, and the natives having been 1790. robbed and ill-treated, now attack those they meet unarmed. i2Fet>. Xot succeeding in my endeavours to persuade some of the The natives, natives to come and live with us, I ordered one to be taken by force, which was what I would gladly have avoided, as I knew it must alarm them; but not a native had come near the settlement for many months, and it was absolutely necessary that we should attain their language, or teach them ours, that the means of re- dress might be pointed out to them if they are injured, and to reconcile them by showing the many advantages they would enjoy by mixing with us. A young man, who appeared to be about twenty-four years of age, was taken the latter end of December [1788] , and unfortunately died of the small-pox in May [1789] , when he was perfectly reconciled to his situation, and appeared so sensible of the advantages he enjoyed that, fully persuaded he would not leave us, I had for some time freed him from all restraint. He had lived with me for the last two months, and his behaviour gave good reason for showing a more favourable opinion of the people of this country than what has been drawn from the report made by those who formerly touched on this coast. Whether the small-pox, * which has proved fatal to great num- bers of the natives, is a disorder to which they were subject before Small-pox. any Europeans visited this country, or whether it was brought by the French ships, we have not yet attained sufficient know- ledge of the language to determine. It never appeared on board any of the ships in our passage, nor in the settlement, until some time after numbers of the natives had been seen dead with the disorder in different parts of the harbour, and two men, with a boy of about eight years of age and a girl of eleven, had been brought to the hospital, in the small-pox. Both the men died, but the boy and girl recovered. These people were brought up the middle and the latter end of April, and the small-pox never appeared in the settlement until the 2nd of May, when a man belonging to the Supply was seized with the disorder and died a few days afterwards; nor has it ever appeared in the settlement except on that man and the native who caught the disorder from the children. In addition to the loss of provisions which we had sustained by the rats, a very considerable quantity of flour, rice, &c, had been Loss of losl and damaged in the passage by the badness of the casks and i)rovlslons- by a quantity of oil and tar having been put on board of the Btore-ships. Although there could be little doubt but that supplies would arrive before the provisions we had in store were expended, it was necessary to guard against accident. I there fore directed Sl a. I. VOL. I— K * Note 118. HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1790. 12 Feb. only two-thirds of a ration to be issued to those who have hitherto received a full ration, by which our provisions would last until June, some few articles excepted. This order, which took place the 1st of November, 1789, included every person in the settle- ment, and at the same time the Sirius and Supply's ship's com- panies went to three-fourths allowance. In December the corn at Rose Hill was got in; the corn was exceeding good. About two hundred bushels of wheat and sixty of barley, with a small quantity of flax, Indian corn, and oats, all which is preserved for seed. Here I beg leave to observe to your Lordship that if settlers are sent out, and the convicts divided amongst them, this settlement will very shortly maintain itself, but without which this country cannot be cultivated to any advantage. At present I have only one person* (who has about an hundred convicts under his direction) who is employed in cul- tivating the ground for the publick benefit, and he has returned the quantity of corn above mentioned into the publick store. The officers have not raised sufficient to support the little stock they have. Some ground I have had in cultivation will return about forty bushels of wheat into store, so that the produce of the labour of the convicts employed in cultivation has been very short of what might have been expected, and which I take the liberty of pointing out to your Lordship in this place, to show as fully as possible the state of this colony, and the necessity of the convicts being employed by those who have an interest in their labour. The giving convicts to the officers has been hitherto necessary, but it is attended with many inconveniences, for which the advantages arising to the officers do not make amends. It will not therefore be continued after the detachment is re- lieved, unless particularly directed. The plan I should propose for giving the convicts to settlers will be submitted to your Lord- ship's consideration in another letter. The numbers employed in cultivation will of course be increased, as the necessary build- ings are finished, but which will be a work of time; for the numbers in this settlement who do nothing towards their own support exceed those employed for the public. My intentions of turning swine into the woods to breed have been prevented by the natives so frequently setting fire to the country. The Sirius, for the conveniency of refitting, had gone into a small cove on the north side of this harbour; and it was custom- ary for the people to walk from the opposite shore to the ship, which one of the mates attempting lost himself in the woods, and every search that could be made to find him proved ineffectual. From the time our native died, orders had been given to take another whenever an opportunity offered; but they were always Note 81. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. U7 on their guard, and I was desirous of it being done without 1790. being under the necessity of firing upon them. Towards the end of November two natives were taken, and one of them proved to be a chief, who had been frequently mentioned to us as a great warrior. The necessary precautions were taken to prevent their escape, but which was effected by the chief, a fortnight after he was taken, from the neglect of those who had the care of him; the other remains; he lives with me, and every possible means are used to reconcile him to us, and in which I make no doubt but that we shall succeed. The little information I am able to give your Lordship of these people and the country will be the subject of another letter. In November the Supply sailed for Norfolk Island with some Reports from convicts, and returned after being absent about six weeks. All Xorfolk Island- the people on that island were well, and their crops, after all they had suffered from rats, birds, and a worm which had done them considerable damage, so good that they had grain sufficient for six months' bread for everyone upon the island, reserving suffi- cient for their next year's crops. The third lieutenant of the Sirius* had for a considerable time laboured under a disorder, which terminated in the loss of his senses, I therefore appointed another officer in his room. And as the Sirius was now nearly ready for sea, having repaired the h. m. s. Sirius. damages sustained in the gale of wind, and being strengthened in the best manner our situation permitted, all the officers belonging to her would be necessary when she went to sea, and as Norfolk Island was now settled, and likely to answer the views of Government, I discharged the second lieutenant from the Sirius, f and appointed another officer in his room; consequently, that officer, who continues superintendant and commandant of Nor- folk Island, will no longer receive any pay from the Admiralty, and I beg leave to recommend him to your Lordship's attention as an officer who has fully merited everything I can say in his favour. Early in January, 1790, the Supply again sailed for Norfolk Convicts for Island with more convicts; and in her passage left a small party XorfoIk Island- on Lord Howe Island to turn turtle; but in fifteen days only three were taken, so that no great advantages will at present accrue from thence. The island has fresh water, but no good anchoring-ground. Since the deaths mentioned in a former part of this letter, one woman has suffered for a robbery, five children have died, and twenty-eight children have been born, making in all twenty- seven:}: deaths and eighty-seven births. Ihave, &c. , A. Phillip. * Note 119. 1 Note 24. | Note 120. ] HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1790. GOVERNOR PHILLIP TO SECRETARY STEPHENS. 12 Feb. 12th February. 1790. [This letter is practically a repetition of Governor Phillip's despatch to Lord Sydney of the same date, with the addition of the following as a marginal note to paragraph ^. ] State of the Island at that time — 1 commandant, 1 midship- man, 1 surgeon, 1 assistant do. , 1 serjeant, 1 corporal, 6 privates, •1 seamen — 1G. 51 male convicts, 23 lemale do. , 4 children — 78. Governor Phillip to Under Secretary Nepean. * (Per Lieut. King in the Supply to Batavia, thence by Dutch packet to England; acknowledged by Under Secretary Nepean, 12th March. 1791. ) Sir, Sydney Cove, February 12, 1790. As the Lieutenant-Governorf has thought I did not pay a proper attention to his complaints of the Judge-Advocate's conduct, I trouble you with the enclosed papers, which contain all that passed on the subject, except my being given to understand, five months afterwards, that a proper attention had not been paid to that complaint. No. 1 is a copy of a letter I received from the Lieutenant- Governor, No. 2 the Judge-Advocate's letter on that occasion, and No. 3 my answer to the Lieut. -Governor's letter. As to the preamble in the Lieut. -Governor's letter, it would not merit my notice but to say that he was sensible that no orders ever had been left with anyone but himself; and as to parties of pleasure, he knew likewise that I had never been a day, and very seldom an hour, on that account; and he might have known that my absence which gave room for his complaint against the Judge-Advocate was at a time when my state of health was such that I should have been pleased to remain in my bed than to have gone to Rose Hill to sleep on the boards in a hut belong- ing to the man who has the direction of the convicts. A journey I made soon after we landed fixed a complaint in my side which has rendered the fatigues of examining the country round us not parties of pleasure, but parties in which nothing but a sense of duty and necessity would make me engage; and, in fact, they are such parties that they have lately been declined by most of those who were at first induced to engage in them from motives of curiosity. As to the Lieut. -Governor's saying that he is in the dark with respect to the line of conduct I wish him to pursue, I can only say that before we landed he knew the intentions of Government respecting this settlement as fully as I could explain them; and * Note 121. t Note 110. PHILLIP TO NEPEAN. 149 after we had been landed some months, when he intimated that 1790. he had understood from Lord Howe that it had not been deter- 12 Febj mined in what part of the coast the settlement would be made, Discontent of that therefore he supposed I was at liberty to remove if I found a better situation, and to detain the ships for that purpose, and giving: me to understand that he thought himself entitled to more confidence than had been placed in him, I desired him to come to me the next day, which he did, and I then endeavoured to remove so groundless a cause of discontent by every means in my power. I read to him every part of my instructions relating to the settlement, and he left me, I thought, fully satisfied and contented; and prior to the above time, when the officers had been assembled, and refused the little interference respecting the convicts which I had asked of them, though their comman- dant at that time had said nothing which could give reason to suppose he disapproved of their conduct in that respect, and which I thought I had a right to expect from him; yet, when he told me some days after the meeting that he himself was ready to give me every assistance in his power, I accepted the offer with thanks, and in a long conversation pointed out to him that the great object we had to attain was the rendering the settlement independent with respect to the necessaries of life, and that as the outlines of the little plan I had formed on the passage were done away by the resolution the officers had taken, we would, as we proceeded in clearing the ground round us, get into some regular plan ; and I desired that he would look on the convicts on one side of the cove as immediately under his directions, those on the opposite side to remain under mine. * The Lieut. -Governor then very well understood what I expected and wished, and on every occasion I readily acknowledged the assistance I received; but a warmth of temper, which has been the source of many dis- contents, has obliged me for some time past to avoid, as far as the service permits, calling on the Lieutenant-Governor otherwise than as the commandant of the detachment. At the same time, no order has ever been given which might in any shape tend to restrict his authority. So far from it that from the time we landed to the present time it has been understood by every one in this settlement that all orders given by the Lieut. -Governor are to have the same effect as if given by me; and whatever has been demanded from the stores by him has always been delivered without any reference to me, in consequence of an order to the Commissary for that purpose. The Lieut. -Governor has complained of tli. it part of my letter in which I request that the peace o£ the settlement may not be disturbed; but have 1 not had sufficient Cause to make that * Note 122. ) HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. L790. request ? Has not representation or complaint been too frequent ? Was not the answer given by him to a convict followed by a behaviour on the part of that wretch which drew on him 8 Bevere sentence from the criminal court? Did Dot the Lieut. -Governor, when that convict was under examination, behave in such a manner to Captn. Hunter and the Judge-Advocate that the former wished to be excused attending one day in the week as a Justice of the Peace, that he might not subject himself in future to such treatment when acting as a magistrate, and the latter wished to resign his office of Judge-Advocate in consequence of the treatment he had received from the Lieut. -Governor and Captn. Campbell in the presence of convicts and others ? I quote the words those officers made use of when they represented that matter to me. And did not the Lieut. -Governor's conduct, as it appears from the evidence of several of his officers, when Captain Campbell refused the duty of the criminal court, bring this settle- ment to touch on the moment of a general confusion? Surely I have had sufficient reason for desiring that the peace of the settlement might not be disturbed, and if my forbearance (which the peculiar situation I am in, and characters which cannot be drawn in a letter have made me think necessary) does not lay me open to censure, I cannot think that I have reason to apprehend it on any other account. It has been said by the Lieut. -Governor " that the detachment had not justice done them, in not having received the necessaries ordered out for them, " and he has been repeatedly called on to say what those necessaries are, and to explain himself, that an enquiry might be made, but from his answers nothing more can be drawn than that the Admiralty had informed him the detachment would, on their landing, be supplied with what might be necessary to render their situation comfortable. I think they are very comfortable, and much more so than they had reason to expect from the service on which they are employed, and the nature of the country; nor have I any reason to think that the officers in general are dissatisfied on that head. As to the necessaries sent out for the detachment, they have never been in the charge of any person but the quarter-master of the detach- ment, with the exception of their canteens, for which they had not room in their own store. And as to those necessaries which were sent out for the use of the settlement, they have not only had a full proportion, but likewise a considerable part of those articles which were intended for the convicts only, such as shirts, frocks, and shoes, and I believe of the necessary articles sent out for the use of the settlement now remaining the greatest part are in possession of the detachment. I do not think it necessary PHILLIP TO NEPEAN. 151 to trouble you with letters which have passed on the above 1790. occasion; they will be forwarded hereafter. The charge has not 12 Feb' a shadow of truth to support it. Discontent of < Major Ross. I will now, sir, conclude this letter, which, writ to explain myself so fully as not to be under the necessity of writing a second on the subject, has made a very long one, with requesting that such part, or the whole, as you judge proper, may be com- municated to Lord Sydney. j have &c. A. Phillip. After reading this letter, which I have written in haste, and with a desire of explaining how little reason there has been for complaint, I think it appears so like a letter to justify my own conduct that I wish you only to lay the enclosed letters before Ld. Sydney, and explain to his L'ship that the preamble in the Lieut. -Gov. 's letters was not noticed in my answers, as I did not think it merited any attention. [Enclosure No. 1. ] Major Eoss to Governor Phillip. Sir, Sydney Cove, 26th August, 1789. Your Excellency's having so repeatedly told me that the working convicts, employed on the west side of the cove, * were to be under the command and authority of the Lieut. -Governor, so far that none of them should be removed from it by your Excel- lency without his knowledge, that it cannot have escaped your memory, it would be presumption in the extreme in me to sup- pose your Excellency not to know that when either duty, business, or pleasure may at any time induce your Excellency to absent yourself from this cove there cannot then remain in it any authority superior to that of the Lieut. -Governor. Taking, therefore, your perfect recollection of the first and knowledge of the second for granted, I shall proceed to acquaint your Excellency with an account of what I cannot but deem an insult offered to me in my character of Lieutenant-Governor since your Excellency went last from this place. About twelve o'clock yesterday, Fuller the carpenter told me that the convict plasterer had been with him to tell him that he waa informed of Bazely's having been looking for him the day before in order to direct him to join Bloodsworth's gang. Soon niter, in my walks to visit the guard, I saw Basely, and asked 1 1 i i»i how Thady came by him to be ordered to join Bloodsworth's gang. On his saying that it was the desire of Mr. Brewer, t I * Note 122. t Note 81. ) HISTOBICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1790. desired him to le1 Mr. Brewer know thai I wanted to sec him, and that he would find me with the officer of the guard. Mr. Brewer came soon after. I asked him how Thady came to be ordered away from the works that he was employed in on tin- west side. His answer was, indeed he did not know, hut thai Captain Collins had directed him to order Thady to join and work with Bloodsworth's gang from that morning. I then desired Mr. Brewer to go to Captain Collins and tell him, from me, that I wished to know how Thady came to be ordered away from the officers' huts, where he was at work. Captain Collins's answer by Mr. Brewer was that he knew nothing more of it than when the Governor was going away he left such orders with him. However much I felt myself hurt by this impropriety of the manner in which the order came, I immediately determined with myself to give way to it so far as to cause the man to be taken off from the officer's hut, at which he had been at work, and sent over to the other side, which was immediately done. But I, at the same time, determined the business of too serious a nature or tendency to pass over without making your Excellency acquainted with it; for, however trivial it may at first view appear, yet the nature of it, the quarter from whence it came, your Excellency's name having been made use of upon the occasion, as well as the terms upon which I am too well known to stand with you, render it absolutely necessary for me, in justice to my own consequence and character, to request that your Excellency will please to direct me to be informed of the cause of such authority being assumed by those in whom no such power can at present be vested. But should your Excellency say — and I cannot possibly bring myself to think you will — that you, on going away from here, left your orders relative to the employing convicts with the Judge-Advocate, in place of leaving them with the Lieutenant- Governor, I have in such case to request that you will please to explain to me the line of conduct which, as Lieutenant-Governor of this settlement, you wish me either to preserve or follow, assuring yourself that I shall endeavour to pursue that line, at least till such time as a power superior to either of us shall determine the bounds of both, and redress our grievances. At present I acknowledge myself as much in the dark with respect to the line of conduct you expect me to pursue as Lieutenant- Governor, or what you expect from me, or that I shall do, as I was the first day of our meeting in London. But as this may be a subject of future discussion, I shall conclude this with my having the honor of being Your Excellency's, &e. , R. Ross, Lieutenant-Governor. PHILLIP TO NEPBAN. 153 [Enclosure No. 2. ] 1790 Judge-Advocate Collins to Governor Phillip. 12 Feb- Sir, Sydney Cove, 26th August, 1789. Discontent of ■xr t-i n i • i • • i i /» Major Ross. lour Excellency having this evening done me the iavour to acquaint me that the Lieutenant-Governor had written to your Excellency a letter complaining of some part of my conduct towards him while you were absent from the settlement, I beg leave to lay the following particulars before you; but in so doing I must request you not to understand that I seek either to justify or excuse what I have done, except in the instance I shall men- tion; for however seriously the Lieutenant-Governor may treat the circumstance, I can hardly deem it worth the discussion, and should not say a word on the subject were I not desirous of con- vincing your Excellency how little it was my wish to create a misunderstanding during your Excellency's temporary absence from the immediate seat of government. Having received your directions on the Saturday previous to your departure for Rose Hill to order Thady, a convict plasterer, to join Bloodsworth's gang, I have to beg your Excellency's par- don for not giving that direction until late on Monday evening last, at which time I directed Bazely to inform the man that he was to join Bloodsworth's gang, and Bloodsworth that he was to receive him; and, as I knew nothing where the man had been employed, I did not suppose anything more was requisite than to follow your Excellency's directions. In the forenoon of yesterday Mr. Brewer came to me from the Lieutenant-Governor, desiring to know by whose authority Thady was ordered into Bloodsworth's gang. I returned my compli- ments, and that he was ordered by the Governor, who left such directions with me. Mr. Brewer soon after came back to tell me that the man would be sent to receive his orders from me. On being informed by Bloodsworth that he was employed in plaster- ing Lieutenant Kellow's hut, I told him — and afterwards gave the man the same directions — to undoubtedly finish Lieutenant Kellow's hut, or any other work he had in hand, as I was certain your Excellency did not know he had any work to finish when you ordered him to join Bloodsworth's gang. As I conceive that if I have done wrong in this business it is in neglecting to order the man to join the overseer from the Saturday I received your Excellences directions until the Mon- day evening, so I trust you will have the goodness to be assured thai such neglect was unintentional, for it has always been my wish to forward, not obstruct, the public service. I have, &c, David Collins. 154 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTBALIA. 1790. I Enclosure No. 3. ] 12 Feb. Governor Phillip to Major Ross. Discontent of Major Ross. Sir, Government House, 27th August, 1789. A few days before I went to Rose Hill a list of all the convicts and their various employments was made out by my directions, by which it appeared to me that James Thady was unemployed. I therefore desired the Judge-Advocate to order him to join the bricklayers then at work for some of the officers, and last night upon my return received your letter stating that an insult had been offered you as Lieutenant-Governor during my absence by the Judge-Advocate, in ordering a man employed under your directions to a different work. I will, sir, repeat to you what the Judge-Advocate says on that head in his own words, " That he forgot to give the order the day I desired he would, and when he did recollect it he gave orders for that purpose; but on being told that the man was employed by your directions at Lieutenant Kellow's hut, as he was certain I did not know he had any work in hand when I gave the order for his joining the bricklayers' party. " This, sir, if admitted, will, I presume, satisfy you that no insult was intended. I had myself informed you that I was going up the harbour for two or three days; and with respect to my orders being left with the Judge-Advocate that should have been left with the Liuetenant-Governor, there is not a shadow of reason to suppose anything of the kind ever was intended, and of which you must be sensible. And in answer to your question as to what line of conduct I wish you to pursue, I have, sir, only to wish that the peace of the settlement may not be disturbed, and that you will be so good as to be a little more guarded in your expressions, for I am certain you will think on reflection that the answer you gave to the convict who came to tell you his time was expired — " Would to God my time was expired, too ! " — was not calculated to make him satisfied with his situation, till the necessary information is received from Government re- specting those people, who draw their conclusions from what they hear, and perhaps very different from what the words are intended to convey. I did not, sir, take notice of the impropriety I saw in such a declaration, when you told me that was the only answer you gave to the convict, who was afterwards sentenced by the criminal court to a severe punishment, which he most undoubtedly deserved, as several officers were then present; but I repeat it, sir, that I am certain you must see the impropriety of it. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 155 The time cannot be far distant when a legal inquiry can take 1790. place, and all complaints will then be attended to. Till when 12 Feb> his Majesty's service requires some little forbearance on your Discontent of 0 y. . T " Major Ross. part as well as on mine. 1 am, &c, A. Phillip. Governor Phillip to Lord Sydney. (Per Lieut. King in the Supply to Batavia, thence by Dutch packet to England; acknowledged by Lord Grenville, 19th February, *' Government House, Sydney Cove, My Lord, February 13th, 1790. 13 Feb. In the charts* of Botany Bay, Port Jackson, and Broken Charts. Bay, with the entrance of the harbour on a larger scale, which I have the honour of sending your Lordship, such parts of these harbours which have not been surveyed are from eye-draughts made in the different excursions, and sufficiently correct to give a pretty just idea of their different branches. In order to get a knowledge of the country round this settle- Examination ment, frequent excursions have been made since the ships sailed ° ° any &y in November, 1788; soon after which I went to Botany Bay, and the five days spent in that harbour confirmed me in the opinion I had first formed of it — that it afforded no eligible situation for fixing the settlement, and was a bad harbour, not affording good security for ships against the easterly winds, which fre- quently blow very hard in the winter; and which has been further proved by Captain Hunter and the first lieutenant of the Sirius, when there to survey the bay. After having been several times with the boats to Broken Bay, Exploration of in order to examine the different branches in that harbour, a river ^ie Hawkosbury was found, but the want of provisions obliged us to return with- out being able to trace it to its source, which has since been done, f and in the sixteen days we were then out all those branches which had any depth of water were traced as far as the boats could proceed. The river, which I named Hawkesbury, after the Lord Hawkes- bury4 is laid down in the chart from an eye-sketch made by Captain Hunter, as we rowed up it. The breadth of this river is from three hundred to eight hundred feet, and it appears from the soundings we had to be navigable for the largest merchant ships to the foot of Richmond Hill; but as the water near the head of the river sometimes rises, after very heavy rains, thirty feet above its common level, it would not be safe for ships to go far up; but fifteen or twenty miles below Richmond Hill they would lay in fresh water and perfectly safe. I speak of Richmond Hill as being the head of the river, it there growing very shallow, a nil dividing into two branches. " Note 123. f Note 124. J Note 125. 156 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1 Tin i. 18 Feb. Richmond Hill. Broken Bay. Parramatta. The Xepean. Tlic high rocky country which forms Broken Lay is lost as you proceed up the Hawkesbury, and the banks of the river are then covered with timber, the soil a rich light mould, and judging from the little wo saw of the country, I should suppose it good land to a very considerable extent; the other branches of fresh water are shoal, but probably run many miles further into the country than we could trace them with our boats. On these rivers we saw great numbers of wild ducks and some black swans ; and on the banks of the Hawkesbury several decoys made by the natives for to catch the quail. Richmond Hill (near the foot of which a fall of water prevented our proceeding further with the boats) is the southern extremity of a range of hills, which, running to the northward, most prob- ably join the mountains which lay nearly parallel to the coast, from fifty to sixty miles inland. The soil of Richmond Hill is good, and it lays well for cultivation. Our prospect from the hill was very extensive to the southward and eastward, the country appearing, from the height at which we were, to be a level covered with timber ; there is a flat of six or seven miles between Richmond Hill and a break in the mountains, which separates Lansdown and Carmarthen Hills, * and in this flat I suppose the Hawkesbury continues its course, but wdiich could not be seen for the timber that, with very few exceptions, covers the country wherever the soil is good. The great advantages of so noble a river, when a settlement can be made on its banks, will be obvious to your Lordship. Broken Bay has been described in my former letters. Pitt- water as having eighteen feet at low water over a bank which lays across its entrance; and the south-west branch, as well as the western branch, which runs off from it (and leads to the Hawkesbury) , as having water for the largest ships, and affording perfect security for a thousand sail; the north-west branch has only water for very small vessels. There is no danger going into this harbour but what is pointed out in the chart. The settlement I had the honor of mentioning to your Lordship as made at Port Jackson, near the head of the harbour very fully answers my expectations; the soil is exceeding good, lays well for cultivation, and is well watered. . Six miles to the south- ward there is a small fresh-water river; and twenty miles to the westward there is a more considerable river, the source of which I suppose to be at the root of the mountains. The banks of this river, which most probably empties itself into the Hawkesbury, are high; the soil a good light mould and covered with trees; the wood of some of these trees is very light; they are about the size of large walnut-trees, which they resemble; they shed their Note 19. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 157 leaves, and bear a small fruit which is said to be very wholesome. 1790. This river likewise frequently rises thirty feet above its common 13 Feb' level; it is, as far as I have seen it, from three hundred to four hundred feet in breadth. I named it the Xepean, and its source will be traced in the course of the winter; and from its banks I hope to reach the mountains, which has been attempted by a party who crossed the river, * but after the first day's journey they Exploration met with such a constant succession of deep ravines, the sides of ^loui'tains which were frequently inaccessible, that they returned, not hav- ing been able to proceed more than fifteen miles in five days; when they turned back they supposed themselves to be twelve miles from the foot of the mountains. As the land for several miles to the southward and twenty character of miles to the westward of Eose Hill, that is to the banks of the country- Xepean, is as fine land for tillage as most in England (some few particular spots excepted, the soil of which is poor, but bears a very small proportion to the good land) , I propose that tract of land for those settlers which may be sent out ; and though they will be placed at some distance from each other, for the con- veniency of water (from one to two and three miles) , they will have nothing to apprehend from the natives, who avoid those parts we most frequent, and always retire at the sight of two or three people who are armed. As the labour of clearing the ground of timber will be great, Provisions for I think each settler should not have less than twenty men on his settIement- farm, which I suppose to be from five hundred to one thousand acres; it will be necessary to give that number of convicts to those settlers who come out, and to support them for two years from the public stores; in that time, if they are any ways in- dustrious— and I do not think they will be able to do it in less time — at the expiration of the two years, they may return half the convicts they have been allowed, and would want no further assistance from Government. It may be necessary to grant lands to officers and soldiers who, Grants for the becoming settlers, will, of course, be entitled to every indulgence ; military- but few of the officers now here have reaped any great advantage from being allowed convicts; and it is attended with unavoidable Assigned inconveniences, from the convicts being left so much to them- «*▼*»*»• selves, and from their mixing with the soldiers. It may be found more to the advantage of the Crown, and the officers likewise, if officers on duty in this settlement were allowed a certain quantity of grain to support their live stock until they have a market to go to; and I make no doubt but that in the third year from the time settlers arrive there will be ;i market well supplied with grain, poultry, hogs, and goats, ;ill of which there has been ♦ Note L26. 158 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1790. 18 Feb. Transport of convicts. Advantages of Norfolk Island. Observations on the aborigines. a great increase, but killed, from wanting corn to support them; and the natives so frequently setting fire to the country, which they do to catch the opossum, flying squirrel, and other animals, has prevented swine from being turned out, as was intended. If this plan of distributing amongst the settlers those convicts who are not immediately necessary for carrying on the publics works is approved of, and which I propose as appearing to me the most likely to render this settlement independent for the necessaries of life, in the shortest time possible, there are many regulations which will, of course, take place. And I beg leave to observe to your Lordship that it appears to me the expence which attends sending out the convicts might be very consider- ably lessened by sending them out in the ships bound to China. Those ships might bring a certain number, with the necessary quantity of provisions and cloathing. The passage to China, round the South Cape, being, in my opinion, full as good as the one now used; and in time oi war would be attended with much less risk. But if hired transports are sent out, it is equally the interest of masters and owners to let those ships remain the longest time possible in those ports which are attended with little expence, and the time in which they may make the voyage to and from this country will always be very uncertain. Your Lordship will permit me to add that if it is the intention of the Legislature by sending convicts to this country to prevent their return to England, that intention will be best answered by their being sent to Norfolk Island. The goodness of the soil has been pointed out, as well as the short time in which it may be presumed the island will be able to supply its settlers with all the necessaries of life. Convicts would very seldom be able to escape, as there are only two or three places at which a boat can land, and from the badness of the ground ships will seldom anchor. Such convicts as are sentenced for life would be perfectly safe at Norfolk Island, where they may be employed in cultivating the flax-plant. But from this settlement, whenever ships going to India are in want of men they will easily find means of carrying away convicts. Your Lordship has been informed that some of the convicts have been killed and wounded by the natives, but that has I believe never happened but when the convicts have been the aggressors. I have always found the natives friendly, and still retain the opinon I first formed of those people. That they do not betray a confidence placed in them I have reason to believe from their never having attempted to take that advantage which they might have done from the confidence which has been frequently placed in them by myself and those who have been with me in PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 159 the different excursions, and from the confidence some of them 1790. have placed in us; nor do I believe they would have ever been 13 Feb- hostile but from having been ill-used and robbed, which has been Observations on . . to . -iiii the aborigines. the case, though every precaution that was possible has been taken to prevent it. In December, 1788, one of the natives was seized for the pur- pose of learning the language and reconciling them to us (as mentioned in my former letter to your Lordship) , none of the natives having for some months come near the settlement. The man who was taken for that purpose appeared to be about twenty- four years of age, and in three months was so well reconciled that he was freed from all restraint, and lived with me perfectly satisfied with his situation. In the beginning of the following April numbers of the natives Small-pox were found dead with the small-pox in different parts of the har- *™vfsst the bour ; and an old man and a boy of about eight years of age were brought to the hospital. The man died, but the boy recovered, and now lives with the surgeon. An elderly man and a girl of about ten or eleven years of age were found soon after and brought up; of the man there was no hopes of recovery, and he died the third day, but the girl recovered, and lives with the clergyman's wife. I brought these people up with the hopes that being cured and sent away with the many little necessaries we could give them would be the means of reconciling them to live near us; but unfortunately both the men died, and the children are too young to have weight with the natives with whom since they have frequently conversed, and what was more unfortunate our native caught the disorder and died. It is not possible to determine the number of natives who were carried off by this fatal disorder. It must be great; and judging from the infor- mation of the native now living with us, and who had recovered from the disorder before he was taken, one-half of those who inhabit this part of the country died; and as the natives always retired from where the disorder appeared, and which some must have carried with them, it must have been spread to a consider- able distance, as well inland as along the coast. "\Ye have seen the traces of it wherever we have been. From the death of the native who had lived with us, it was intended to get another as soon as possible; but they were gene- rally on their guard, and I wished it to be done without beinu under the necessity of firing on those people, which must bave been the case bad anyone been seized in the presence of others. In Last November (1789) two native- were broughl up, one of whom made his escape a few days after; the other lives with me, 160 EISTOEICAL h'KCJORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1790. and will soon be able to inform us of their customs and manners, but of which at presenl I can give your Lordship very little Observations on i, ,-fonn. , ti(m the aborigines, iniormaiion. The natives live in tribes, which arc distinguished by the name of their chief, who probably takes his name from the district in which he resides. About the north- we- 1 part of this harbour there is a tribe which is mentioned as being very powerful, either from their numbers or the abilities of their chief. The district is called Oammerra ; the head of the tribe is named Oammerragal, by which name the men of that tribe are distinguished. A woman of this tribe is called a Cammerragalleon. The natives never use the letter S, and find some difficulty in pronouncing it. From the entrance of the harbour, along the south shore, to the cove adjoining this settlement the district is called Cadi, and the tribe Cadigal; the women, Cadigalleon. The south side of the harbour from the above-mentioned cove to Rose Hill, which the natives call Parramatta, the district is called Wann, and the tribe, Wanngal. The opposite shore is called Wallumetta, and the tribe, Wal- lumedegal. The other tribes which live near us are those of Gweagal, Xoronggerragal, Borogegal, Gomerrigal, and Boromedegal. Some of these people perforate the gristle of the nose to receive the ornamental bone mentioned in " Captain Cook's Voyage " — ■ others do not. The drawing a front tooth is more general, but many men have been seen who had not lost the tooth ; and which, there is good reason to believe, is given as a tribute to the head of one or more of the powerful tribes, and occasionally worn by him round the neck. Cammerragal is mentioned as having received the tooth from the native now living with us. Some refuse paying this tribute. Most of the women lose two joints of the little finger of the left hand, but the reason given for that (as we understand it) appears too trivial to be the real cause — to enable the women to fish the better, and to wind the line round the remaining three fingers. There is reason to believe that the women are treated as inferiors by the men, who employ them constantly fishing in the canoes. The men seldom fish with the line, but strike fish from the rocks; their chief employment is the chase. That they have some idea of a future state appears from their belief in spirits, and from saying that the bones of the dead are in the graves, but the body in the clouds; and the question has been asked, do the white men go thither? It is probable that some tribes subsist chiefly by the chase, which, leading them through the woods, must make some know- GRENVILLE TO PHILLIP. 161 ledge of stars necessary. They have names for many of the stars, 1790. for the Magellan Clouds, and for the four principal winds. 1:L_1 * The native fires are frequently seen on the tops of the moun- Observations on , , . . . , , , .. the aborigines, tains, where the air m winter must be very sharp; and a small cloak has been found, made of the skins of the opossum and flying squirrel, very neatly sewed together, the inside orna- mented in diamonds of curved lines, by raising the skin with the point of a small bone, which is made sharp for that purpose. This cloak they put over their heads when they sleep — and cloaks made by beating the bark of the brown gum-tree are common, and used for the same purpose, or to keep the rain from their heads and shoulders. Their knowledge in numbers appears to be very confined. It is remarkable that of all the words given in the vocabulary by Captain Cook there are only two we have ever heard the natives make use of. These people have several names — the one who lives with us calls himself Wogultrowey, Wolarra- barrey, Baunellon, Boinba, Bundebunda — and we have reason to think that children are named after the fish they first catch; and that after the death of a friend or relation they frequently assume one of the names of the deceased. It will appear to your Lordship, after what has been said of the natives, that a less force will be wanted for the security of the settlement than what I considered as necessary soon after my arrival in this country, although that was not considerable; but as the military must be supported by the labour of others, which is felt in an infant colony so distant from any resource as this is placed, and in which, if it was possible, every one should be employed in procuring for himself the necessaries of life, I pre- sume that a battalion of five hundred men will be sufficient, which will admit of one hundred being detached for the security of Norfolk Island. I have, &c, A. Phillip. Governor Phillip to Secretary Stephens. 13th February, 1790. [This despatch has been omitted, as it is practically a duplicate of Ihe despatch of Governor Phillip to Lord Sydney of the same date. '] The Right Hon. W. W. Gkknville to Governor Phillip. * Sir, Whitehall, March, 1790. March. It being the King's intention that his Majesty's ships Discovery and Gorgon — the former of which has been fitted for the purpose of surveying and the latter, as I informed you in my letter No 6, for the conveyance of troops and stores to New SEE. I. Vol I— L * Note 127. 162 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1790. March. Proposed Expedition to NVW. coast of America. Phillip, to assist. Instructions to Phillip. South Wales — should be employed upon an expedition on the north-west coasl of America, and his Majesty haying, with thai view, ordered that the lower-deck guns, carriages, kc, of the Gorgon shall be carried out in her hold, I am commanded to Bignify to you his Majesty's pleasure that as soon as the said troops and stores shall have been landed from the ship you do direct her commander to mount her guns and to put her in a fit condition as soon as possible for proceeding on that service. As the present company of that ship is barely sufficient for navigating her, it will be expedient that as many officers and men as can possibly be spared from the Sirius should be lent to her during the expedition, which you will order to be done as soon as possible, and such deficiency as will then remain in the num- ber of her war establishment of men you will complete from the marine corps now serving on shore. One of the objects of this expedition being to form a settlement on the no. -west coast of America, * it is his Majesty's pleasure that you should select from among the people with you a proper number of persons to compose it, and that you should embark them either on board the Discovery or Gorgon. The extent of this establishment, it is imagined, need not at first exceed thirty persons, a moiety of whom at least should consist of drafts from the new corps, under the command of a discreet subaltern officer, who is to be entrusted with the tem- porary superintendance of the new settlement. The remainder should consist of two or three of the most intelligent of the overseers, who have lately been sent out, a storekeeper, and any other persons who may be desirous of accompanying them, together with a few of the most deserving of the convicts, to whom you may offer a remission of a part of their service as an inducement to go. And you will be careful to embark on board these ships such articles of stores, provisions, medicines, and utensils for build- ing, &c, as you may judge sufficient for their use, in order to enable them to fulfil the object of forming such a settlement as may be able to resist any attacks from the natives, and lay the foundation of an establishment for the assistance of his Majesty's subjects in the prosecution of the fur trade from the N. W. coast of America. As the chief command of this expedition is intended to be entrusted to the captain of one of his Majesty's ships now in the East Indies, directions have been sent to Commodore Cornwallis to despatch such frigate immediately to Owyhee, one of the Sandwich Islands, situated in the latitude 20° 00' So. , and long. 25° 00' Et. from Greenwich, directing her captain to wait there Note 128. GREXVILLE TO PHILLIP. 163 until he shall be joined by the Discovery and Gorgon, when he 1790. is to lose no time in making the best of his way to the American arch" coast, agreeably to the enclosed instructions, a copy of which is instructions to transmitted to you for your further information. You will entrust the original to the care of the commander of the Dis- covery, and the duplicate with the commanding officer of the Gorgon. You will despatch both these vessels to the place of rendezvous, at Owyhee, as soon as they are in a situation to proceed thither, and upon their meeting with the frigate above mentioned the commanding officer will deliver to the captain of the frigate the dispatches which you shall have committed to their care, and will put themselves under his orders. It is hoped that the frigate from the East Indies and the two vessels above mentioned will arrive at Owyhee soon enough to allow some time for refreshment to their crews, and to enable them to be on the coast of America early in the spring; but if, from any unforeseen event, the frigate which Commodore Corn- wallis is directed to order upon this service should not reach the Sandwich Islands before the end of the month of April, 1791, it is his Majesty's pleasure that you should direct the senior officer of the two ships to open the dispatches, and proceed with those two ships to execute the instructions, leaving on his departure from thence one of his people with the natives, to be taken up again on his return, or adopting any other mode he may judge more advisable for conveying to the captain of the frigate infor- mation of the route he may design to take, with a view to his proceeding to the place of destination. You will receive by the Discovery and Gorgon certain packages, marked and numbered agreeably to the enclosed list, containing such articles as are most esteemed by the people of the Sandwich Islands and the inhabitants of the American coast, in order to barter with them for provisions, and such other necessaries as they can supply, which packages they are to deliver to the com- mander of the frigate, if they should join him on their arrival at the Sandwich Islands, or to make use of themselves in case of his absence. On the return of the Gorgon to Port Jackson from the intended expedition you will order the officers and men belonging to the Sirius on board their proper ship, and after embarking the remainder of the marines you will direct Lieutenant Harvey to make the best of his way with them to England, agreeably to the orders he has already received on that head. In consequence of the information received from Lt. Bligh, late commander of H. M. ship the Bounty, of a mutiny having taken place in that vessel, by which lie was deprived of his com- 1790. March. Instructions to Phillip. HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. maud, hia Maj'y has judged it proper that the (lorgon should be directed, on her return from the N. -W. coast of America, to touch at the Society Islands, and eventually . it the Friendly J>l;mds, in order, if possible, to apprehend the mutineers, a list of whom, rec'd from Lt. Bligh, is enclosed. If he should succeed in this object, he is directed to bring those men, or any of them, in confinement, to Port Jackson. And you will, in that case, send them home in confinement by the Gorgon, in order that they may be brought to trial in this country for an offence so prejudicial to the discipline of his Majesty's service. If the Bounty should be recovered and brought to Port Jack- son, it is left in your discretion to detain her or employ her in such manner as you shall judge best. If, by any accident, the Gorgon or Discovery should be dis- abled so as to be unfit to be employed on this service, it is left to your discretion to send the Sirius in the room of the Gorgon, and any light vessel, if any such should then be under your orders, in the room of the Discovery. I have, &c, W. W. Grexville. [Enclosures. ] [Copies of these have not yet been found. ~\ Governor Phillip to Secretary Stephens. (Per Lieut. King in the Supply to Batavia, thence by Dutch packet to England; received there 20th December, 1790. ) Government House, Sydney Cove, Sir, April 10th, 1790. Returns of the detachment of marines doing duty in this colony, and of those officers and men who wish to remain after the three years for which they were embarked shall be expired, are inclosed for their Lordships' information. Of the death of Captain Shea, which happened on the second of February, 1789, the major-commandant of the detachment has, I presume, informed their Lordships, as well as of the officers pro- moted by him on that occasion. The officer mentioned in the return as unfit for duty is Captain Meredith; he was suspended by Major Boss, who thought his conduct such as made a general court-martial necessary; and that officer has requested that such court-martial may be ordered, as he deems his conduct to have been such as he can justify. I have, &c, A. Phillip. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 165 [Enclosure No. 1. ] 1790 [A copy of the Return of the Marine Detachment has not yet 10APril- been found. '] [Enclosure No. 2. ] [A copy of the Return of Marines desirous of remaining in the settlement has not yet been found. ] Governor Phillip to Secretary Stephens. April 11th, 1790. n April. [This despatch is practically a duplicate of that forwarded to Lord Sydney of the same date. ] Governor Phillip to Lord Sydney. (Per Lieut. King in the Supply to Batavia. thence by Dutch packet to England ; acknowledged by Lord Grenville 19th February, 1791. ) Government House, Sydney Cove, My Lord, April 11, 1790. When I had the honor of concluding my letter of the 12th of February to your Lordship, I had been for some time in expectation of ships arriving from England. But no ships Anxiety re appearing, those expectations gave place to a fear that they might Prcmsl0Us- have met with some accident, and it became necessary to take such steps as appeared best calculated to provide for the imme- diate support of the people. On the provisions landed to serve the settlement for two years considerable losses had been sustained, and his Majesty's ship Sirius and the Supply tender had been occasionally victualled from the stores, and the quantity of flour brought from the Cape of Good Hope by the Sirius was less than I expected — four months' flour only for the settlement, and a year's provisions for the ship's company; and it was necessary to give the ship a very considerable repair before she could be sent to sea again, which was not compleated before the middle of January, when I had reason to expect ships from England in the course of a few weeks. The sending to the islands would have answered as far as pro- curing live stock to breed from, but which was not immediately wanted, ;iii(l what the Sirius could have brought for the con- sumption of Buch a number of people would have been but a very siikiII relief. Howe Island had been tried several times, and only a very tew turtle procured. The goodness of the soil on Norfolk [aland, and the industry of those employed there, rendered that island a resource, and the only one thai offer'd when, from the 166 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1790. 11 April. D'-tachment -. ■nt to Norfolk [sland. To relieve the settlement at Port Jackson. Po pulation statistics. Precautionary measures. time which has passed since my letter might be supposed to have been received iii England, there was reason to suppose some accident had happen'd to the store-ships sent out. I therefore ordered two companies of marines to be ready to embark with a number of convicts by the 5th of March, if no ship arrived before that time, and a proportion of what pro- visions and stores remained in this settlement being put on board the Sirius and Supply, sixty-five officers and men, with five women and children from the detachment and Civil Depart- ment, one hundred and sixteen male and sixty-seven female convicts, with twenty-seven children, embarked and sailed on the 6th of March. The advantages I expected by sending away such a number of people was from the little garden ground they would leave, and which would assist those who remained, and the fish which might be caught in the winter would go the further. At the same time those sent to Norfolk Island would have resources in the great abundance of vegetables raised there, and in fish and birds, which this settlement could not afford them; and it was my inten- tion to have sent more convicts to that island if there had not been this necessity, but I wished first to know the intentions of Government respecting this settlement. The provisions sent, with what was on the island, and the wheat and Indian corn raised there more than would be necessary for seed, was calculated to last full as long as the provisions in this place; and at Noriolk Island, from the richness of the soil, a man may support himself with little assistance from the store after the timber is clear'd away. The numbers at Norfolk Island, including those now sent, are — Civil, military, and free people, ninety; male convicts, one hundred and ninety-one; female convicts, one hundred; and children, thirty-seven. There remain at this settlement — Civil and military, one hundred and forty-one; women and children, sixty; male convicts, two hundred and ninety-seven; female con- victs, seventy; and children, twenty-three. The Sirius was to have proceeded from Norfolk Island to Canton or Batavia for provisions for the colony; but Capt. Hunter informed me that the number of people embarked, with the stores and provisions, did not leave room for the water and wood necessary for the voyage. I therefore thought it better for the Sirius to return to this port than to lose time in the passage by stopping to wood and water at any of the islands, for there was still a probability of ships arriving in the course of another month, in which case the voyage would be no longer necessary. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY. 167 The settlement had been at two-thirds of the established 1790. rations from the 1st of Xovember, and it was now reduced to n ApriI' something less than half a ration; consequently little labour Rations, could be expected from the convicts, and they are only employed for the public in the mornings, leaving the afternoons to attend to their gardens. As I wished to send an officer to England who could give such Lieutenant information as cannot be conveyed by letters, and the detachment ^^{ches"7 was now divided, I replaced the officer who was superintendent and commandant at Norfolk Island by Major Ross. The officer I have recalled having been two years on the island is very -capable of pointing out the advantages which may be expected from it, and I think it promises very fully the end proposed by making the settlement. It will be a place of security for the convicts, where they will soon support themselves, and where they may be advantageously employed in cultivating the flax-plant. I have had the honour of informing your Lordship that the Sirius and Supply sailed the 6th of March. The Supply returned to this port the 5th of April, when I received the follow- ing account from Captain Hunter* respecting the loss of his Loss of the Majesty's ship Sirius. That he made Xorfolk Island the 13th, Sirius. and the next day landed all the people, when bad weather coming on no provisions could be landed till the 19th, when the weather was very fine, and the Sirius was brought to in the bay, and the boats were employed landing of provisions, when, finding the ship dropping fast to leeward, he made sail to get out of the bay, but the wind shifting they could not clear the reef, and the ship having missed stays, tho' the anchors were let go and everything done that was possible, she struck, and was lost on the reef. All the people were safely landed, and Captain Hunter had hopes of getting some of the provisions on shore, and I have the satis- faction of hearing from the officer who commands the Supply, and from the officers who have arrived in that vessell, that when they left the island the weather was such that there was no doubt but that all, or the greatest part, of the provisions and stores would be saved; in which case, by the best accounts I can get, they will have seven months' provisions at two-thirds of the established ration ; but I am sorry to say that some of the officers have lost most of their effects. Captain Hunter, with the ship's company (except those who came round in the Supply) , must continue on the island till a ship can he scut to bring them off, but their situation with respect to provisions is better than it would be in this settlement. Major Iloss informs me that on the loss of the Sirius he had put the island under martial law, and which I have directed him * Note 129. 168 HISTORICAL BECOBDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1790. 11 April. Itations. Supply sent Batavia. Lieutenant King. VI April. Advances to officers. to continue while he thinks it necessary. Thai it was will be evident from two of the convicts having sel the ship on fire when sent on hoard to save some live stock after the ship's company had been Landed; the fire was very fortunately soon extinguished. It was now necessary to reduce the ration to two pounds and a half of flour, two pounds of pork, and two pounds of pice, for seven people for the day. At this ration, which is served to every one without distinction, the flour will last till the middle of November, the pork till the end of July, and the rice till the firsl week in September. Most labour is now laid aside, all the lent- are employed in fishing, and what is caught goes to the public store, where it is served in lieu of pork; and there is no doubt but that we shall support ourselves till the Supply returns, if no ships arrive before that time. The Supply will be ready to sail for Batavia in a few days, in order to procure what flour that vessell can stow, and one of the lieutenants of the Sirius is to be left to follow in any ship that can be hired, to bring provisions to the colony. The Supply will call at Norfolk Island, as she goes to the northward, if the winds permit it without any great loss of time. I have ordered the Supply to Batavia, as I do not think that vessell in a condition to attempt a winter's passage round the South Cape. I beg leave to refer your Lordship for any particulars not men- tioned in my letters to Lieutenant King, the officer I superseded by the Lieutenant-Governor, and from his great merit in his perseverance and good conduct while he commanded at Norfolk Island, as well as from his known merit in his corps as the officer, I recommend him with confidence to your Lordship's favour and protection. I have, &c, A. Phillip. Governor Phillip to Secretary Stephens. (Per Lieut. King in the Supply to Batavia, thence by Dutch packet to England; received there 20th December, 1790. ) Sir, Government House, Sydney, 12 April, 1790. The onicers of the detachment of marines doing duty in this settlement, having represented to me, on the Supply being ordered to Batavia, that they were in want of many necessaries, and the impossibility of drawing private bills, I have drawn on the treasurer of his Majesty's navy for £182. And have to request that you will move their lordships to direct that bill to be paid, and the sums expressed against the officers' names in the enclosed list to be stopped from their pay to make good the same. A. Phillip. PHILLIP TO XEPEAN. 169 A list of the officers of the detachment of marines at Port 1790. Jackson, New South Wales, with an account of the sums of 12 ApnL money to be stopped from their pay. April 10th, 1790. Captain James Meredith £20 Captain Lieut. Watkin Tench 12 First Lieut. John Poulden 30 First Lieut. Thomas Davey 20 First Lieut. Thomas Timins 20 Second Lieut. William Dawes 10 Second Lieut, and Adjutant John Long 40 First Lieut, and Q'rmaster James Furzer 30 James Campbell, Captain. Governor Phillip to Uxder Secretary Nepean. (Per Lieut. King in the Supply to Batavia, thence by Dutch packet to England; acknowledged by Under Secretary Nepean. 12th March, 1701. ) Dear Xepean, Sydney Cove, April 12th, 1790. Mr. Miller will give you this, and I doubt not of your commissary readiness to serve him. You know his pay was very little, and Mlller- his Conduct has been such that he never has received any kind of advantage from his Situation as Commissary; so very from it, that had he not lived in my House and free from every expence when at Rio de Janeiro and the Cape, his Pay would not have been equal to his expences. He has lost his health, and if Government gives him fifty pounds a year for his life, it will make an honest Man happy. In recommending him to Lord Sydney you'll much oblige a very sincere friend. A. Phillip. I have written to Lord Sydnev in Miller's favour. Governor Phillip to Under Secretary Xepean. (Per Lieut. King in the Supply to Batavia, thence by Dutch packet to England; acknowledged by Under Secretary Nepean, 12rh Mm rch, 1791. ) Dear Xepean, Sydney Cove, April 13, 1790. 13 April. Lieutenant King will give you this letter, and can inform Licutenaut you particularly of the situation in which he leaves us. Two years' good conduct and perseverance, exerted for the public good, will, I hope, give him a step in the Navy; and if ever you \v;mi to employ an officer where patience and exemplary conduct is requisite you will thank me for pointing him out. I know his merit, and recommend him to your Bupport. Y<>u will, 170 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1700. 13 April. Commissary Miller. 14 April. Lieutenant King. Commissary Miller. I hope, give him every assistance in your power, and with which, and Lord Sydney's countenance and protection, I make no doubt but that he will get the rank he has well earned. I have few moments for private letters, as the Supply will be ready for sea on Thursday. This is Monday, and I do not wish to detain her. You know where every good wish is due. Make them accept- able, and believe me, dear Nepean, — Yours, &c, A. Phillip. Governor Phillip to Under Secretary Nepea \. (A private letter per Lieut. King; acknowledged by Under Secre- tary Nepean, 12th March, 1791. ) Dear Nepean, Sydney Cove, April 13, 1790. The Commissary who was appointed for this colony through your friendship has acted so unlike the Commissary that he has lost his health, and in three years has never made three shillings. In truth, my friend, he is obliged to resign his charge, for the warmth of this climate has, in the opinion of the faculty, irrecoverably destroyed his constitution; and I warmly recom- mend him to your interest with Lord Sydney for some stipend, however small. He has for three years discharged the trust reposed in him with the strictest honor and no profit, for you know his pay was only ten shillings a day. His conduct has meritted the character I have given of him, and if he lives to reach England I hope he will meet with your countenance, which will add to obligations I owe you. That health and pleasure may long attend you is the wish of, — Yours, &c, A. Phillip. Governor Phillip to Lord Sydney. * (Per Lieut. King; received in England 20th December, 1790. ) My Lord, Sydney Cove, April 14th, 1790. While I have the honor of assuring your Lordship that I retain a just sense of past favours, permit me to lay myself under fresh obligations. The officer charged with my despatches to your Lordship has conducted himself with so much propriety and exerted himself during the two years he commanded at Norfolk Island in such a manner that I feel it a duty to request that your Lordship will procure him the rank of master and commander in the Navy. And the Commissary of this settlement being obliged to resign his charge and return to England on account of his ill state of health, which, in the opinion of the faculty, never will be re- established, I as earnestly request your Lordship to recommend Note 130. PHILLIP TO SYDNEY AND NEPEAN. 171 him to his Majesty's bounty, and which I hope his loss of health 1790. and the strict honor with which he has discharged the trust re- 14 ApriK posed in him will be thought to merit. This, my Lord, is asking two favors in one letter; but I know Lord Sydney to be ever ready to reward merit, and I hope he knows me too well to believe I ever would recommend those I was not confident were deserving of his protection. I have, &c, A. Phillip. Governor Phillip to Lord Sydney. * (A private letter per Lieut. King; acknowledged by Lord Grenville, 19th February, 1791. ) My Lord, Sydney Cove, April 15th, 1790. 15 April. Tho' I seldom have an opportunity of assuring your Lord- ship of my respect, when it offers I embrace it with pleasure. The officer charged with my despatches can give every informa- tion which may be desired respecting this settlement, and as the Supply is now ready to sail, I have only time to say that I hope a continuance of that friendship with which Lord Sydney has honoured me, and that my respects and every good wish may be made acceptable to Lady Sydney and family. As the settlement is now fixed, whenever his Majesty's service Request for permits, I shall be glad to return to England, where I have absence, reason to suppose my private affairs may make my presence necessary; but which I do not ask in any publick letters, nor should I mention a desire of leaving this country at this moment but that more than a year must pass before it can possibly take place, and I make no doubt but that every inconveniency now felt in this colony will be done away before this letter reaches your Lordship. I am sorry to say that nine-tenths of us merit every little inconveniency we now feel. A pair of pidgeons, for Lady Chatham, will, I hope, live to be accepted. I have, &c, A. Phillip. Governor Phillip to Under Secretary Nepean. (Per Lieut. King; acknowledged by Under Secretary Nepean, 12th March, 1791. ) Dear Sir, Sydney Cove, 15th April, 1790. I have to request that the necessary instructions may be Convict indent sent out respecting those convicts who say their terms of trans- portation are expired, f of which we already have a great number, very few of whom are desirous of beconiin. -r settlers in this country. I have, &c, . A. Phillip. ♦ Note 130. t Note 131. 172 HISTORICAL KKCOKDS OF ATSTHALIA. 1790. 15 April. Requests leave of absence. Governor Phillip to Under Secretary Nepean. (A private Letter per Lieut. King; acknowledged by Under Secre- tary Nepean, L2th March, L791. ) Dear Nepean, Sydney Cove, April 15th, 1790. The Supply will sail immediately, and the necessity of sending to Batavia for provisions will I presume be obvious; I do it more from being persuaded that some accident must have prevented the ships arriving. In a private letter to Lord Sydney I have exprest a wish to have leave to return to England, when the service permits, a request I should not have made at this moment but that the inconveniences under which the colony now labours will be done away long before my letters can reach England, and more than a year must pass before I can have any answer. Airs. Phillip was supposed to be dying when I left England, and who- ever the estate goes to some steps should be taken to secure the payment of two annuities for which I gave security, and for which it is probable no provision will be made. I should have no objection to return here, but some little change would, I hope, be thought necessary — I mean respecting myself; but how far that may be practicable you can judge. You may mention it to Lord Sydney, if you think it necessary, and whatever he deter- mines I should think best; but to come to England for a twelve month is what I wish, for many reasons. You will say that my letters are short, but I have few moments for private letters. Dismal accounts will, I make no doubt, be sent to England, but we shall not starve, though seven-eighth of the colony deserves nothing better; the present want will be done away by the first ship that arrives. Health and happiness attend you; say the same to Mrs. Nepean and to your brother, and believe yours, &c, — A. Phillip. Orders to Lieut. Ball. Governor Phillip to Under Secretary Nepean. (Per Lieut. King; acknowledged by Under Secretary Nepean, 12th March, 171)1. ) Dear Sir, Sydney Cove, April 15th, 1790. I have enclosed a copy of the orders given to the officer (Lieut. Ball) who commands the Supply for his proceeding to Batavia, in which I have only directed the procuring six months' provisions for the settlement, more than what the Supply will bring, as I make no doubt but that ships from England will arrive before the time expires for which that quantity of pro- visions will last. I am, &c, A. Phillip. Lieut. Ball. PHILLIP TO NEPEAN. 173 [Enclosure. ] i79o Governor Phillip's Orders to Lieutenant Ball to proceed to is April. BATAVIA. OrderTto" Sydney Cove, 14th April, 1790. By His Excellency Arthur Phillip, Esquire, Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief in and over His Majesty's Territory of Xew South Wales, and its Dependencies, &c, &c, &c. You are hereby required and directed to receive on Board His Majesty's armed Tender under your Command Lieutenant Phillip Gidley King, who is charged with my Dispatches, and proceed to Batavia, where that Officer is to be landed; and you will, immediately on your Arrival, wait on the Governor-General or Commander-in-Chief of that Settlement, and request that you may be permitted to purchase such a Quantity of Flour for the Use of this Settlement as the Vessel under your Command can stow, with the necessary Provisions for your People for Eight Months, Spirits excepted, of which you are to receive on Board only Four Months; and you are at the same Time to request, that the Governor and Council will permit a Ship to bring Provisions to this Colony, the immediate Necessity of which (from the Store Ships not having arrived) you will explain. And you are hereby authorized and directed to enter into such Engagements as the Governor and Council of Batavia may think necessary for the Payment of such Provisions as may be intended for this Settlement, and for the Freight of the same. The Species and Quantity of Provisions wanted is, Flour, Two hundred thousand Pounds; Beef, Eighty thousand Pounds; Pork, Sixty thousand Pounds; and Rice, Seventy thousand Pounds. You will draw Bills on the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury for what you purchase for the Use of this Settlement, and taking Care that they are accompanied by proper Vouchers that the same was bought at the Market Price; and after having received on Board the armed Tender under your Command the Provisions necessary for your People, and as large a Quantity of Flour as the Vessel can stow, with the Articles named in the Margin for the Use of the Hospital, you are not to lose a Moment's Time in leaving Batavia to return to this Port, either on Account of any Ship that may be offered, or on any other Account whatever, but leave the Ship that is to bring a further Supply of Provisions to this Settlement to follow, and which you are, as far as depends on you, to direct may be with all possible Expedition. And as the Owners or Commander of the Ship may wish to have an Officer who has sonic Knowledge of this Coast, you are in that Case to put on Board the Officer you take with you for that Purpose. 174 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1790. 15 April. If after leaving this Port the Wind and Weather permits your calling- at Norfolk Island (but which you are not to attempt if likely to be attended with the Loss of more than Five or Six Days) , y°u are to land Lieutenant Newton Fowel, of His Majesty's Ship Sirius, and receive on Board, in his Room, Lieu- tenant William Bradley, of the said Ship, which Officer is to be left at Batavia, as before mentioned, on Board of such Ship as may be freighted for this Settlement. — But the Officer intended for that Service is to return in the Supply, if no Ship is engaged to leave Batavia within Six Weeks after you sail from thence. In making your Passage to Batavia it is left to your own Judgment to go to the Eastward of New Ireland, or by Captain Carteret's Passage. And in Execution of these Orders you are to use every possible Diligence to return to this Settlement in the shortest Time pos- sible. Government House, Sydney Cove, this 14th day of April, 1790. A. Phillip. To Lieut. H. L. Ball, Commander of His Majesty's armed Tender Supply. By Command of His Excellency, David Collins, Secretary. 16 April. Commissariat stores. Live stock. Governor Phillip to Under Secretary Nepean. (Per Lieut. King; acknowledged by Under Secretary Nepean, 12th March, 1791. ) Government House, Sydney Cove, Dear Sir, April 16th, 1790. The inclosed account will shew the provisions remaining in the settlement, and the time for which the different species will last. Some pork will be saved by the fish, but no deduction has been made for the loss on every cask, and which amounts to some pounds. I suppose that the pork may last until the first week in September. Although the live stock in the settlement is very inconsider- able, I was desirous of what there is being given up for the publick, but the general opinion was that the hogs (which are the principal part of our live stock) were, most of them, so poor that those which would be found fit to kill would not be an object; the Commissary has purchased some, which have been served to the people. When the pork is expended we shall be able to make some addition to the present ration of flour, and as we shall not be able PHILLIP TO NEPEAX AND GREXVILLE. 175 to get the ground in order to sow all our seed wheat (that is, all 1790. we have raised) , about one hundred and fifty bushels will be 16 Apr'1- served to the people, when the rice is expended ; so that we shall Live stock. make the provisions last untill the Supply returns, although no ship from England should arrive; and I have observed in a former letter that they will be less pressed for provisions at Norfolk Island. The provisions set apart for the people belonging to the Supply, and to victual that vessel in the spring, if it should be then found necessary to send her to the Cape of Good Hope, being no longer requisite for that purpose, have given to the settlement more pro- visions than were calculated when the Sirius sailed. I have thought it necessary to be thus particular as to the real state of the provisions in the settlement, as I think it probable that report may make our situation more unpleasant than it really is. I am, &c, A. Phillip. [Enclosure. ] Sydney Cove. An Account of Provision in this Settlement the 12th of April, 1790 :— Pork ... 23, 85 n and > pounds Beef ... 1, 280 J Rice ... 24, 455s) pounds and )- Pease ... 17 J bushels Flour ... 56, 884^ and ^pounds Biscuit... 1, 924 J The present ration is — Pork or Beef, two pounds ... ... ... ... ^) For one man Rice, two pounds, or in lieu thereof, two pints of Pease > or woman Flour, two pounds and a half ... ... ... ... J for seven days. Jno. Palmer, Commissary. 26th of August, Which will last at the present ration till ^13th of September, the 19th of December. Governor Phillip to The Eight Hon. W. W. Grenville. (Despatch No. 1, per store-ship Justinian, vid China; acknowledged by Rt. Hon. Henry Dundas, 10th January, 1792. ) Sir, Sydney, June 14th, 1790. 14 June. The approbation which his Majesty has been pleased to express of my conduct* can only be merited by an earnest desire of faithfully and successfully discharging the trust reposed in me. It is, sir, through you that I am honoured with this mark of Address of attention from my Royal Master, and through you, sir, I hope offlcer3" that my grateful sense of his Majesty's bounty will be made known. * Note 132. 6 HISTOEICAL EECOEDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1790. The address I received on his Majesty's being happily restored 14 une" to health I have the honor to enclose; and faithfully attached to iressof His Royal person, by every tie of duty, gratitude, and affection, I rejoice in the happy event. I have, &c, A. Phillip. [Enclosure. ] Address of Officers ox the Recovery of King George III. The humble address of the officers of the Civil and Military Establishment in the Territory of New South Wales, to His Excellency Arthur Phillip, Esq. , Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief of the Territory of New South Wales and its Dependencies. We, his Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the officers of the Civil and Military Establishments in New South Wales, filled with the deepest sence of gratitude for the mercies of Almighty God in restoring our most Gracious Sovereign to health from a dangerous and afflicting sickness, most humbly beg to approach your Excellency with our sincere and heartfelt con- gratulations on that happy and distinguished event, and to de- clare our unshaken loyalty and attachment to his Majesty's person and government. The little community which has now the honor of addressing your Excellency for the first time cannot pass it by without anticipating in idea the many and memorable occasions which will be presented hereafter to his Majesty's faithful subjects of this distant settlement to congratulate him and his illus- trious descendants — whether extending the arts and blessings of peace, or covered with the trophies of necessary and glorious war. Although from remoteness of situation, and want of intercourse with the seat of government, we are the last in his Majesty's far extended empire to testify our joy on this occasion, we trust that our zeal and fidelity to his Royal person will for ever remain unquestioned, as we know them to be pure and unalterable. Actuated by the warmest wishes to promote the interests of our country, and the increasing splendour of his Majesty's auspicious reign, all which can add to his domestic felicity must ever be regarded by us as sacred and inviolable. We further beg leave to assure your Excellency that we shall not fail with our unfeigned thanks to offer up our most sincere and fervent prayers to that Being in whom alone are the issues of life for the continued safety, long life, and prosperity of his Majesty and his illustrious House. And that his Royal Consort, PHILLIP TO GREXVILLE AND XEPEAX. 177 our revered Queen, may conjointly with him continue to receive 1790. and enjoy every earthly felicity, is what we do and shall humbly 14 June' and ardently supplicate of the Dispenser of all Good. Sydney, Xew South Wales, 14th June, 1790. *David Collixs. Hexry Waterhouse. elchard j0hxs0x. james meredith. Johx White. Watkix Texch. Johx Palmer. Jas. Furzer. Augustus Alt. Johx Pouldex. George Boxchir Worgax. \Yilliam Dawes. William Balmaix. Thomas Davey. Thomas Arxdell. Johx Loxg. Geo. Wm. Maxwell. Goverxor Phillip to The Eight Hon. W. W. Grexville. A. Phillip. [Enclosure. ] New South Wales Corps, 24 July, 1790. n. s. w. corps. Captains : — Nicholas Nepean, William Hill. Lieutenants: — Sydney, John McArthur, Edward Abbott; Rose Hill, John Townson. Ensign: — John Thomas Prentice. Surgeons Mate : — John Harris. Serjeants : — Four. Corporals : — Four. Drummers : — Four. Privates : — Ninety-three. Three privates had died since October 22nd, 1789. One drummer and six privates had deserted. Marines, 24 July, 1790. Marines Captains: — James Campbell and James Meredith. Captain-Lieutenant : — Watkin Tench. First Lieutenants: — John Poulden, James Maitland Shairp, Thomas Davey, Thomas Timins. Second Lieutenant : — William Dawes. Adjutant Second Lieutenant: — John Long. Quarter-master Lieutenant : — James Furzer. Judge-Advocate : — David Collins. Also 8 Serjeants, 8 corporals, 5 drummers, 96 privates. Governor Phillip to The Right Hon. W. W. Grenvili. k. (Despatch No. 10, per store-ship Justinian, via China ; acknowledged by Rt. Hon. Henry Dundas, 10th January, 175)2. ) Sir, Sydney, July 17th, 1790. 1: . i„iy. Having answered all the letters with which you have State of the honored me, I shall once more advert to the state of this settle- ("""-x BBS. 1. Vol. I— N HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1790. 17 July. ment, in order to give, as fully as is in my power, the information required as to the time in which I suppose the colony may be able to support itself without any further supplies from Great Britain. My letters will, sir, inform you of the stores and provisions we have received by the different ships and of the miserable state in which the convicts were landed. To mark the time it may be supposed the colony will be able to support itself it will be neces- sary to point out those circumstances which may advance or retard that period. It will depend on the numbers employed in agriculture, who by this labour are to provide for those who make no provision for themselves; those are the civil and military, those who are employed in buildings and other necessary works, the aged, and others who have been sent out incapable of pro- viding for themselves, and the women and children. These people form . . . * of the whole number in the settlement, and are the many who are to be provided for by the few. I do not reckon on the little labour which may be got from the women, tho' some are employed in the fields, and their numbers will be increased, as the greatest part will always find employment in making their own and the men's cloathing, and in the necessary attention to their children. The ground which the military may cultivate will be for their own convenience, and nothing from that quarter or from the officers in the civil department can be expected to be brought into the publick account. The providing houses and barracks for the additional number of officers and soldiers, rebuilding those temporary ones which were erected on our first arrival, and which must be done in the course of another year, as well as building more stone houses and huts for the convicts as they arrive, will employ a considerable number of people ; and works of this kind will always be carrying on. Tem- porary buildings, when we first landed, were absolutely necessary ; but they should be avoided in future, as after three or four years the whole work is to be begun again ; and the want of lime greatly increases the labour in building with bricks, as we are obliged to increase the thickness of the walls, and . cannot carry them to any height; at the same time if any heavy rains fall before they are covered in they are considerably damaged. The inclosed return will show in what manner the convicts are employed at present, and I have increased the number of those employed in clearing the land for cultivation, as far as it will be possible to do it before next January, except by convalescents, , from whom little labour can be expected. * Blank in manuscript. PHILLIP TO GRENVILLE. 195 Experience, sir, has taught me how difficult it is to make men _i790. industrious who have passed their lives in habits of vice and ' •* indolence. In some cases it has been found impossible; neither kindness nor severity have had any effect; and tho' I can say that the convicts in general behave well, there are many who dread punishment less than they fear labour; and those who have not been brought up to hard work, which are by far the greatest part, bear it badly. They shrink from it the moment the eye of the overseer is turned from them. The public farm at Eose Hill goes on well, but the loss of Public the Guardian, which obliged me to send many of the best men agricu m to Xorfolk Island, and the little labour which could be drawn from those who remained, when on so reduced a ration, has prevented more than* 'acres of wheat, and* acres of barley being sowed this year. About* bushels of wheat and barley remain from our last year's crop, and I hope that next year a very considerable quantity of ground will be sown ; but, sir, this settlement has never had more than one person to superin- Superinten- tend the clearing and cultivating ground for the public benefit or who has ever been the means of bringing a single bushel of grain into the public granary. One or two others have been so employed for a short time, but removed as wanting either industry or probity; and should the person who has at present the entire management of all the convicts employed in clearing and cultivating the land be lost, there is not anyone in the settlement to replace him. Of the five superintendants sent out one only is a farmer. When he gets his health he will make a very useful man. I do not [wish] for many farmers to be sent out as superin- tendants, for few farmers will be found equal to the charge of a considerable number of convicts; but if two good men could be found, who, as well as being good husbandmen, had sufficient spirit to discharge the trust which must be reposed in them, they will be of great use. They will be necessary as the number of convicts increase, and the more so as the personf who at present has that charge will not settle in the country. It was supposed that a sufficient number of good farmers might have been found amongst the convicts to have superintended the labours of the rest; and men have been found who answer the purpose of preventing their straggling from their work, but none of them are equal to the charge of directing the labour of a number of convicts, with whom most of them are linked by crimes they woiil. l Qot wish to have brought forward, and very few of the Convicts have boon found to be good farmers. * Blanks in manuscript. t Note 81. 196 HISTOEICAL EECOKDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1790. 17 July. Detached settlements impossible. Encouragement to first settlers. Settlers in townships. Differences between convict and free settle- ments. You will, sir, from what I have said, see how impossible it is for me to detach a body of convicts to any distance, as they must have a sufficient person to superintend and direct their labours, and a storekeeper to be charged with their provisions; nor do I at this moment see any necessity for it. The land at Eose Hill is very good, and in every respect well calculated for arable and pasture ground, though certainly loaded with timber, the removal of which requires great labour and time ; but it is the same with the whole country as far as I have seen, particular spots excepted, and which, as they cannot at present be cultivated by us, for we cannot make detachments of convicts, I proposed giving to the first settlers who came out, as is mentioned in my letter No. * and if settlers should arrive before I receive any further directions on this head, and they should wish to be placed in such distant and separate farms, I presume complying with this request will not be deemed an improper deviation from my instructions. The consequence of a failure of a crop, when we no longer depend on any supplies from Great Britain, will be obvious, and to guard against which is one reason for my being so desirous of having a few settlers, and to whom, as the first settlers, I think every possible encouragement should be given. In them I should have some resource; and amongst them proper people might be found to act in different capacities, at little or no expence to Government, for as the number of convicts and others increase civil magistrates, &c, will be necessary. The fixing the first settlers in townships will, I fear, prevent that increase of live stock which would be raised in farms at a distance from a great body of people, where the stock will be less liable to suffer from the depredations which may be expected from the soldier and the convict, and against which there is no effectual security. The convicts, if they are to be employed by the settlers, or those people they may bring with them, will be more industrious, and lay under less temptation to be dishonest, if living only twenty or thirty together, and detection will be easier. I wish, sir, to point out the great difference between a settle- ment formed as this is and one formed by farmers and emigrants who have been used to labour, and who reap the fruits of their own industry. Amongst the latter few are idle or useless, and they feel themselves interested in their different employments. On the contrary, amongst the convicts we have few who are inclined to be industrious, or who feel themselves anyways in- terested in the advantages which are to accrue from their labours, Blank in manuscript, vide note 141. PHILLIP TO GRENYILLE. 19' and we have many who are helpless and a deadweight on the j790. settlement. ITany of those helpless wretches who were sent ont in . _y" the first ships are dead, and the numbers of those who remained pifferences i i • t <• between are now considerably increased. I will, sir, insert an extract from convict and the surgeon's report, who I directed to examine these people. mints6" "After a careful examination of the convicts, I find upwards of one hundred who must ever be a burden to the settlement, not being able to do any kind of labour, from old age and chronical diseases of long standing. Amongst the females there is one who has lost the use of her limbs upwards of three years, and amongst the males two who are perfect idiots. " Such are the people sent from the different gaols and from the hulks, where it is said the healthy and the artificers are retained. The sending out the disordered and helpless clears the gaols, and may ease the parishes from which they are sent; but, sir, it is obvious that this settlement, instead of being a colony which is to support itself, will, if the practice is continued, remain for years a burthen to the mother country. The desire of giving you a full and clear information on this head has made me enter into this detail. Of the nine hundred and thirty males sent out by the last ships, two hundred and sixty-one died on board, and fifty have died since landing. The number of sick this day is four hundred and fifty; and many who are not reckoned as sick have barely strength to attend to themselves. Such is our present state; and when the last ships arrived we had not sixty people sick in the colony. But, sir, I hope the many untoward circum- stances wThich the colony has hitherto met with are now done away; and I flatter myself that after two years from this time we shall not want any further supply of flour. At the same time, I beg to be understood that various accidents may render a supply necessary after that time. How long a regular supply ot beef and pork will be necessary depends on the quantity of live stock which may be introduced into the settlement, and of its increase, of which I can form no judgment. The live stock with which we first landed was very inconsiderable, and has been accounted for in former letters. We have not at present any public stock in the settlement, what swine remained soon after we landed having been sent to Norfolk Island or distributed amongst the convicts. Pease and such articles as formed the established ration will of ptoi eourse be expected by the regiment and the Civil Department; lv'iuired but flour, beef, and pork are the only species yet received. It was supposed some savin- might have been made by the fish which HISTOEICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1790. 17 July. would have been caught, but I have always found that the estab- lished ration was expected while the store was able to furnish it. I am laying out a town at Rose Hill, in which the principal street will be occupied by the convicts; the huts are building at the distance of one hundred feet from each other, and each hut is to contain ten convicts; in these huts they would live more comfortable than they could possibly do if numbers were confined together in large buildings, and having good gardens which they cultivate, and frequently having it in their power to exchange vegetables for little necessaries which the stores do not furnish, makes them begin to feel the benefits they may draw from their industry. The huts now building are for the convicts who came out last, and they will form a street of one mile in length and two hundred feet in breadth. Some little inconveniencies attend the convicts being so much dispersed, but the being indulged with having their own gardens is a spur to industry, which they would not have if employed in a publick garden, tho' intirely for their own benefit, as they never seemed to think it was their own; and I do not find that many of these people who have now been some months in huts, and consequently more at liberty than they would be if numbers were confined together, have abused the confidence placed in them; when they have, it has been only by robbing a garden. The convicts who will occupy the huts now building will be removed in a few years to cultivate lands at a distance, and I should suppose that settlers will hereafter be glad to build on the ground, which will remain the property of the Crown, as well as all the lands to a certain distance round the settlement, and increase in its value. * Here, sir, in consequence of what is said in the letterf which accompanied the directions for granting lands, I shall take the liberty of offering to your consideration whether it would not be to the advantage of the Crown, and in nowise distressing to those to whom lands may be granted, if, in the room of the fine of one shilling to be paid for every fifty acres of land, a small proportion of grain was to be paid to the Crown, after the expiration of ten or fifteen years, was to be paid for every acre of grain sown. The quantity being small would not, I apprehend, be felt by the cultivator of lands not subject to any other tythe, and would hereafter furnish a very considerable quantity of grain for the service of the troops. * Marginal Note by Governor Phillip : " I propose reserving all the land for a certain distance round the settlement as the property of the Crown. " t Note 142. PHILLIP TO GRENVILLE. 199 There may be objections to a fine of this nature which I do 1790. not see, and I only give an opinion on a matter with which I am 1' July' so little acquainted, as being desired to point out any regula- tion which might appear to me as tending to the advantages of the colony, and which will, I presume, hereafter support its garrison. It now only remains for me to assure you, sir, that everything which is possible shall be done to render supplies of provisions from England no longer necessary, and to make this colony answer the intentions of Government, in which I feel myself so much interested, and which has ever been the guide of my con- duct, independent of every other consideration. I have, &c, A. Phillip. [Enclosure. ] General Keturx of Male Convicts. Sydney, 23rd July, 1790. Forty making bricks and tiles ; 50 bringing in bricks, &c, for the Employments new store-house (X. B. — This is only a temporary employment, ° convic s these men being intended for agriculture at Rose Hill in a few days) ; 19 bricklayers and labourers employed in building a store and huts at Rose Hill; 8 carpenters employed at the new store, and in building huts at Rose Hill; 9 men who can work with the axe, and who assist the carpenters; 2 sawyers; 9 smiths; 10 watch- men*; 40 receiving provisions and stores from the ships; 12 employed on the roads — mostly convalescents; 18 bringing in timber; 4 stonemasons; 10 employed in the boats; 3 wheel- wrights; 6 employed in the stores; 38 employed by the officers, Civil and Military Departments, at their farms (these men will be employed for the public when the relief takes place) ; 2 assistants to the provost-martial; 3 gardeners and labourers em- ployed by the Governor; 3 coopers; 6 shoemakers; 4 taylors; 5 bakers; 6 attending the sick at the hospital; 3 barbers; 3 gardeners and others employed at the hospital; 3 employed by the Governor bringing in of wood — 316 at work; 413 sick. Total, 729. At Rose Hill. Two employed at the store; 3 servants to the three superinten- dents; 1 employed in taking care of the stock; 2 employed at the hospital; 5 men who work with the axe, building huts; 1 baker; 1 cook; 4 boyn variously employed; 1 assistant to the ♦ Note 113. 200 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1790. 17 July. provost-martial; 3 thatchers; 1 servant to the storekeeper; 1 servant to the assistant surgeon; 4 overseers; 25. sick; 113 clearing and cultivating the ground; 12 sawyers. Total, 179. Despatches. Loss of Sirius. Warship supplies. Vessels wanted. Boating accident. Governor Phillip to Secretary Stephens. (Per store-ship Justinian, via China. ) Sir, Sydney, New South Wales, 17 July, 1790. By the arrival of the Lady Juliana, transport, on the 3rd of last month, I was favoured with your first, second, and third letters of the 28th of August, 1789. My letter of the 10th of April, 1790 (duplicate of which accompanies this) , will have informed their lordships of the loss of his Majesty's ship Sirius, and of the reasons which induced me to send the Supply, armed tender, to Batavia ; and I presume their lordships are by this time acquainted with the unfortunate event that prevented the arrival of the Guardian in this settle- ment. You will, sir, be pleased to acquaint their lordships, that the commissary has directions to transmit an account of such stores and provisions as he has received for the Sirius, and Supply, armed tender. The ships which have arrived being chartered for China, I wait the arrival of the Gorgon before the officers and men, late belong- ing to the Sirius, can be sent to England, as the detaining any of the transports would bring an heavy expence on Government, and the Gorgon will, I presume, arrive very shortly, by which ship the officers and men of the Sirius will be sent home. I presume their lordships will judge it necessary to order a ship to replace the loss of the Sirius; and I beg leave to observe that two small vessels of from forty to fifty tons burthen, schooner- rigged, are much wanted in this colony; such vessels might make the voyage; if sent out in frames, the setting them up will be difficult, as we have only one good shipwright in this colony; those vessels should be coppered, and have a flush deck. A return of the detachment of marines doing duty in this settlement is inclosed. A. Phillip. 24 July, 1790. I am this moment informed of the following accident : — A boat in its return from fishing, was pursued and overset by a whale, by which accident Mr. John Ferguson, midshipman, and two marines were drowned. PHILLIP TO STEPHENS. 201 [Enclosure. ] Eeturn of the Detachment of Marines at Port Jackson, New So. Wales:— 1790. 17 July. 24th July, 1790. — - c3 a a a "3" 1 43 & o •i- 1 is p d 4= s 3 3 p eS a p 3 0Q on 4= 9 = < o , c3 o - > P ST ® 4) CO CO - c o o .. ! ... 8 oo •-I 3 P 4 "i ~5 o3 82 6 6 2 96 Present /Fitforduty Present ^ Unfit for duty ak„o«<- J"0n command Absent |Withleave Wanting to complete Total 1 1 2 1 l 3 i 4 1 1 ... [ ... — ■11 l l 1 l 7 i 8 Officers' Names. Present. Absent. 3 u <2 49 d Fh <2 49 CP d § 03 a a 0 > ca 49 d 49 3 | 1 1 "1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 9 i 1 1 Qr. -master James Furzer Judge Advocate David Collins Eeturn of the Detachment of Mar mes at Norfolk Island 29th August, 1790. 4 | 1 S a % 8 I H 3 3 d td i rt S p 0 3 so 3 a 3 t 3 CO 3 05 m 3 49 3 - 1 0 1 — S> 05 "5 a __ 02 - (-1 1 1 1 Present J F»t for duty Present ( Unfit for duty f On command ... Absent -j With leave [ Without leave Wanting to complete Total 1 1 1 1 3 1 1 2 4 1 4 ■1 3 ::: 8 56 4 60 202 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1790. Return of the Detachment of Marines at Norfolk Island — contd. 17 July. Return of the officers. 24 July. Mills. Miller required. Supplies deficient. Officers' Names. Present. Absent. si, 0 0 1 a o o fi O 6 | 1 Major Commandant Robert Ross 7 ' i l ;;; Captn. Lieut George Johnstone Do Ralph Clarke Second Lieut William Faddy Total R. Ross, Major. Governor Phillip to Under Secretary Nepean. (Despatch No. 5, per store-ship Justinian, viti China; acknowledged hy Under Secretary King, 10th January, 1792. ) Sir, Sydney, New South Wales, July 24th, 1790. As the iron mills sent out for the purpose of grinding wheat are easily rendered useless, and destroyed, and will require great labor to grind corn for a considerable number of people, wind-mills will be wanted, and for the sending out of which I am to request that you, sir, will take the necessary steps, if it is approved of by Mr. Secretary Grenville, to whom I have written on the subject. As we have not any good millwright in the colony, I presume some convicts who have been brought up in that branch might be procured. A miller will be necessary, and as he will have a trust reposed in him he should not be a convict. No butter, oil, or pease have been received for the use of the colony. At present there are not any spirits in the settlement, to continue which for three years a promise was made to the marines when they were embarked ; nor will there be any for the officers of the Civil Department until sent out, if intended to be continued. I am this moment informed of the following accident : a boat which had been down the harbour fishing, was, on its return, pursued by a whale, who overset the boat, by which accident a midshipman, Mr. John Ferguson, and two marines were drowned. I have, &c, A. Phillip. A return of the number of people in the colony is enclosed. PHILLIP TO NEPEAN. 203 [Enclosure. ] Total number of people victualled in New South Wales and its Dependencies, the 25th of July, 1790. No. victuall'd at Sydney. No. vic- tuall'd at Rose Hill. Total No. victuall'd. 116 26 40 87 11 12 9 2 3 } : 1 6 5 729 316 41 44 1 2 "'9 1 3 16 "2 "'2 179 42 6 1 125 27 43 103 11 12 11 2 5 1 2 1 6 5 908 358 47 44 1 2 Civil Children of do Lt. Maxwell, invalided from his Majesty's ship Sirius Lt. Edgar, superintendant, from the Lady Juliana Do Children Belonging to the Sirius Do Supply At Norfolk Island. 1, 715 1 93 4 1 1 191 100 36 94 3 Do Children Civil Do Children , Belonging to the Sirius Free Men 521 1, 715 2. 239 Jno. Palmer, Commissary. Governor Phillip to the Commissioners of the Navy. Sydney, 24th July, 1790. Sensible of the Expence to Government if these Ships were not discharged within the Time mentioned by the Board, * no Time has been lost; but the very sickly state in which they arrived, occasioned unavoidable delays. [The ahove is an extract only referring to the transports Neptune, Scarborough, and Surprize, a complete copy of fin' letter having not yet been found. ] 1790. 24 July. Census. ♦ Note 148. 204 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1790. 29 July. 6 Aug. Governor Phillip to the Commissioners of the Navy. Sydney, 29th July, 1790. [A copy of this letter has not yet been found. ] Governor Phillip to Under Secretary Nepean. (Despatch, per transport Scarborough, via China, acknowledged by Under Secretary King, 10th January, 1792. ) Sir, Sydney, Aug. 6th, 1790. Having answered the public letter, by the Justinian, I have only to inform you that all the transports are now dis- charged from Government employ, except the Neptune, which ship will be discharged in four or five days. The Lady Juliana arrived the 3rd of June, was discharged the 2nd of July, and sailed the 25th for China. The Justinian arrived the 20th of June, and sailed the 28th of July with provisions for Norfolk Island, after landing of which the master has orders to proceed to Canton, according to the contract made by the Commissioners of his Majesty's Navy with the East India Company. The Surprize arrived the 26th of June, and the convicts being landed, that ship received on board as much provisions as she could stow, with 37 male and 157 female convicts, and sailed for Norfolk Island the 1st of August. After landing the people and provisions the master is at liberty to proceed to China, according to the directions of the owners. The Scarborough and Neptune arrived the 28th of June; the Scarborough was discharged from Government employ the 27th of July, and is now ready to sail for China. All the convicts brought out in the Surprize, Scarborough, and Neptune were landed within nine days after those ships arrived, and the convicts, sent to Norfolk Island in the Surprize, were put on board that ship the day before she sailed, and were vic- tualled for the passage by the Commissary. The number of sick have decreased considerably, the returns of this day being only 220. Deaths since the 27th of June, 89. I have, &c, A. Phillip. Governor Phillip to the Commissioners of the Navy. Sydney, 6th August, 1790. The Surprize arrived at this Port the 26th of June, and sailed the 1st of August, with Convicts and Provisions for Norfolk Island ; from whence that Ship will proceed to China, according to the Directions of her Owners. PHILLIP TO STEPHENS AND NEPEAN. 205 The Scarborough and Neptune came into this Harbour the 1790. 28th June, and anchored in the Cove, the 29th. All the Convicts 6 Aug- were landed from the Surprize, Scarborough and Neptune, within Nine Days after their Arrival. The Scarborough being cleared of the Provisions and Stores, was discharged from Government Employ the 27th July, and is now ready to sail. The Neptune will be cleared and discharged in a few days. [The above is an extract only, a complete copy of the letter having not yet been found. ] Governor Phillip to Secretary Stephens. (Duplicate, per Dutch snow Waaksamheyd ; acknowledged by Secretary Stephens, 20th July, 1792. ) Sir, Sydney, New South Wales, 20th August, 1790. 20 Aug. The letters I received from the right honourable the Lords Despatches. Commissioners of the Admiralty, by the Lady Juliana, transport, were answered by the Justinian, which ship sailed from hence the 28th of July; by that ship I had likewise the honour of sending copies of my former letters relative to the loss of his Majesty's ship Sirius, and the state of this colony. Their lordships were also informed that the officers and men Crew of Sirius. who belonged to the Sirius, would return to England in the Gorgon, with the detachment of marines now on duty in this colony, as all the ships which have hitherto arrived, were chartered for China, and could not have been detained without bringing a very heavy expence on Government. As ships coming in with the land do not readily discover the Landmark at entrance of this harbour, a stone building will be erected in the ou x ea ' course of a few weeks, very near the South Head, which will be sufficient mark for those who are not acquainted with the coast. A. Phillip. Governor Phillip to Under Secretary Nepean. (Despatch, per transport Neptune, via China; acknowledged by Under Secretary Kins, 10th January, 1792. ) Sir, Sydney, New South Wales, 22nd August, 1790. 22 Aug. My public letters were sent by the Justinian, of which I had the honor of informing you by the Scarborough, The Lady Juliana arrived in this port the 3rd of Juno, and Tnuumort was discharged from Government employ the 2nd of July. 206 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1790. 22 Aug. The Justinian arrived the 20th of June, and sailed the 28th of July, with provisions for Norfolk Island, after landing of which the master had the necessary instructions for proceeding to China. The Surprize arrived the 26th of June, and sailed the 1st of August with convicts and provisions for Norfolk Island, from whence that ship will proceed to China, according to the direction of her owners. The Scarborough and Neptune came into this harbour the 28th of June, and anchored in the Cove the 29th; all the convicts were landed from the Surprize, Scarborough, and Neptune, within nine days after their arrival. The Scarborough being cleared of the provisions and stores, was discharged from Govern- ment employ the 27th day of July; and the Neptune being likewise cleared, was discharged the 19th day of August. Vessels wanted. I have mentioned to the Navy Board the necessity of two small schooners, and of a barge that would draw but little water, for the purpose of sending provisions, &c, to Rose Hill, where the creek, when the tide is out, has not more than 18 inches water. And in former letters to your office and to the Board of Admiralty the advantages which would attend a ship laying here as a store-ship were pointed out. From that ship the small vessels may be manned, for convicts never can be trusted. Several convicts have got away from this settlement on board of the transports, which it will be impossible to prevent unless the masters of those ships on board of which they may be secreted are prosecuted with severity, for convicts can remain in the woods many days before a ship sails ; or they may be secreted on board in such a manner as to render any search ineffectual. — Gilbert, the master of the Charlotte, when he sailed in May, 1788, carried away a seaman belonging to the Supply, and a young man who was an apprentice to the boatswain of the Sirius. Nor do I imagine it would be difficult to prove that Gilbert himself proposed to both these people that they should desert; and I am confident that nothing but prosecuting the masters of such ships as carry away seamen or convicts from the settlement will prevent our losing the best men. The Navy Board have it in their power to know what men are received on board the transports after they leave England. As ships coming in with the land do not readily discover the entrance of this harbour, a stone building will be erected in the course of a few weeks very near the South Head, which will be a sufficient mark for those who are not acquainted with the coast. I have, &c, A. Phillip. Escaped convicts Landmark at South Head. PHILLIP TO NEPEAN. 20' Governor Phillip to Under Secretary Nepean. 1790. (A private letter per transport Neptune. ) My Dear Nepean, Sydney, August 22, 1790. The Neptune sails to-morrow, and I hope a few days will give us a sight of the Gorgon. Your Brother is well and sends his love to you all, in which I join him. Tell your friends in Downing Street I am much obliged by their remembrance and polite letters, they should have been answered but my head and my side pleads hard to be excused. I wrote barely five lines to Lord Lansdown; when you see him, assure him that I am sensible of his politeness, and the friendship with which he honors me. Health and pleasure attend you my worthy friend. A. Phillip. Governor Phillip to the Commissioners of the Navy. 22nd August, 1790. [A copy of this letter has not yet been founds Governor Phillip to Under Secretary Nepean. (Despatch, per transport Neptune, rid China; acknowledged by Under Secretary King, 10th January, 1792. ) Sydney, New South Wales, Sir, 23rd August, 1790. 23 Aug. Since my letter of yesterday was closed, several convicts Attempts to being missing, a search was ordered to be made on board the Nep- escaPe- tune, transport, Donald Trail, master, and one convict, Joseph Sutton, was found concealed in the hold, where, from the report made by John Bate, a quarter-master of the ship, preparation had been made when the people stowed the hold for concealing con- victs. Now, sir, if the master of the Neptune is not prosecuted what I have observed in my former letters will certainly follow — every ship that stops here on her way to China will carry off some of the best convicts, which it will be impossible for any force in this country to prevent, as they may conceal themselves in the woods for a week or a month before the ship sails. The convict found on board the Neptune says that he was carried off in one of the ship's boats. There is little doubt but that more convicts are concealed on board; but whether, as I have given my word to the master of the ship that he should be prosecuted, he will venture to carry them to sea, or whether he will land them, is uncertain. The Neptune sails to-morrow. I have. &c, A. Phillip. to pardon. 208 HISTOEICAL EECOEDS OF AUSTEALIA. 1790. The Eight Hon. W. W. Grenville to Governor Phillip. 13 Nov. (Despatch No. 7, per H. M. Ship Gorgon; acknowledged by Governor Phillip, 5th November, 1791. ) Sir, Whitehall, 13th Novr. , 1790. Commission I transmit you herewith by the King's command a com- mission which has been passed under the Great Seal, pursuant to an Act passed in the last session of Parliament, a printed copy of which is enclosed, authorising and empowering you, or in case of your death or absence, the Lieutenant-Governor for the time- being of the territory of New South Wales and the islands adjacent, to remit, either absolutely or conditionally, the whole or any part of the time or term for which any felons or other offenders shall have been, or may hereafter be, conveyed and transported to the said territory. I am, &c, W. W. Grenville. [Enclosure. ] Letters Patent Empowering Governor Phillip to Eemit Sentences. [8 November, 1790. ] George the Third by the Grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith and so forth. To our trusty and well-beloved Arthur Phillip Esquire our Captain- General and Governor-in-Chief in and over our territory called New South Wales and to our Lieutenant-Governor of our said territory for the time being, greeting : Whereas several orders have been made by us by and with the advice of our Privy Council in pursuance of authority given to us in that behalf by an Act of Parliament passed in the twenty- fourth year of our reign intituled An Act for the effectual trans- portation of felons and other offenders and to authorise the removal of prisoners in certain cases and for other purposes therein mentioned declaring and appointing by and with the advice aforesaid that the eastern coast of New South Wales and the islands thereunto adjacent should be the place or places beyond sea to which certain felons and other offenders should be conveyed and transported: And whereas several felons and other offenders have in pursu- ance of the said Act been conveyed and transported to the eastern coast of New South Wales or the islands thereunto adjacent there to remain during the terms or times for which they were respec- tively sentenced to be transported by Courts in which they were severally convicted: And whereas We by and with the advice of our Privy Council may hereafter declare and appoint the place or places aforesaid GRENVILLB TO PHILLIP. 209 to be the place or places to which other felons and offenders shall 1790. hereafter be conveyed and transported and such felons and 1B X(n ' offenders may be so transported accordingly: Commission to pcirdon. And whereas by an Act passed in the last session of Parlia- ment intituled An Act to enable his Majesty to authorise his Governor or Lieutenant-Governor of such places beyond the seas to which felons or other offenders may be transported to remit the sentences of such offenders. It is enacted that it shall and may be lawful for us our heirs and successors at all times by our or their Commission under the Great Seal of Great Britain to authorise and empower the Governor or the Lieutenant-Governor for the time being of that part or parts to which felons and other offenders had been or should hereafter be transported and con- veyed by an instrument in writing under the seal of the Govern- ment in which the place or places aforesaid should be situated to remit either absolutely or conditionally the whole or any part of the time or term for which any such felons or other offenders aforesaid had been or should hereafter be respectively conveyed and transported to such place or places as aforesaid such instru- ment or instruments as aforesaid having the like force and effect to all intents and purposes as if We our heirs and successors had in such cases respectively signified our or their royal inten- tion of mercy under our or their sign manual: • And it is further enacted that such Governor or Lieutenant- Governor as aforesaid shall by the first opportunity transmit to one of our Principal Secretaries of State a duplicate under the seal of the Government of* oath and every instru- ment as aforesaid by which the time or term of transportation of any such felons or other offenders as aforesaid hath been re- mitted or shortened and that the names of such felons or other offenders respectively which shall be contained in such duplicates as aforesaid shall be inserted in the next general pardon which shnll pass under the Great Seal of Great Britain after the receipt of such duplicate or duplicates by one of our Principal Secre- taries of State: And whereas it would greatly advance the design of such sen- tences so carried into execution as aforesaid or which may here- after be passed and carried into execution by transporting felons and other offenders to the eastern coast of New South Wales or the islands hereunto adjacent that the Governor or (in case of his death or absence) the Lieutenant-Governor for the time being of our territory of the eastern coast of New South Wales and the islands thereunto adjacent should have power and authority to remil or shorten the time or term I'm- which such felons and Vol, 1, ski: , i o * Blank In original. 3 HISTOEICAL EECOEDS OF AUSTEALIA. 1790. offenders are aforesaid have been or shall hereafter be trans- 13 °v' ported in cases where it shall appear that such felons or other imission offenders are proper objects of the royal mercy: Now know you that We being desirous to carry into effect the purposes of the said Act have thought fit to give and grant and do by these presents give and grant full power and authority to you Arthur Phillip our said Governor or to our Governor for the time being or (in case of your death or absence or that of our Governor for the time being) to our Lieutenant-Governor of our said terri- tory of New South Wales and the islands adjacent for the time being by an instrument or instruments in writing under the seal of the Government of our said territory and as you or they respectively shall think fit or convenient for our service to remit either absolutely or conditionally the whole or any part of the time or term for which any such felons or other offenders afore- said shall have been or shall hereafter be respectively conveyed and transported to the eastern coast of New South Wales or the islands thereunto adjacent. And our will and pleasure is that all and every such instrument or instruments by you to be granted pursuant to the power and authority to you given by these presents shall have the like force and effect to all intents and purposes as if Wee our heirs and successors had in such cases respectively signified our or their Royal intention of mercy under our or their Sign Manual: And our further will and pleasure is that you the said Arthur Phillip or our Governor or Lieutenant-Governor for the time being respectively shall by the first opportunity transmit to one of the Principal Secretaries of State of us our heirs and suc- cessors a duplicate under the seal of the Government aforesaid of each and every instrument as aforesaid by which the time or term of transportation of any such felons or other offenders as aforesaid hath been remitted or shortened to the end that the names of such felons and other offenders respectively which shall be contained in such duplicates as aforesaid may be inserted in the next general pardon which shall pass under the Great Seal of Great Britain after the receipt of such duplicate or duplicates by one of the Principal Secretaries of State aforesaid. And these our Letters Patent or the enrollment or exemplifi- cation thereof shall be as well unto the said Arthur Phillip or our Governor or Lieutenant-Governor for the time being respec- tively as unto all and every other person or persons whomsoever a sufficient warrant and discharge from time to time for all and whatever they shall do and execute in pursuance of our royal will and pleasure. GRENVILLE TO PHILLIP. 211 And lastly our will and pleasure is and Wee do hereby declare 1790. that this our Commission shall be and remain in force only and . °v* until Wee shall be pleased to revoke and determine the same. £* mapdrovisions on tne lst of July supposing no other Ship to arrive, on a fair calculation will stand as follows at full Allow- ance, viz. Remains of the KemaiBS ot the 1 original Supply } Beef & Pork 2^ Lady Juliana's Cargo Do 89 days 112 Remains of the To the 20th Octob. Remains of the ) „. „ Original Supply J Rlce or Pease 69 To the 7th Septr. 125 l Remains of thel „ , _ __ Original Supply } Bread & Flour °7 Lady Juliana's Cargo Do 125 { To the 29 Deer. 182 J In case the Lady Juliana should reach Port Jackson before Governor Phillip receives notice of any further Supplies being on their way to him, he certainly will not increase the Ration of Beef and Pork to more than two thirds of the full Ration, which with Seven pounds of Bread and Seven pounds of Fish per week is a sufficient allowance for each person. With this Ration the Settlement at Port Jackson may be looked upon as provided with Beef or Pork to the 15th Deer. ; And with the Surplus of Beef, Pork and Flour laid in by the Contractor for the supply of the Females put on board the Lady Juliana will in all probability have to dispose of the Wheat, Indian Corn, Beans and Potatoes at the Settlement, not wanted for Seed, there will without doubt be an adequate Supply for the several persons who compose it for the present Year. The Settlement at Norfolk Island was left in a far better situation than that at Port Jackson 453 Rations were then daily drawn, to provide for which a supply had been sent by Governor Phillip in the Sirius, equal to that which remained with him. There were also in the Stores at Norfolk Island near 200 Bushells of Wheat and Indian Corn, produced on that Island, which might without inconvenience be appropriated to the supply of the Settlers, together with a large quantity of Potatoes, Beans etc. , and about Eight Months Provisions for 160 Men saved from the Wreck of the Sifius. Upon the whole it appears that no difficulty would be found in supplying that Settlement during the present Year with Flour and Grain for some time longer; and Fish was always to be caught in moderate weather. The Justinian left Madeira on the 2d. of February last, and did not intend to stop at any other place on her way to Port Jackson, she is Coppered and a very fast Sailer, and, if no GRENVILLB TO PHILLIP. 221 accident befel her on the passage, she probably arrived there in 1791. the Month of May. She had on Board 19 Feb- Beef and Pork 76, 144 pounds The Flour 470, 400 pounds Commissariat. The quantity of Beef and Pork is equal to the Supply of the two Settlements with 1192 Bations at full allowance for 90 days, and with Flour for 394 days. The Neptune Surprize and Scarborough Transports left the Cape of Good Hope on the 29th of April having on board the undermentioned Convicts. Males (including 20 who had been embarked on board the Guardian) 920 Females 70 Children 10 1, 000 and such parts of the Provisions provided for the consumption of 1000 persons for one Year, as the Justinian could not contain. The three first mentioned Transports in all probability arrived at Port Jackson on or before the 31st of July last, and the Con- . victs put on shore from those Ships may be considered as com- pletely victualled from that supply until the 1st August next. Supposing the remainder of the two establishments to have been supplied by the Lady Juliana for the present Year, Beef aud Pork. Flour. Beef and Pork sent from the Cape in the Neptune Transport by Lieut. Riou Vitz. 198, 000 pounds will after furnishing 1192 Rations per diem to the 1st of August next leave a surplus of 17, 498 The Flour carried out in the Justinian, part of the supply intended to have been sent out in the Guardian and Lady Juliana vizt. 337, 680 pounds will, after furnishing 1192 Rations per diem, to the 1st of August next leave a surplus of 84, 976 Supply sent from Batavia in the month of August last 154, 960 210, 944 Remains of the Guardian's Cargo at the Cape of Good Hope, intended to be forwarded by the Gorgon and other Ships now under dispatch 225, 480 67, 200 397, 938 369, 120 Deduct 130 Rations for the Detachment of the New So. Wales Corps sent out in the Neptune, Scarborough and Surprise for which no Provision had been made 33, 893 17. 150 Pounds 364, 045. 321, 670 HISTOEICAL EECOEDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. 19 Feb. In addition to the Provisions already mentioned the Justinian had on board for the use of the Sirius Spirits, 30 Hogsheads, 30 Barrels; Vinegar, 30 Half Hogsheads; Sugar, 15 Half Hogsheads. 864'°oo5qKT?S °f ^^ WiU fumish \ to the 9 Mar : 1792 2299 Rations for 222 days / 321, 670 pounds of Flour will furnish 2299 ) , .. n _ Rations for 140 days } to the 1S Decr- 1 1 91 [Enclosure No. 2. ] Messrs. Lambert, Ross, and Biddulph to Lord Sydney. My Lord, Calcutta, 19th August, 1790. Having obtained the assent of the Right Honorable the Governor-General-in-Council to our proposal to dispatch a vessel with provisions to Port Jackson, and being honored with his Lordship's promise of recommending our plan for a permanent supply to the consideration of his Majesty's Ministers, we beg leave to lay before your Lordship the rates at which we will en- gage to deliver the different articles of supply, which are calcu- lated at an advance of twenty per cent, on the average English prices. Should the terms as annexed meet your Lordship's appro- bation, we will give such security for the performance of our engagements as may be satisfactory to the Government here. In such an event we beg to receive orders for specific quantities of each species of provisions, and request that your Lordship will order the same to be received on account of Government at Port Jackson, and that bills may be granted to us by the Governor at the usual rates of ninety days after sight. As the voyage from hence may be supposed not to exceed six weeks, or two months, and the provisions in consequence to arrive in a high state of preservation, it would be superfluous to point out the advantage of this mode of supply, in which Government run no risk, paying only for what is delivered at Port Jackson in good and merchantable order, we holding ourselves answerable for all loss or wastage in consequence of the voyage. It may be also hoped that from this opening a communication between the capital of the British settlements in the eastern world and this rising establishment many important commercial advantages will ensue, which will greatly facilitate the prosperity of the new colony by a ready intercourse with this extensive and opulent country. We have, &c, Lambert and Ross. Robt. Biddulph. f Sub-enclosure. ] Flour . . at 10/- per 112 1b. Sugar . . . at 37/- per 112 lb Wheat . • „ 13/- Rum . , , 3/- per gallon Rice • „ 18|- „ Paddy .. . „ 10|. per 112 1b Pease . • „ 10|- „ Vinegar.. , , 1/- per gallon. GRENVILLE TO PHILLIP. 223 r 0 CD —J 3 >> 4-1 e9 CD co U 0 CO CD Pi ■:n O s- isrt 43 > CD O in Cj Ph ~~ eh -d o SJ o OO D * -' 43 CD *t-t - 43 -1 * t3 CD r/i a; O CI 43 o +3 +J 43 CI -^ CD - S - CD v. T3 D PI 69 si ? CD 43 d . 0 — '/. 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"V. s a I> m t- ■># a CM I— 1 in tJ at . o 0 o o o O o o o TSO OS o eo o o o o 4a vi'CS ■* OS o o o o CO s 1-1 1-1 s oo ■«# 00 n m o o eo CNJ (M CM 01 OS \n 1ft o efl"# N> •^ CO t> 01 o^ n OJ rn" rH" Os" CD -• P 1 . ci CD P | a "3 g tf CD _i o JD 405 O 60 60 £> E& & £& :& ^> $> -4m o o co (M o O o '■"g'g "»■» 00 ■v. ^^ 111 C5 CO CO co CO . o o o 5 o o o -doo in CO lO CO o o CD CD "^ r-l 00 00 o o lO 1b ' £ 6 i -f 00 , _ , oo o c T*< w a> (M N o_ -* CO 1ft *°« H OS*" r^ 43 3 a o : jd o '• _ Q o _i3 t/3 P a 1 P 40 t 60 1 ON os ON OS oo O o O ift >o O iO O o 1 o oo n O GO BO I- o_ o_ O CM (M S^1 o" 1791. 19 Feb. Supplies from Calcutta. HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. 19 Feb. [Enclosure No. 4. ] [Copies of the Orders in Council for Transportation have not yet been found. '] [Enclosure No. 5. ] The Attorney-General and Solicitor-General to Lord Grenville. My Lord, Lincoln's Inn, 15th Feb'y, 1791. In pursuance of your Lordship's letter of the 15th of this instant (February) , inclosing despatches from Governor Phillip, dated Sydney Cove, the 5th June, 1789, desiring that we will take the same into consideration, and report to you for his Majesty's information our opinion whether any six officers of his Majesty's forces by sea or land, being summoned by precept under the hand and seal of the Governor or (in case of his absence or death) Lieut. -Gov'r of New South Wales to convene as members of the Criminal Court of Judicature those ordained and appointed by his Majesty's Royal Letters Patent, they, or any of them, may lawfully refuse to obey such precepts, — We have taken the same into our consideration, and we humbly certify that his Majesty by his Royal Letters Patent has, in pur- suance of an Act of Parliament passed in the twenty-seventh year of his reign, intituled " An Act to enable his Majesty to establish a Court of Criminal Jurisdiction on the Eastern Coast of New South Wales and the parts adjacent, " willed, ordained, and appointed that the Court of Criminal Jurisdiction (thereby established) should consist of the Judge-Advocate for the time being, together with six officers of his Majesty's sea and land service as the Governor, &c, should, by precept issued under his hand and seal, convene from time to time for that purpose. And we are of opinion that, although from the necessity of the case, military officers alone (excepting the Judge-Advocate) are to exercise the functions both of jurymen and judges, yet that they are not acting in a military capacity, or to be called to that service by military orders, but are performing a duty purely civil as military persons in many other cases do in assistance of the civil magistracy. And we also think that a military officer serving in New South Wales is bound to perform the duty of a member of the Criminal Court when duly summoned for that purpose by precept under the hand and seal of the Governor, &c; and will be guilty of a misdemeanour by refusing to perform a duty imposed upon him by the King's authority derived from an Act of Parliament passed for the purpose of giving that authority. We should, however, conceive that persons of the liberal prin- ciples which belong to the character of military officers, and GRENVILLE TO PHILLIP. 22o who must know that the whole criminal justice of the settlement 1791. will stand still if they should refuse to serve in the Criminal , 1 ' Court, would be too much influenced by a sense of the service J0jjJ}5n of which they can render to their country by performing this civil Letters Patent function, in addition to their military duty, to render it neces- court™"110 sary to remind them of the nature of their duty in. this instance, as pointed out by charter and by Act of Parliament. All which is submitted to your Lordship's consideration. A. Macdonald. John Scott. [Enclosure No. 6. 1 List of transport vessels provided by Messrs. Camden, Calvert, and King, agreeably to a contract made by them with the Commissioners of the Navy for the conveyance of convicts to New South Wales, 1st February, 1791. Vessels' Names. No. Convicts to each. Males. Females. Total. 175 220 188 152 230 160 275 300 25 150 200 220 188 152 230 160 275 150 300 Barrington 175 ... 175 1, 875 175 2, 050 [Enclosure No. 7. ] [A copy of the Return of Stores carried in the vessels of the Third Fleet has not yet been found. ] Lord Grenville to Governor Phillip. (Despatch marked "Separate, " per transport Albemarle; acknow- ledged by Governor Phillip, 5th November, 1791. ) Sir, Whitehall, 19th Feby. , 1791. Lord Sydney has transmitted to me a private letter* which Phillip's request his Lordship has received from you by Lieutenant King, wherein foJ leave of you have expressed a desire to be permitted to return to Eng- land. I am much concerned that this situation of your private affairs should have been such as to render this application neces- sary at a time when your services in New South Wales are so extremely important to the public. I cannot, therefore, refrain from expressing my earnest hope that you may have it in your power so to arrange your private Ser. I. Vol. I— P * Note 152. 1791. 19 Feb. HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. concerns that you may be able, without material inconvenience, , to continue in your Government for a short time longer. From the zeal which you have at all times manifested for the public service, I am inclined to believe that you will readily accede to this proposal, and I shall therefore only add, that as soon as your presence in the Colony can be dispensed with, you may be assured that everything on my part will be done to con- tribute to your accommodation. I am, &c, Grexville. Governor Phillip to The Right Hon. W. W. Grexville. (Despatch No. 1, per Dutch snow Waaksainheyd ; acknowledged by Rt. Hon. Henry Dundas, 15th May, 1792. ) Sir, Sydney, New South Wales, 1st of March, 1791. I had the honour of answering the letters I received by the Lady Juliana, Xeptune, and Scarborough. My last letters were dated in June and July, 1790, and duplicates are sent by this conveyance. The Supply, armed tender, returned to this port from Batavia the 18th of October, but brought only eight months' provisions for her own people; what had been purchased for the colony did not arrive until the 17th of December. The necessary repairs which the Supply required were of such a nature that she was not ready for sea before the beginning of January; she sailed the 21st, with provisions and stores for Norfolk Island, and carried orders for Captain Hunter, with the officers and seamen who had remained there after the loss of the Sirius, to return to this settlement. They arrived here the 26th of last month. The vessel that brought the provisions from Batavia* being discharged, was ready to sail tor Xew Guinea, as directed by her owners; but the master having offered to sell the vessel, or to let her to hire, she was hired the beginning of February, will carry the officers and men late of the Sirius to England, and is now preparing for the voyage. This vessel was hired as there was reason to suppose some accident had happened to the Gorgon, from the time which had passed since her arrival might have been expected; and if unfor- tunately that ship was lost, no opportunity might for some time offer to give the necessary information as to the supplies which this colony will want. The provisions in this settlement will last until the latter end of November next. At Norfolk Island the pork will last until the end of November, and the flour and rice until the middle of September. * Xote 153. the marines. PHILLIP TO GRENVILLE. 22; A considerable part of the stores belonging to the Sirius, with 1791. most of the provisions, and all the guns, except two carronades, x arc ' were landed on Norfolk Island, and nearly everything which Salvage from could be saved was got on shore before Captain Hunter came away. It appears from the Lieutenant-Governor's letters, copies of Reports from which are enclosed, that at the island, as well as at this settle- Xorfolk Island • ment, the loss of the Guardian has been felt; and from the Deputy-Commissary's account it appears that from the 15th of Hay until the beginning of August, when the ships sent from hence arrived there with provisions, the weekly ration had been reduced to 3 lb. of flour and 1£ lb. of beef, or 17 oz. of pork; and that for some time no beef or pork had been issued from the store, the immense quantity of birds (puffins) which resort to that island in April and continue there until the end of July or the beginning of August having supplied them with animal food. These birds burrow in the ground about Mount Pitt, where they deposit their eggs, and are in such numbers that three and four thousand birds have been sometimes killed in one night. As I have, sir, inclosed the Lieutenant-Governor's letters, and it is said in one of them " that great discontents have prevailed Discontent of amongst the marines under his command on hearing that spirits, shoes, and blankets had been issued to the marines in this settle- ment, and none sent to Norfolk Island, " it may appear that less attention has been paid to that settlement than to the one in which I reside, which is not the case; for if ever there has been a want which could not be removed it has ever been my wish that it might be where I was myself. I will therefore beg leave, to detain you, sir, for a few minutes to explain why spirits, &c, were issued at this settlement, and a proportion not immediately sent to Norfolk Island. When the Lieutenant-Governor left this settlement, a full pro- portion of provisions, implements of husbandry, and clothing were put on board the Sirius and Supply; what was lost in the Sirius was not very considerable; and in June, when the ships from England arrived here, as I judged provisions would be the most wanted, two ships sailed with all possible expedition for Norfolk Island, and carried as much provisions as they could store. The Supply followed, and carried provisions, implements of hus- bandry, and some clothing. By that vessel the Lieutenant- Governor was desired to inform me what articles were most wanted, with which he was told the Supply would return. The spirits brought out for the use of the civil and military had been all expended, and the three years' spirits promised to the marines had not been <■< nucleated. HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. 1 March. The Justinian brought spirits for the Sirius's ship's company; and as that ship had been occasionally supplied with spirits from what had been brought out for the marines, I ordered what was now sent out for the seamen to be put into the store, there to remain until the marines and the seamen were to embarK for England; for I thought it better for men to drink water on shore than at sea; and it was not probable that the ship which was to carry them home would, on leaving this country, have spirits on board to serve such a number of people to the Cape of Good Hope. These reasons were made public; but in a short time the marines in this settlement made an application through their commanding officer that they might have their share served them, to which I consented. Three months' spirits were ordered to be issued to the civil and military in this settlement; three months to be reserved for the civil and military at Norfolk Island; and three months for the officers and seamen who had remained there after the loss of the Sirius. The same proportion was given to the Supply. I did not send more spirits by that vessel when she sailed for Norfolk Island than what I thought might be necessary, for the use of the surgeon, and to serve on any particular occasion; for that vessel was loaded with what I deemed more necessary, and the detachment's return to the settle- ment would take place immediately after the first ship arrived. The marines had been at times greatly distressed for neces- saries, and particularly for shoes, being occasionally employed on services which destroyed more than the men could afford to pay for, and shoes had been frequently given to those who were the most distressed. Since the arrival of the ships in June, applica- tion was made by the senior officer of marines for a supply of blankets and shoes, for which the Commissary has taken receipts, in order to their paying for what they have received; and I certainly could not have intended to exclude those on duty at Norfolk Island from the same advantage, if necessary. Many of the inferior officers in this colony have had shoes and other articles which were sent out for the convicts, or they must have otherwise been greatly distressed. Captain Hunter, from the time he remained on the island, will be able to give you, sir, some information respecting the landing there, which is made better by the seamen having re- moved some loose rocks which lay in the passage through the reef. That officer is of the general opinion that when a landing- place is made at Cascade Bay (on the north side of the island) boats will always find a tolerably good landing at one or other of the landing-places, except the weather is very bad. PHILLIP TO GRENVILLE. 229 Lieutenant Bradley surveyed the island, and will have the 1791. honor of delivering you a copy of the survey. It may now be 1 arc ' judged what number of people the island will be able to support, Norfolk island The Lieutenant-Governor's plan for rendering the convicts in- dependent of the store is enclosed. I fear, from the information I have received from those who have been on the island from the time it was first settled, and from what I hear from the oflicer of the Sirius, that the time to be allowed the convicts will not be sufficient to answer the end proposed; but I have approved of the plan, if it can be carried into execution, and have recommended the Lieutenant-Governor giving more time to those who are willing to accept the proposals he had made them, if he finds it necessary. It is certain, from the information of every one who has been any time on the island, that all vegetable productions are in the greatest abundance, and that the labour of clearing the land is not so great by far as what we find it in this settlement; and nothing prevents the removal of all the convicts to that place but the difficulty of landing provisions. This I had the honour of pointing out in my former letters. The island is small, and it may be supposed that there are nearly as many people in this country as Norfolk Island would maintain if the numbers were not to increase. Of those who had been some time on the island, and who had cleared land with a view of remaining as settlers, but who are now come to Port Jackson, two marines belonging to the Sirius, who went to the island when it was first settled, are to return; and as I am sensible it would be impossible for them to maintain themselves after the expiration of twelve months, as the present season for sowing grain will be passed before they can get any ground cleared and prepared to receive it, I have found it neces- sary, in order to retain some useful men in the colony, to deviate from the instructions I have received on that head, which I hope will be approved of. What I granted to the two marines I have thought necessary to grant to eight seamen, late belonging to the Sirius, as they will be useful men when ships are landing provi- sions and stores. Each person is to have sixty acres of land; half an acre is to be cleared, and huts built for them. They are to be maintained eighteen months from the public store, and some cloathing is to be given them, with the necessary quantity of grain for seed, tools, and implements of husbandry, with such a proportion of poultry and hogs as the settlement can afford. You will, sir, be pleased to determine the quantity of land to be granted on Norfolk Island to future settlers. From the rich- ness of the soil, and the island's being so very small, I presume 230 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. 1 March. Norfolk Island prospects. Keports from Norfolk Island. the quantity of ground as determined in the instructions to be given to the marines and convicts who may become settlers will be thought too great. I suppose, from the information of others, that the island may contain from eight to nine thousand acres of ground that can be cultivated. Two seamen who are desirous of becoming settlers at this place will likewise be supported from the public store for eighteen months; and from their having been very industrious while on Norfolk Island, I hope they will be able to support themselves at the expiration oi that time. I shall not deviate from the additional instructions relative to settlers* in future, unless it should be particularly pointed out as necessary by the Lieutenant-Governor for those marines now at Norfolk Island who wish to settle there; and when the relief takes place it is probable that it may at a season so far favorable to them that a year's support from the public store may be fully sufficient. The necessary instructions relative to such of the marines as might wish to become settlers were sent to the Lieu- tenant-Governor, and by his returns it appears that seven men belonging to the detachment now on duty on the island wish to remain there. The crops of corn at Norfolk Island have this year been nearly destroyed by the caterpiller and grub; but I am told that is not the case when the grain is put into the ground at an earlier season, and which the Lieutenant-Governor informs me will be attended to in future. I have, kc, A. Phillip. [Enclosure No. 1. ] Lieutenant-Governor Eoss to Governor Phillip. Government House, Norfolk, 11 February, 1791. Your Excellency will not be a little surprised when I acquaint you that, notwithstanding every exertion that could have been possibly made here to promote the welfare of the crops of grain, the pernicious insects with which this island has been infested in the months of October, November, December, and January have put it out of my power to send you so favourable a report of the harvest as I could wish, or as might have been expected from so grateful a soil. All sorts of grain and all vegetable seeds came up extremely well, and nourished in the highest luxuriancy in the month of September, after which time they were attacked by the grub and caterpillar. The latter were so multitudinous in the months of October, November, and December, that I had greatly feared there would not have been any wheat, barley, or a cob of maize Note 154. PHILLIP TO GEEXVILLE. 231 escape being devoured. Altho' the people were daily employed in 1791. picking them from off the maize, yet, however, incredible it may ' arc ' appear, we could not perceive any visible decrease, for they still 5epFr, ^s tT?m , mi it i i i i Norfolk Island. appeared as numerous as ever, lne blight also has been very destructive, nor has the fly been less destructive than either of the former, all of which destroy as effectually as fire. Of the crops of wheat there has been better than two acres destroyed by the blight and twenty-one acres by the caterpillar; barley, two acres destroyed by the blight and caterpillar; and maize, thirty- three acres entirely destroyed by the grub and caterpillar; calli- vances, French beans, and all other vegetable productions having been attacked by the fly and caterpillar, and so perforated that our first crop were chiefly destroyed. However, as the fly and caterpillar have ceased visiting us, we may expect that this crop will be a good one; I have thirteen acres cropt with callivances and ten acres with potatoes, which will be all out of the ground before it will be wanted for the reception of corn. Potatoes produce well. From ten acres which I had ordered to be planted in the months of June and July I have had in the months of November and December eighteen hundred bushels, two hundred bushels of which, being the refuse, were given to the stock of swine. And as potatoes are an excellent succedaneum for flour, they have been issued to all ranks weekly as part of the ration ot flour, by which means a considerable quantity of flour has been saved in store, an account of which from the deputy-com- missary will be herewith enclosed. As I have been so fortunate as to find some excellent clay here, which answers the purpose of making bricks, I have therefore employed twelve of the con- victs on that necessary business, most of whom were employed on the above work at Port Jackson. The settlement for some months past has been so much distressed for the want of falling axes, steel, iron, and grindstones, that the public works have been greatly retarded. In justice to the detachment under my command, I have to request that your Excellency will please to take into consideration their real distress. With respect to necessaries, not one of them have a shoe to their feet, nor scarce a shirt to their backs; their situation at this juncture is truly deplorable, both men and women having lost almost everything by the wreck of the Sirius. And as it has been reported to the troops here by some of their comrades at Port Jackson that your Excellency have been pleased to order a pair of shoes and a blanket to be issued to each of them, they have to request that your Excellency will think them no less deserving of favour; and I can assure your Excellency that no troops, perhaps, ever stood so niueh in need or felt the wniit of covering j there is qo1 8 bed HISTOEICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. 1 March. or blanket among them that is fit to preserve the powers which sustain life from being congealed by any degree of cold which they may hereafter be ooiiged to encounter. I must here beg leave to assure your Excellency that, had there been a sufficient quantity of shoes sent here for the convicts as would admit the issuing of a pair per man to the troops, I would certainly have taken it upon myself to do it; and if shoes, shirts, and other necessaries could have been purchased for them, I should not have given your Excellency the trouble of this application, for I should have ordered them to have been purchased and have drawn on the Admiralty for the amount. I have therefore to request that by the return of the Supply your Excellency will please to direct such things to be supplied the troops serving here as can be spared from the public stores at Sydney, and which, from their present deplorable situation, I hope your Excellency will think renders it essentially necessary to be done. And as the two companies here under my command have been also informed that since the return of the Supply from Batavia the other two companies under the command of Captain Campbell, together with the new troops serving in New South Wales, have been served with spirits, and that they still expect to have it while it lasts, they conceive that the small proportion sent to Norfolk can by no means be adequate to their share for such a length of time as the troops at Sydney have been supplied, not- withstanding there has not been a drop of spirits issued at Nor- folk since the 29th of last May. I have therefore to hope that your Excellency, having been made acquainted with the circum- stances of their case, will please to order an equal proportion for them, to be sent at such time as may appear to you convenient; for, indeed, their distress at present has occasioned more discon- tent and murmuring among them than ever were observed in their greatest apprehensions of famine. They say they know not how they have been less deserving of favour, or why they should not share in every necessary of life with their comrades at Port Jackson, and that the duties they have had to perform were no less severe than theirs, which is all very true and just; and upon my word I cannot see any impropriety in their claim to an equal share of the necessaries of life with their comrades, as well as an equal share of service. The troops are also in great want of cooking utensils; there are but a few small pots among them all, which had been saved from the wreck of the Sirius, which are by no means sufficient for such a number, as there is not a pot to every twelve men, which must make it very inconvenient for them to wait for one another in the use of the pots. It is nearly night before some of them can have cooked their dinners. PHILLIP TO GREXYILLE. 233 Therefore I hope you will see the necessity of sending such 1791. utensils as can be spared from the stores at Sydney. 1 * arc ' Agreeable to your Excellency's orders with respect to having a §epfor1tks {l?md proper number of spars in readiness to be put on board his Majesty's ship Gorgon on her arrival here, I have to acquaint you that Captn. Hunter, being the best judge of what spars were necessary to be sent, has taken care to give his carpenters the proper directions on that head, and they are now in readiness laying on the beach, in order to be put on board such vessel as may be sent for them ; and, of course, he will give such informa- tion as you may think necessary on that head. Prior to the arrival of Moses Tucker, the carpenters of the Sirius built us a very good coble, under the inspection of Cap- tain Hunter; since then Tucker has built two very good cobles, altho' one of them is not yet quite finished; but I hope it will be prior to his embarkation on board the Supply, according to your Excellency's directions. And here I beg leave to assure your Excellency that since his arrival here Tucker's behaviour has been such as to merit some mitigation in the punishment which he has deserved by behaving in the manner that he had done, for which I beg leave to refer you to Captain Hunter on that head. The superintendant which your Excellency has sent here as being acquainted with the management of the flax I have kept constantly employed on that manufacture, with such a number of the male and female convicts as he thought necessary, and every other assistance which could possibly be procured or made in the settlement. He has so far succeeded as to have wove two pieces of it into a coarse cloth, which shall be sent your Excellency as samples; and as I do not understand myself anything of that manufacture, I shall refer you to his opinion on that head. Since writing the above, I understand that Mr. Hume has taken the liberty of giving a piece of the cloth away, which prob- ably will make its appearance at Port Jackson ; out had I known his intentions, 1" would have prevented any such thing to have been done, as I did not wish that any samples should have been committed to the hands 01 any person until it had been sent for your Excellency's inspection. I have collected some of the flax seed, which is in excellent preservation, and have put it up in an eighteen-gallon keg, addressed to your Excellency, and some of which had been scat- tered about the yard here promiscuously has immediately grown up. I have some time ago transplanted several of the roots, which I had taken from the seaside, into the interior parts of the Country, and I find they thrive as well as in their natural soil and situation. 234 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. 1 March. Reports from Norfolk Island. I have likewise to acquaint your Excellency that since my arrival on the island there has been one hundred and fifteen acres of land properly cleared, exclusive of what is in the possession of the convicts, in addition to what I had found clear here on my arrival. And as I have every reason to suppose that the great destruction which happened to our crops of grain would have been prevented could it have been sown and planted at a much earlier period, I have therefore taken care to direct that the wheat shall be sown from the latter end of April to the beginning of June, and maize from the beginning of May to the latter end of August. Agreeable to your directions I have ordered that twenty-five acres of land shall be appropriated for wheat and the rest for maize. I shall likewise, if I am here at the proper season, fur- nish the convicts, both male and female, with a sufficiency of maize to crop their grounds, which I expect at that time will amount to one acre p'r head with a very few exceptions. The grape vines which came from Sydney last August were immediately planted, and which, together with some cuttings that I had planted just before then, amounts now to between seven and eight hundred, which are all in high perfection, and two or three of the oldest are now bearing. Since my having ordered the bananas to be thinned by trans- planting a very great number of them, many are now fruited, and I have great satisfaction in declaring that some of the fruit is not inferior to any that I have met with in any other part of the world. Straberries do not thrive here, but sugar-cane grows in the greatest luxuriency, and likewise the castor-nut, indigo, and orange and lemon trees, altho' I have reason to believe that the latter want either grafting or innoculation, as neither of them shew any blossoms. From my not having a sufficient authority for the more effec- tually putting a stop to the most shameful, wicked, and abomin- able practice of marauding and plundering among the most abandoned of the convicts, who, whenever they had thought proper, left the public works and took to the woods in order to make a descent by night upon the houses and gardens of private individuals as well as the public grounds, whereby many of them have supported themselves for several months independent of the store, and living in defiance of such laws as with which we have been invested for their restraint, well knowing that when appre- hended and taken, let their offences be ever so capital, that con- finement with corporal punishment was all we were authorised to inflict. PHILLIP TO GREXVILLE. 235 There are now, and have been for some months past, in con- 1791. finement for capital offences five convicts, most notorious often- afC ' ders, every one of whom is as great a villain as ever graced a 5epP^s lT?m, 11 , . , , , , . , n i «• • ^Norfolk Island. gibbet, exclusive oi the two men which set nre to the Sinus. Captain Hunter not having thought proper to direct a prosecu- tion to be carried on against them, and as I had reported them to your Excellency, I did not find myself at liberty to release them from their confinement until I had received your commands how they were to be disposed of, and the very crowded state in which the Supply is in at present renders it necessary still to keep them here. Your Excellency I hope will pardon the liberty I have again taken in mentioning how much we owe Arscot, the carpenter, for the preservation of our lives, as there can be no manner of doubt but for his great and unparalled exertions the Sirius with all her provisions would have been burned; but of this Captain Hunter will give you further information. The martial law which was proclaimed on the Sirius being wrecked continued in force only until the beginning of last August, when we received the supply of provisions from Sydney, during which time there was only one general court-martial took place for the trial of the convicts, whose sentences were only corporal punishment; and which court-martial, together with such other circumstances as have occurred on that occasion, I hope to have the honour of soon laying before your Excellency, as you have been pleased to inform me that I may soon expect a relief to arrive here. The situation of this settlement at present is such that unless some criminal court or martial law is established, it will scarcely be possible to prevent constant robberies, as well as all other capital offences; and I should hope your Excellency will see it in the same point of view as in which it appears to me ; and should you think fit to order the law martial to be proclaimed here, that you will please at the same time to order a sufficient number of military officers, together with those already here, which you may judge adequate for the composing a tribunal, with full powers to try and determine all such offences as may be brought before them. Could I have found any fresh water on Phillip Island, which I examined for that purpose, I should have been able to have kept those villains in good order, by sending the most notorious of them (for any fresh offences which they may be guilty of) to thai island. And as I have been disappointed in that hope, I expect I shall find myself necessitated to send those notorious offenders, as well as all such others who may hereafter deserve 236 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. 1 March. Reports from Norfolk Island. it, to Nepean Island, first taking care to send as much water as will last them two months, and once a week, when the weather will admit, taking care to keep up the stock. I did hope that the mode I had taken with the people in con- finement would have given a much greater check to villainy than I am afraid it has done, which is that of having ordered the commissary not to issue them more provisions of any species than what the surgeon thought absolutely necessary to sustain life, and by which you will see what has been saved in store. Since the arrival of the supplies which were sent us last August, Thomas Stretch, a convict who preferred an idle and abandoned life in the woods to moderate labour and a full ration, did soon after that time abscond into the woods; and as he has not been seen nor heard of for these four months past, there can be no doubt of his being dead; and about a fortnight ago, John Robins, convict, was drowned, having been washed off the rocks near Ball's Bay, where he had been fishing; and since my arrival here the following is a state of the births and deaths, viz. : — Births, fifteen; deaths, twelve. Of the latter, killed by the fall of a tree, one; drowned, eight; died a natural death, three. You will likewise herewith receive the deputy-commissary's return of the expenditure of stores and provisions, together with an account of what he and myself think is necessary to be sent and most wanted on this island, agreeable to your Excellency's order, by the Supply. I have likewise to inform your Excellency that Richard Phil- amore, convict, having prior to my arrival here entered into terms with Mr. King, by which he had agreed to become inde- pendent of the store at the expiration of one year from such agreement, which period having been elaps'd three weeks ago, and he having reported to me the same, I have agreed to his working for himself untill your Excellency shall please to give directions whether he may be permitted to settle on such terms as Government has held out. He has not only undertaken to maintain himself now independent of the state for provisions, but he has also undertaken to maintain a man and woman which I have given him to assist in clearing more land for him on the above terms; but as he is not yet in possession of a sufficient stock of swine to provide him and the two people with animal food, I have directed the deputy-commissary to assist him with half a ration of salt provisions for himself and two people until he has a greater increase of swine, and for which the Commissary is to stop out of his corn which is now in the public granary as much as may be judged equivalent to the value of the provision which he draws. And I am of opinion that the man will do very PHILLIP TO GRENVILLE. 237 well, as lie is a very deserving painstaking person. I wish I 1791. could say as much for Mr. Smith, for, notwithstanding every x Marc ■ encouragement that has been given him by Mr. King, as well as 5epi)r^STr?mJ _ ; 7 , , T:r. , , T , - , ? . . , , Norfolk Island. by me since Mr. King's departure, 1 am clearly 01 opinion that he never will do any good for himself or anybody else. However, I have still left him upon the same ground on which I found him. I shall likewise herewith enclose for your Excellency's informa- tion the surgeon's report of the sick and hurt on this island from my arrival until this date, as well as his opinion respecting the state of the people's health. And altho' I do not expect that there will be many objects here who may require an hospital, yet I have ordered one to be built and which is now in very great forwardness, and will be ready for the reception of patients by the return of the Supply. The Supply will not have room at this time for more than fifty boards. She will likewise have a few oars out of twelve dozen which I had ordered to be made on purpose to be sent to your Excellency, together with a thousand axe-helves which are of a superior quality to any wood you can have for that purpose at Port Jackson, which will be delivered by Mr. Blackbourn on his arrival at Sydney. And the things that he has not now had an opportunity of taking together with as much plank as two pairs of sawyers can cut by the time she returns from here again shall be sent with the remainder of the oars. I feel myself very much obliged to your Excellency for having been pleased to communicate the information you received respecting a war with Spain, and am very much of your opinion respecting it. I understand that the natives about you have lately been very troublesome, particularly in a most savage attack upon your Excel- lency, who, I understand, has been dangerously wounded by them ; and am happy that the same information gives me an opportunity of congratulating you upon your recovery from the wound. And should your Excellency think fit to adopt that (or some other) plan which I herewith enclose, for the convicts maintain- ing themselves at a certain period independent of the store, that if it can be spared from Sydney this island should be compleated to, at least, one year's beef and pork; but should you think fit to annul the plan altogether, I think we can manage very well with what we have; and by curtailing the present ration to two- thirds, that we shall by no means feel any distress. But at the same time I must observe that the present plan is so very much approved by almost all the convicts here, and has created such a spirit of industry and emulation among them as was scarcely possible to expect. 238 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. 1 March. Reports from Norfolk Island. I have settled the super intendant of the flax-dressers, together with all the people which he had fixed upon, at Cascade, as the fittest place in his opinion on this island for the business on which he is employed. There is a small town growing up there, and at this time about seven or eight acres of clear ground. At Charlottefield there is a very pretty little town building, but as that, nor the town at Cascade, is not named by me, I shall wait your Excellency's commands and directions on that head. Your Excellency, I hope, will excuse me when I inform you how much I feel myself at a loss with respect to my public letters to you sent by Mr. King, for you have not yet done me the honour of giving me the least intimation of their having been received, nor can I suppose it scarce possible that Mr. King could withhold them, or else copies of them should accompany this. K. Eoss. [Enclosure No. 2. ] Lieutenant-Governor Koss to Governor Phillip. Sir, Government House, Norfolk, 11 February, 1791. I have not lost any time in getting the officers and people who accompanied me quartered in the best manner I possibly could; altho' very much crowded by having the officers and com- pany of his Majesty's ship Sirius to provide for. When the convicts had done attending the wreck of the Sirius, I immediately employed them in clearing and cultivating the land in such manner as appeared to me the best calculated, in the first place, to prevent our being starved for want of sustenance, and in the next to answer the purpose of soon rendering this island independent as far as respects the articles of provisions; but I could not pay any attention to the flax, because there was not any person on the island who knew anything of it, until the middle of August, when a Mr. Hume, one of the superintendants sent out by the Government, arrived here, and as your Excellency pointed him out as a person acquainted with the management of the flax, he was immediately employed thereon with such a number of the people under him as he chose, and provided with everything he wanted, and that could possibly be procured or made in the settlement, in order to get some of it manufactured, to send to England. The live stock, stores, and cloathing at my arrival here were so very little, that from absolute necessity I was obliged to observe the most rigid economy in the distribution of them. Whenever I have found that any part of what has been acquired by the labour of the convicts could be taken into store on account of the Crown, I have in that case ordered it to be done. And I shall be particularly careful that the storekeeper, or deputy- PHILLIP TO GRENVILLE. 239 commissary, do transmit to the Commissary at Xew South Wales 1791. an account from time to time of the issues of provisions and x March- expence of stores at this settlement, together with an account of ^ePp^ from such provision and stores as he may receive, and from whence, &c. With respect to the employing as many convicts as possible in cultivating and dressing the flax-plant, is answered in the second paragraph. And with respect to the expectations from so fertile a soil, I shall beg leave to refer your Excellency to a plan whicli I have ordered to be carried into execution for the purpose of rendering the island independent, as far as respects the neces- saries of life, and of which the papers herewith enclosed, Nos. 1 and 2, are copies. From my arrival to the time the first ships arrived we had scarcely anything to give the stock, and therefore were obliged to kill many of them for want of food to give them; what were left I hoped would have done well; but in this I have been very much disappointed, for since the middle of December a very con- siderable number of swine as well belonging to the public as to the officers and inhabitants in general died ; however, I shall hope to be able to leave some swine of my own, in addition to what belongs to Government, and, as poultry thrive well, I shall leave some geese, turkies, ducks, and fowls, as a beginning for a stock for Government. A supply of provisions we have had, but cloathing not a rag, notwithstanding a great part of the slops sent in the Sirius for the use of the convicts were never put into store, particularly the linsey wolsey jackets and blue breeches which were all put into the seamen's store upon a supposition that they were navy board slops for the use of the ship. In consequence of the very distressed situation in which we were left for such a length of time, I found it necessary to make a considerable deduction from the customary ration, even so much as to stop the salt provisions entirely. There having been no clergyman on the island, I had it not in my power to take any steps for the celebration of public worship, but a due obedience to good order among the convicts has been kept, even to a degree that could scarce be expected among a set of the most abandoned people in the universe who were not subject, let their crimes be what they may, to any law or punishment whatever, except such as any justice of the peace may inflict. The names of such officers, soldiers, and others, who may be desirous of becoming settlers, &c, shall be forwarded by every Klip <. r vessel going to Port Jackson, as well as the names and particulars respecting such convicts as I shall think deserving of favour. If any settlers arc established on the island during my 240 HISTOEICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. 1 March. Reports from Norfolk Island. command, they shall, as far as the situation of the live stock, stores, provisions, &c, in the settlement will admit, be supplied therewith, and with everything ordered. I shall be particularly careful that no craft of any sort shall ever be built here which may enable the inhabitants of this island to effect an intercourse with any of the settlements of the East India Company, the coasts of China, or any island to which an intercourse has been established by any European nation; and should any ships or vessels arrive at this settlement from any of the places before mentioned, I shall prevent any communication being carried on between them and the inhabitants residing here without first receiving your permission for that purpose; nor will I permit the building of any deck'd vessel, or boat, or any boat whatever whose length of keel exceed the dimensions given in my instructions. * And as the officers and company of his Majesty's late ship Sirius are employed in getting the iron ordnance, as well as everything else that can possibly be got from the wreck which may be of use, and which business a few weeks' fine weather may effect, after which time the wreck will be rendered unserviceable for any purpose whatever. It having been made known to me that a year before my arrival on this island some people who had lost their way in coming from Anson Bay to this place had fell in with an extensive valley without any timber upon it, and as I found that there never had been any person sent to examine if it was fit for cultivation, on the first of June I sent some people in search of it, who made such a favourable report that on the 12th of the same month I went myself, accompanied by some officers, to view and examine it; and from its appearance I judged that it could be cleared with much less trouble than any place I had seen here, and there- fore determined to clear, cultivate, and make a settlement upon it. And as our then situation required every exertion to be made for the purpose of clearing land for the reception of corn, and it appearing to me to be by far the most beautiful as well as the most grateful soil I had seen on the island, I have done the place the honour of naming it after her Majesty, f Charlottefield, and I appointed Captain Lieutenant Johnston, with his company — together with a few emaciated convicts, which were all we could then spare from the work carrying on here — to take post there, and not only keep the convicts at work, but the marines should likewise be employed on this very necessary work of clearing land, and for which I have promised them payment in the like manner that all others of his Majesty's troops are paid when employed on public works. * Note 155. t Note 156. PHILLIP TO GRENVILLE. 241 The above I hope will be looked upon by your Excellency as 1791. having on my part complied with your instructions up to the 1 March- present time, and shall have great satisfaction in continuing to 5eP?rtsfrom , , , , . • 1 n i i i i Norfolk Island, do the same, and complying with all other orders and commands with which you may please to honour me. R. Ross. [Sub-enclosure Xo. 1. ] Norfolk Island — General Order. By his Honour, Robert Ross, Esquire, Lieutenant-Governor of his Majesty's territory of New South Wales and its depen- dencies, commandant of a corps of marines serving in the said territory, and commander at the Island Norfolk. Whereas it is necessary and fitting that every endeavour should be used to render the settlement of this island independent as far as possible with respect to the necessaries of life, and as during the course of the last winter and spring it was strongly recommended to the convicts to clear and cultivate some ground for gardens for themselves, and an assurance made them of being supplied with Indian corn, potatoes, caravanseras, and all other vegetable seeds for their gardens. And as many of the most in- dustrious among them have availed themselves of his offer, and are now in possession of very comfortable lots of clear ground, which supplies them very comfortably with many vegetables, which are a most excellent succedanium for flour. And being of opinion that if one day in each week is allowed them in addition to the time they now have, tor the purpose of clearing and cultivating land that most of the convicts on this island may, in the course of the present year, be able to supply themselves with all necessaries (cloathing and animal food excepted). And whenever they can be supplied with at the rate of one sow with pig for every three convicts, that they will in one year from the time such sow shall farrow stop from drawing any article of provision from the King's store. And whereas, I judge it fitting and expedient for the benefit of his Majesty's service, to order that the following rules and regu- lations take place until such time as his Excellency the Governor- in-Chief shall signify his pleasure thereupon. It is therefore ordered, that every convict who, from a dis- position to industry, may be permitted to clear and cultivate a certain proportion of land for their own maintenance, will observe the following orders and regulations on that head. That every convict so permitted, shall from the date hereof be allowed to work every Friday and Saturday to themselves in order to clear and cultivate as much land as may be necessary for the above purposes, not exceeding one acre per head. sik. I. vol. I— Q 242 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. 1 March. Reports from Norfolk Island. At the expiration of the first three months after this date, the ration of flour shall be reduced to six pounds, being the three- fourths of the present allowance. At the expiration of six months from the same date, the ration of flour shall be reduced to four pounds, being one-half of the present allowance. And on the first day of March, 1792, the ration of flour, or any part thereof, shall not after that period, be issued out of the stores to any such convict or convicts. Whenever the increase of swine will admit the giving, at the rate of one sow to every three convicts (which sow, when given, will be considered to be with pig) in twelve months after she farrows, the said three convicts shall not be entitled to any more animal food, or any other article of provisions from the public stores. And as a further encouragement to such convicts as wish to become independent for the necessaries of life (clothing excepted) , an additional day in each week shall be allowed to such of them as shall for the space of one year continue to supply the market with the greatest quantity of fresh pork, not exceeding sixpence per pound ; or the greatest quantity of grown fowls, not exceeding one shilling each; or half grown fowls sixpence each; and small chickens in proportion. This bounty is to continue for one year, or longer as circumstances may require; and the like indulgence will be given to such convict who shall furnish the commissary with the greatest quantity of Indian corn within the said term. And whereas there are many of the convicts here who are not able to maintain themselves, and that there may be hereafter many more in the same situation, it is therefore ordered, to pre- vent them being a charge to the Crown, that each convict possessing land on this island shall deliver into the public stores, at the rate of one bushel of Indian corn per annum, for every acre of land that they have in cultivation, which corn shall be deemed a fund for the above purpose. Such convicts as allowed on the above terms to maintain them- selves are at all times to consider themselves as servants of the public, and to be obedient to all such orders and regulations as any of the other convicts are; and if at any time it may be judged necessary to employ them for the public service on any of the days which are allowed to themselves, they must immediately attend; and when they have performed the work ordered they shall have the same number of days allowed in lieu. It is ordered that the pine-trees shall on no account whatever be cut down, barked, or in any manner damaged or destroyed, but by order of the commandant of the island. PHILLIP TO GRENVILLE. 243 Whenever any thatch is wanted the sedges are to be used for 1791. that purpose ; and the flax-plant is not in future to be cut for 1 Marcb- any purpose but that of the cloth manufacture, except by per- 5ePj"*s |«>m r 7 n i • i c i i Norfolk Island. mission first obtained from the commandant. And as it is imagined firewood will in a short time be very scarce about the town, it is therefore ordered that in future whenever any trees are felled, instead of the heavy timber being burnt on the ground, it shall be cut into convenient lengths and stacked for firewood. Such of the convicts, whose term of transportation may be expired, and who have been permitted to live on the above farms, are during the time they stay on the island to consider them- selves as servants to the public, except in such cases where they may be allowed to become settlers, which service is to be deemed equivalent to the land they hold. It is expected that the convicts who are indulged with the privilege of maintaining themselves shall be classed together, and not less than three in a family, women and children included. And for the further encouragement of such male convicts as are desirous to maintain the females, such females shall not be called upon by the public to do any work, except in hoeing the corn upon an appearance of rain, or picking the caterpillers or grub from the corn, or any other work of evident necessity. All the foregoing rules and regulations are submitted to his Excellency the Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief of the territory of New South Wales and its dependencies, for his con- sideration, to be approved of, annul, alter, explain, or amend, as he shall judge meet, and therefore only to continue in force until such time as he shall signify his orders or pleasure there- upon, of which all persons concerned are hereby to take notice. Given under my hand and seal at Head-quarters, Norfolk Island, this eighth day of January, 1791. r Ross# [Sub-enclosure No. 2. ] Norfolk Island — General Order. His Honour the Lieut. -Governor, judging it expedient and neces- sary that the convicts on this island should as soon as possible be rendered independent of the publick store for animal food, the following articles are therefore to take place until his Excellency the Governor-in-Chief shall please to confirm, alter, or annul the same, to wit: — First. — That the stock the property of Government will be issued to the convicts after the rate of one grown sow for every three convicts, or one small sow pig to each convict, as far as it will admit. 244 HISTOEICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. 1 March. Reports from Norfolk Island. Secondly. — That every three convicts receiving a grown sow shall, in twelve months from the time she farrows, or in sixteen months from the time of delivery, cease drawing any animal food from the store. Thirdly. — Any convict furnishing himself and two others with a grown sow shall, at the time of his ceasing to draw any more provision from the store, receive from the commandant of this island after the rate of £4 sterling for the same, the produce of which sow to be the property of the three convicts specified, for their support, and the sow is to be considered as the property of Government on the possessors thereof quitting the island. Fourthly. — Government not having stock sufficient to supply the whole of the convicts, such convicts as cannot be so supplied shall be obliged to provide themselves with a sow pig not younger than two months old, which shall be paid for by moderate deduc- tions from their weekly ration, and which at the expiration of sixteen months from the time he receives the said pig into his possession, he shall be deemed to be independent of the public stores, and shall then receive from Government a gratuity of £1 6s. 8d. , being the third part of what they pay to each convicts who furnish themselves with a grown sow. Fifthly. — Any three convicts entrusted with a sow from Govern- ment for the purpose of raising stock for their own benefit, if on inspection it appears they have been negligent in the care of the same, all and every such convicts shall be subject to such pains and penalties as might be inflicted on such persons as are guilty of killing, robbing, or destroying any of the public or private live stock. Sixthly. — The owners of every sow farrowing from the date hereof shall be obliged to part with every sow pig in such litter above two until such time as every male and female convict clearing land on this island shall be supplied with stock, of which future notice will be given. Seventhly. — In case any sow deliver'd by Government to any of the convicts shall meet with any disorder that may occasion its death, Government shall, if on investigation it proves to have been an accidental cause, make good the same, provided such accident shall happen within sixteen months from the time of delivery; and the said stock shall in no manner be made away with without proper notice given to each person who may be appointed to inspect the same; and every person is to report his increase or decrease of stock weekly to the depty. commissary. Lastly. — Should this agreement not be confirmed by his Excel- lency the Governor-in-Chief, and any person in future authorised PHILLIP TO GREXVILLE. 245 in consequence thereof to call in the sows the property of Govern- 1791. ment, the produce of the same sows are to be considered as arc belonging to the convicts who may have been entrusted with the ^orfofk island care of them, except one sow pig from each sow, which is to be returned with the old one. Norfolk Island, 9th Feby. , 1791. R> Ross [Enclosure No. 3. ] Lieutenant-Governor Eoss to Governor Phillip. Government House, Norfolk, Sir, 11th February, 1791. I have the honor of enclosing for your Excellency's infor- mation a general return of that part of the detachment which is serving with me on this island; together with the names of such non-commissioned officers or private men of the detachment of marines as wish to remain in this country, either as soldiers or settlers, at Port Jackson or Norfolk Island. I am sorry to acquaint you that for some past Lieut. John- stone's state of health has been such as to render him incapable of performing his duty. I have, therefore, in consequence of the surgeon's advice, signified to me by letter, permitted 'him to pro- ceed to Sydney in the Supply, and directed him to put himself under the command of Captain Campbell, or the officer then com- manding the marines, on his arrival in that settlement. I hope he may have his health re-established in time to return with the Supply, or that your Excellency will direct some other officer to join me, in order that I may be enabled to carry on the necessary duties. What makes this so necessary to be done is, that notwithstand- ing the very great favour and indulgence shown to Lieut. Kellow by his brother officers, with whose request your Excellency was pleas'd to comply that he might then be permitted to return to his duty, soon after his arrival here he forgot all his promises on that head, and in the opinion of myself and all his brother officers he has behaved in so very un-officer and un-gentleman like manner as to make it necessary for me to suspend him from all duties until he is tried, or until your Excellency shall please to order in what manner he is to be disposed of. For the situation of the store after we had received everything we were to get from the wreck of the Sirius, I beg leave to refer your Excellency to Mr. Morley, the late storekeeper, who has all the accounts; only begging to remark that it was the general 246 HISTORICAL RECOBDS OF AUSTRALIA 1791. 1 March. Reports from Norfolk Island. opinion that we could not have survived so long but for the immensity of birds which we brought in every night from Mount Pitt. Many of the convicts here has signified to me that the term for which they were sentenced has expired, and wish in consequence of the assurance made them by Mr. King and myself, in your Excellency's name, that as soon as you were made officially acquainted with the same, such of the convicts as wish to return to Port Jackson, that you would send for them. They therefore pray that your Excellency will not forget them, j have &c K. Eoss. [ Snb-enclosure No. 1. ] State of the Settlement on Norfolk Island, February the 11th, 1791. No. Lieutenant-Governor of the territory of New South Wales and Commander-in-Chief 1 Military. Commissioned Officers 7 Non-Commissioned Officers 8 Drummers 3 Privates 60 Women 4 Children 3 Staff. Surgeon 1 Deputy-Commissary 1 Free people : 5 Convicts. Males 227 Females 245 Convicts' children 62 Numbers on different ration. Whole 313 Two-thirds 249 Half 25 Quarter 39 Whole numbered victualled 626 Whole number victualled on full ration.... * 501 Weeks on full ration. Flour and rice 28 Beef 28 Pork 42 Spirits — gallons 85 Butter and sugar — pounds 1, 250 N. B. — It appears from the surgeon's returns that only one man, one woman, and one child have died natural deaths since the Island was first settled. PHILLIP TO GRENVILLE. 247 [Sub-enclosure No. 2. ] 1791 1 Alarch Return of the Non-commissioned Officers, Drummers, and Privates of the Detachment of Marines serving at Norfolk Island Xfoik i£Sd. who wish to stay in the country as Soldiers or Settlers : — Names. Quality. Wish to remain as Soldiers or Settlers. John Brown Private do do do do do do do do do As a soldier. As a soldier. Settler at Norfolk Island. do do do do do Port Jackson. do Norfolk Island. do do do do do do John Escott Isaac Tarr George PI ver James Kirby James Angle Patrick Connell James Reiley Jonathan Woodman R. Ross. Governor Phillip to The Right Hon. W. W. Grenville. (Despatch No. 2, per Dutch snow Waaksambeyd; acknowledged by Rt. Hon. Henry Dundas, 15th May, 1792. ) Sir, Sydney, New South Wales, 4th March, 1791. 4 March. To the information I had the honor of giving you in my state of the letters by the ships which sailed from hence in July last I have colony- little to add respecting the state of this colony. The supply of provisions brought by those ships enabled us once more to proceed with the public buildings, and in clearing and cultivating the land. Three stores, sufficient to contain two years' provisions for the settlement, are built here and at Rose Hill ; they are of brick, and tiled, so that we are no longer under any apprehension of an accident from fire. A barrack is likewise finished at Rose Hill for an hundred men, and the officers' barracks will be finished by the end of May, immediately after which barracks for officers and men will be began at this place. The want of limestone still obliges us to confine our buildings to a certain height, for HISTOEICAL RECOEDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. 4 March. although the clay is of a strong, binding nature, we cannot with safety carry the walls of those buildings more than twelve feet above the ground, as the rains are at times very heavy, and should they come on before the clay is thoroughly dry, the walls would be in danger from the great weight of the roof. In their present state they will, however, stand for a great number of years. All the convicts at Rose Hill are now in good huts, and what convicts may be sent out in future will be employed there, those excepted who may be sent to Norfolk Island. At Sydney no more convicts will be kept than what are necessary for carrying on the public buildings, and as servants to those to whom Govern- ment grants that indulgence. Rainfall. From June until the present time so little rain has fallen that most of the runs of water in the different parts of this harbour have been dried up for several months, and the run which supplies this settlement is greatly reduced, but still sufficient for all culinary purposes. At Rose Hill, although the brook is greatly reduced, the run is sufficient for any number of people, and there are still several large ponds of good water in different parts of the country, where I have proposed fixing settlers. I do not think it probable that so dry a season often occurs. Our crops of corn have suffered greatly from the dry weather, although Death of they turn out better than were expected; but in losing the man mentioned in my last letters as the person who had the directing the convicts' labour at Rose Hill, * and who was the only person in this settlement equal to that charge, the settlement has sus- tained a great loss. On his death I appointed one of the super- intendents in his place, who is a good farmer; but, sir, the directing the labour of the convicts in cultivating a country such as this will seldom be done to any effect but by those who are immediately interested in the labour of those they have under their care. It requires greater exertion and a closer attendance to the convicts to draw any very great advantage from their labour than what every man, though willing, may be capable of, and much more than the generality of, men feel themselves bound to give for a salary of forty or fifty pounds a year; and, after three years' experience, I am not only fully persuaded Settlers wanted, that the sending out settlers, amongst whom the greatest part of the convicts should be distributed and supported by Government for a certain time, on some such plan as proposed in my former letters, is necessary, but I am persuaded that a large body of con- victs on the account of Government will not answer any good purpose until the country can support itself. * Note 81. PHILLIP TO GREXVILLE. 249 The convict, however, must be fed, and to him it is very imma- 1791. terial at what expence. The person I have now appointed to direct the convicts' labour will want some assistance — and I have in a former letter requested that a proper person might be sent Farmer out to be charged with the cultivation of the ground and the ^uaS!endent collecting and distributing the grain. Something more than a common farmer will be necessary, if the convicts are to be con- tinued on the account of the Crown. The Commissary is directed to make the necessary returns of Commissariat, stores and provisions; and I hope the speedy arrival of ships from England will prevent the reducing the present ration, which is far from being so satisfactory as the established ration would be. There are neither pease nor butter in the colony, nor any spirits, except the remains of what was sent out for the use of the Sirius. I know not whether it is the intention of Govern- ment to allow spirits to the new corps, raised for the service of this country, and to the civil department, or not. The flour brought from Batavia is full one-sixth bran, though purchased at an excessive price, and the rice is bad. You will, sir, readily conceive that where inconveniences are felt, which are not met with in the common course of service, if despondency and discontent once take place, they spread, and are not easily removed. The Provost-Marshall appointed in England having never ap- Provost peared, the necessity of such an officer has made me detain Mr. Henry Brewer, late midshipman of the Sirius. * He has acted as Provost-Marshal three years, and I beg leave to recommend him for the appointment. Two small pieces of cloth, made at Norfolk, are forwarded with cioth from my dispatches, and the letter I received from the superintendant flax' who was sent there to attend particularly to the cultivation of the flax-plant, by which it will be seen that there are some articles necessary which we cannot make in this country, the want of which, and not having any oil when the flax was dressed, is, I am told, the reason the cloth is so very indifferent. A quantity of flax-seed is likewise sent home. At Rose Hill, two hundred and thirteen acres will be sown Agriculture. this year. The progress made in agriculture since last June has been considerable; and I hope we shall be enabled, by the arrival of the necessary supplies of provisions, to continue our labours. Black cattle are much wanted, and for the security of which Cattle wanted. inclosures have been made, and the timber thinned on the ground, so that we shall not in future risk their loss. * Note 31. 250 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. 4 March. Shipping required. His Majesty's ship Sirius will, I presume, be replaced, and the Supply, armed tender, relieved, as the repairs that vessel will soon stand in need of cannot well be given in this country. I therefore beg leave to observe that two ships will be necessary for the station, and that the most useful will be from three to four hundred tons burthen. The want of two small vessels has been mentioned in my former letters. The guard-ship mentioned in my former letters would be very convenient; but there is not that necessity for such a ship at present as there was when I made the request. I have, &c, A. Phillip. Manufacture of flax. [Enclosure. ] Andrew Hume to Governor Phillip. Sir, Cascade Bay, Norfolk Island, 10 February, 1791. I beg leave to inform you with my progress on the manu- factory of the flax plant and my opinion of it. I have had two pieces of cloath made, specimen of which Major Ross intends to send pr. the Supply for your Excellency's inspection, together with a specimen of the flax; and I have the strongest hopes of making great improvement, specimen of which I hope to have ready to send to your Excellency by the next ship; and as I am much in want of proper materials, as well as proper people for the purpose of carrying on the manufactory, I hope your Excel- lency will be pleas'd to give orders for me to be provided with the following articles, which are much wanted: — Looms, spin- ning-wheels, and, in particular, weavers' bushes, oil, and different sets of stays, from fifteen to twenty-four score, three quarters and half wide. Spinning-wheels and looms may be made here. Should your Excellency find a stay-maker amongst the convicts, he is a person much wanted here. I have sent a cask of flax seed, directed to your Excellency, marked A. H. , , which has been dried in the pod; one piece of cloath I have tried to bleach; but, as time will not permit, it will only serve for your Excellency to form an idea of what may be made of it. Andw. Hume. P. S. — The piece marked with brown, the first made; the blue, the second. Catgut and wire wanted to compleat the spinning- wheels. PHILLIP TO GRENVILLE. 25 1 Governor Phillip to The Eight Hon. W. W. Grenville. 1791. (Despatch No. 3, per Dutch snow Waaksamheyd ; acknowledged by Rt. Hon. Henry Dundas, 15th May, 1792. ) Sir, Sydney, New South Wales, March 5th, 1791. In my former letters I have requested instructions relative Expirees, to those convicts who say that the terms for which they were sen- tenced are expired, and who, refusing to become settlers, desire to return to England. To compel these people to remain may be attended with unpleasant consequences; for they must be made to work, if fed from the publick store; and if permitted to be their own masters, they must rob, for they have no other way to support themselves. The language they hold is, that the sentence of the law has been carried into execution, that they are free men, and wish to return. I have no means of knowing when the sentences of any of the convicts expire who came out in the first ships. * Many of these people would find a passage to China in the ships which stop here, if those ships were permitted to receive them on board ; but here are many, whose sentences are said to be expired, that no ship would receive, aged and infirm. Three or four convicts offer themselves as soldiers. I hope, sir, to receive your instructions on this head by the first ships; for though there has been no very great impropriety in the conduct of any of those who say the time is expired for which they were sentenced, it is more than probable that they will become troublesome as their numbers increase. Since my last letters, two convicts have been emancipated! — one from his Emancipists very meritorious behaviour and the great service he has rendered the colony by his own labour, and by instructing others, in the business of a bricklayer. The other was particularly recommended by the Lieutenant- Governor as having been the means of saving the Sirius from being burned, after that ship went on shore. Both these men will be permitted to return to England. I have, &c, A. Phillip. Governor Phillip to the Commissioners of the Navy. 7th March, 1791. Secretary Stephens to Governor Phillip. 10th March, 1791. Governor Phillip to the Commissioners of the Navy. 12th March, 1791. [Copies of these three letters have not yet been found. ] * Note 96. t Note 157. 252 HISTOEICAL EECOEDS OF AUSTEALIA. i79i. Under Secretary Nepean to Governor Phillip. 1 ^ Marcli (Per transport Pitt; acknowledged by Governor Phillip, 29th March, 1792. ) Sir, Whitehall, 12th March, 1791. Despatches. As the Letters which Lord Grenville has written to you by Captain King, contain full information on the several points which are the subject of your Letters to me, it becomes unneces- sary for me to say anything to you respecting them. The Guardian's Since his Lordship's Letters abovementioned were closed, a stores. Letter of which the inclosed is a Copy has been received from Captain Blankett, by which you will perceive that some of the Provisions saved from the Guardian have been appropriated to the Supply of His Majesty's Ships Leopard and Thames; but as no account has been transmitted of the specific quantity supplied to those ships, Lord Grenville is at present unable to take any steps for replacing them; you may however rest assured that the circumstance will be adverted to whenever any further Supplies are ordered, and that the situation of the Settlement under your Government in point of Provisions will always be an Object of his Lordship's particular attention. j am ^c> Evan Nepean. [Enclosure. ] Captain Blankett to Under Secretary Nepean. Cape of Good Hope, Dear Nepean, 29 October, 1790. After a hot, rough, disagreable passage of seventy-nine days, allowing for my stop at Guernsey and Madeira, I am arrived here in perfect health, not having a single man sick in either of the two ships. I found Lieut. Riou here, whose spirits seem to have suffered from what he has undergone and the irksome situation in which he finds himself, being in suspense and not knowing what to do with the stores and provisions his constant perseverance has saved from the general wreck. It cannot be supposed that the Gorgon will be able to take more provisions or stores than were expended on her voyage, ^ and as there is no possibility of finding a conveyance here for Port Jackson he is much distressed at the expence to which he has already put Government. I have therefore ordered the two ships to complete as much as they can stow from his remains, a practice not very usual at the Cape, but which I conclude it was my duty to do. I have advised Mr. Riou to allow a certain time for the arrival of the Gorgon, and of course to follow any orders he may receive by her, but that failing, to sell all the perishable stores for the PHILLIP TO STEPHENS. 253 payment of his warehouses and other incidental expences, which, 1791. with removals, packages, sorting, washing, drying, &c, have 12 March- already made his bad commodities double, treble, the price of The Guardian's stores what might have been sent out from England. I think he should put Government to no farther charge, as the stores, &c, become hardly worth saving, and certainly not worth the expense that attends them here, through the various imposi- tions and frauds that are practised. The increasing jealousy of this Government of their colonists has served to stop the usual communication by ships, and the taxes and other fines levied for the maintenance of the military and the carrying on the new works has caused everything to become very dear and the people very dissatisfied, but having increased the military force, things cannot yet come to any ouvert declaration of their sentiments. I should not have scrupled to have interfered had I seen any mode of conveying these stores to Port Jackson, nor even in the advising the whole to be sold, but for the fear of embarrassing Mr. Riou; for here there is nothing but paper currency, nor could he get a bill worth accepting, and you may add to this that Government, disposition, and practice all concur to form a most perfect monopoly, so that they are as much masters of the price when they buy as when they sell. Lieut. King, who will be with you before this, will have informed you fully of the situation of your colony, and as this comes by a French frigate I forbear to speak of that or myself. The accounts here are positive that we have entered into the war with Tippoo, that General Merdon had marched from Madrass, and that Genl. Abercrombie had embarked from Bombay. I could not authenticate the report sufficiently satisfactorily to myself, from the accounts I received from the Governor here, to mention it in a public letter, so that I give it you as a report only. Make my most affectionate compliments acceptable to Mrs. Nepean, and let me repeat my sincerest wishes for all possible health and happiness to attend you. Yours, &c, J. Blankett. Governor Phillip to Secretary Stephens. (Per Dutch snow Waaksamheyd ; acknowledged by Secretary Stephens, 20th July, 1792. ) Sydney, New South Wales, Sir, 14th March, 1791. I have the honor to acquaint you, for the information of my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that the return of the 11 March. 254 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. 14 March. The crew of the Sirius. Waaksamheyd hired. Deaths on Supply. The crew of the Sirius. Officers return- ing to England. Ships required. Supply, armed tender, from Batavia, having put it in my power to send for the officers and seamen who had remained on Norfolk Island after the loss of his Majesty's ship Sirius, they were sent for accordingly; and as so many months had passed since I had reason to expect the Gorgon to arrive, that I concluded the destination of that ship had been changed, or that some accident had befallen her, the Dutch vessel that brought the provisions from Batavia was hired to carry them to England. She was taken into the service as a transport the Tth of February, 1791. The Supply lost five men in the voyage, and left six in the hospital at Batavia. Mr. Newton Fowell, who I had appointed second lieutenant of the Sirius (when Lieutenant King was sent to Norfolk Island) , and the gunner of the Sirius, likewise died on the voyage. Both these officers were to have been landed at Norfolk Island had the Supply made it in her passage to Batavia. The gunner had been left sick when the Sirius sailed. Since the loss of the Sirius, the purser, Mr. John Palmer, has been appointed Commissary, and Mr. Thomas Jamison, who was surgeon's first mate of the Sirius, to be an assistant surgeon to the colony. Two petty officers* remain, the one as provost- marshal, the other as a storekeeper; two marines and ten seamen have been received as settlers, and two remain employed in the colony. They are all discharged from that ship's books. Lieut. George William Maxwell, who my former letters mention having been superceded as being insane, and in which state he still con- tinues, returns to England in the transport; and I beg leave to recommend to their Lordships for a confirmation of the commis- sion he has received, Mr. Henry Waterhouse, who was appointed to act as third lieutenant of the Sirius, when Lieut. Maxwell was discharged from that ship. Lieutenant Thomas Edgar and Mr. Richard Ayley [Alley] , who were sent out in the Lady Juliana, transport, and Mr. John Turnpenny Altree, who came out as surgeon in one of the trans- ports that left England in May, 1787, and who has been since employed at Norfolk Island, f returns to England in this trans- port. Their Lordships will, I presume, have ordered the Sirius to be replaced, and as from the carpenter's report of the Supply's defect, which is inclosed, it is probable that vessel will be ordered to England, I beg leave to observe that two ships will be requisite for the service of this colony, and that the most useful would be ships of from three to four hundred tons burthen, with flush decks. * Note 158. t Note 11. PHILLIP TO STEPHENS. 255 I have in my former letters mentioned how very useful two 1791. small schooners would be in this country. 14 March- Lieutenant Bradley has surveyed Norfolk Island, and will Lieutenant deliver a copy of his survey to the Board. That officer left Unices. S England as first lieutenant of the Sirius, and as the first lieu- tenants on the different stations have been promoted to the rank of master and commander, I hope their Lordships will be pleased to think his services in this country deserving that favour which has been shewn to others. Captain Hunter will be able to give their Lordships any information they may desire respecting this and the adjacent harbours or Norfolk Island. The state and condition of his Majesty's armed tender Supply, Returns. and returns of the detachment of marines doing duty in this colony, are enclosed. Those marines who had belonged to the Sirius are added to the Marines, strength of the detachment (the two excepted who had become settlers) , by which means the number of non-commissioned officers and drummers which were fixed when the detachment left England is increased by one sergeant, one corporal, and one drummer; but which I was under the necessity of doing, as the commanding officer of the detachment thought they would not otherwise be amenable to a court-martial. j have &c. A. Phillip. [Enclosure No. 1. ] A report of the state of his Majesty's armed tender, Supply, Lieutenant H. L. Ball, Commander. Port Jackson, New South Wales, 11 March, 1791. The main deck decayed, and to be made new fore and aft. The head of the main piece of the main mast decayed, and will require to be shifted in a very short time. The large cutter and jolly boats very much worn, and not fit to repair. Several of the timber-heads forward and abaft decayed and wanting to be replaced. A new fore cap. The knees of the main-deck beams wanting to be new bolted. Several of the chain-plates wanting to be shifted. It is my opinion his Majesty's armed tender Supply, will want, in the course of another year, a total repair, and which can not be done in this country conveniently. Approved — II. L. Ball. 11. lvi:n>. Carpenter. 256 HISTOEICAL EECOEDS OF AUSTEALIA. 1791. 14 March. d w w ^3 O O P e3 a ««! X CO . £ 3 5 S s c CO ft s 02 CO O ■3lO|8 . - co T- 00 61 •panbaqo •paireap ^sbj oaqM ■paaaisnK •diqs aq^ jo uoi^ipuoo or. a = o •*= — C c3 *3(U0g <0 •11 0 o ii ll s V. 3 CO s •ajqisaoiAjasuQ sdtqs aaq^o o;ui o Im Oh CO M CO CO •j^SauiA ~ •no uaqiun^ "* •asaaqQ •uautpuBT 1 •aawng * •UBUipJO •07? 'jnou •reaunrco •aiqV pus A^aa -<±l •* •e^uBAjas put; sjaoujo -o •asieaj >* o 53 •a. ioqs uo 8, but vict'dfrom the ship. •JIJOJ a •J93a -* •pj^oq uo cc 1 p •s^uidg 1 CO 3 cr O •aAt;ai ;noq^}A\ •jaag m9. \V9\ i{HAV •peaaa oo •iiuaq •pjtmioiA aaqiunu p^ox CO UO •nam s, A\opiAV - co' CO •2 g CO 5 C I 3 t '% u y 5 o •*>!S •paja^snjv CO •panbaqQ •aujog •paja^srij^ •iuauiaidtuoo apiiAV •atuog PHILLIP TO STEPHENS AND GRENYILLE. 257 [Enclosure No. 2. ] 1791 [J. copy of the Return of Marines has not yet teen found. '] Governor Phillip to Secretary Stephens. &Q ^ A. Phillip. 22 March. Governor Phillip to Under Secretary Nepean. (Per Dutch snow Waaksainkeyd. ) Sir, Sydney, March 22d, 1791. The papers you will receive herewith marked No. 1, 2, 3 tind 4 are inclosed in order to shew the Stores and Provisions etc. which have been sent to Norfolk Island, between the 18th of March 1790 and the 19th of March 1791. and what were remain- ing on the Island the 11th day of february 1791. I have, &c, A. Phillip. [Enclosures. ] [Copies of three of the enclosures have not * Note 6. been found. ] PHILLIP TO NEPEAN. 259 m o fc o +J >J % GG +^ 1 Oj rH rp 55 03 i— -- H O +3 pd m wi m a •4-3 ») CIJ • r"a C7i c3 H M © , 4 DO -t-> w d G5 d o n 55 t- «w iH d 0) (4 DO cj be ^ d Tj , 4 Tj CO } o GC •Sui^egqg •spi^^ •S9[i3g; o, . 00 •sgn-g; 3 GO •s^ajiu-Bia 1 = : — ' -d ; g -»J +3 Pi S CO < a 1 03 *» * a. a. en S-5 2 £c0^ d d o CO CO CO h5 iJ o 4 si 1 = Hfc; r-IOO r-( -IQO © 1-H 1791. 22 March. 260 HISTOEICAL EECOEDS OF AUSTKALIA. 1791. 23 March. Roger Morley. Governor Phillip to Under Secretary Nepean. (Per Dutch snow Waaksamheyd. ) Sir, Sydney, New South Wales, 23rd March, 1791. The bearer, Mr. Roger Morley, came out from England with the first fleet, and has been employed at Norfolk Island as a storekeeper from the establishment of that settlement until the eleventh of February, 1791, for which service he has only received fifty pounds. He no doubt will be thought deserving of some further recompence, and as he is desirous of returning to this country with his family, it may answer the purpose of Govern- ment to grant him some little advantage as a settler, more than what may be allowed those who have not his claim for past services. I have, &c, A. Phillip. 25 March. Officers under arrest. Governor Phillip to Secretary Stephens. * (Per Dutch snow Waaksamheyd. ) Sir, Sydney, New South Wales, 25th March, 1791. I have the honor to inclose the copy of a letter I have this day received from those officers now here who composed the battalion court-martial on the 18th of March, 1788, and who were put under arrest by Major Ross. f You will, sir, please to lay it before their Lordships. I have, &c, A. Phillip. [Enclosure. ] Officers of Marines to Governor Phillip. Marine Quarters, Sydney, Port Jackson, Sir, 25th March, 1791. We beg leave to represent to your Excellency that on the 18th instant the period of three years since the day of our being put in arrest by our Commandant, Major Eoss, for disobedience of orders as members of a court-martial, expired. In pointing out to your Excellency's observation that the Act of Parliament for the regulation of his Majesty's marine forces while on shore enacts that " no person . shall be tried for any offence, desertion excepted, committed more than three years before issuing the warrant for such trial, " we beg it may be fully and perfectly understood that we ask the exertion of this law, not as culprits conscious of having committed a crime which we shrink to have investigated or hesitate to meet, but as soldiers indignant at the novelty and disgrace of a situation unexampled in the British military annals — the members of a court-martial under arrest on a charge which, if proved against them, extends Note 159. t Note 33. PHILLIP TO STEPHENS. 261 not only to the deprivation of their most gracious Sovereign's 1791. favour and dismission from his service, but to the forfeiture of 25 March, their lives and honours, doing duty as prisoners, from the neces- Officers under sity of service, for three years. Of the readiness and alacrity we have ever manifested to face our accuser we trust it would be unnecessary to adduce instances. Your Excellency is fully apprised of the unanimous and deter- mined resolution with which we solicited by every legal and proper application a thorough investigation of the cause which during so long a period of time has held us up to our corps, to the British army, and to our country as injurers of the service whose prosperity we are bound to promote, and disturbers of the harmony of a settlement whose interests we are bound to protect. While a hope of relief from our situation by the decision of a general court-martial existed, we were silent, we were patient. That hope is now at an end, and therefore to remain without representation longer in our present degraded situation would argue that we are become insensible of ignominy and familiar with humiliation. There remains yet another motive for our present solicitation. It is possible that a promotion in the corps in which we serve may have taken place since the date of the last dispatches from England, in which case there is but too much reason to dread that our names may have been passed over as prisoners who had forfeited the common claim of service. Dear as promotion is to a soldier, we deem it but a secondary consideration when put in competition with the honour and preservation of our characters in the military profession. May we therefore request, sir, that you will be pleased to release us from a confinement under which we have so long laboured, that we may again be enabled to do our duty in the line with that confidence and security which should ever animate the soldier; and, farther, we entreat that you will have the goodness to transmit a copy of our letter to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. We cannot close this ungrateful subject without requesting that your Excellency will deign to accept our warm and sincere thanks for the patience with which you have ever listened to our representations, in the course of those frequent and tiresome explanations which a cause long protracted necessarily occasions, and also for the numerous and repeated marks of kindness and attention which you have at all times been pleased to honour us with. It is in the humble confidence of being deemed neither ungrate- ful for your past or undeserving of your future protection that we beg to express a hope that your Excellency, in your dispatches to 262 HISTOKICAL EECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. the Board of Admiralty, will be pleased to make known to their 2o March. Lordships that we have not by misconduct forfeited our preten- Officers under sions to their favour, and to any marks of remuneration which they may intend to confer on the marine battalion serving in this country. We have, &c, Watkin Tench, Capt. -Lt. and President of the Court. John Poulden, 1st Lieutenant. Thos. Davey, 1st Lieutenant. Thos. Timins, 1st Lieutenant. Governor Phillip- to the Eight Hon. W. W. Grenville. (Despatch No. 5, per Dutch snow Waaksainheyd ; acknowledged by Rt. Hon. Henry Dundas, 15th May, 1792. ) Sir, Sydney, New South Wales, March 25th, 1791. Phillip's request It is not without concern that I find myself obliged to request his Majesty's permission to return to England. A complaint in the side, and from which, in more than two years, I have been seldom free has impaired my health, and at times puts it out of my power to attend to the charge with which his Majesty has been pleased to honor me in the manner I wish and the state of the colony requires. The settlement is now so fully established that the great labour may be said to be past; and it has, sir, been attained under every possible disadvantage, though it is not in that situation in which I should wish to leave it, for it is not independent for the neces- saries of life ; and, as I feel myself greatly interested in the good of a colony with the establishing of which I have been honored, and to which I should wish to return, if the cause which now obliges me to desire permission to leave it should be removed by the voyage, or by the assistance I may find in London, I therefore only request leave of absence from the Government. I have, &c, A. Phillip. Governor Phillip to Secretary Stephens. (Per Dutch suow Waaksamheyd ; acknowledged by Secretary Stephens, 20th July, 1792. ) 26 March. Sir, Sydney, New South Wales, 26 March, 1791 Lieutenant The inclosed are copies of the letters I received from Cap- tain Hunter and the surgeon of his Majesty's ship Sirius, relative to Lieut. George William Maxwell, Nos. 1 and 2. I have likewise inclosed the surgeon's report of that officer's insanity, No. 3. A. Phillip. * Note 130. Maxwell. PHILLIP TO STEPHENS. 263 [Enclosure No. 1. ] 179i. 26 March. Surgeon Worgan to Captain Hunter. _ ^—— Health of Sir, 16 December, 1789. ^™at It is with much concern I acquaint you that the indisposi- tion which Mr. G. Wm. Maxwell, 3rd lieutenant of his Majesty's ship Sirius, labours under at present is attended with such a total incapacity of his intellectual faculties as puts it out of all manner of doubt that his case is a general insanity, and from the similar nature of Mr. Maxwell's former complaints I apprehend that this mental incapacity has been coming on for these two years, consequently there remains little hope of his ever being restored to a perfect sanity. In short, sir, this officer's case appears to me truly shocking and distressing, not only rendering him, perhaps, totally incapable of ever again taking the charge of his office, but such as will probably put a stop to any further promotion in the service on which he wholly depends for a maintenance. G. B. Worgan. [Enclosure No. 2. ] Captain Hunter to Governor Phillip. Sirius in Sydney Cove, Sir, Port Jackson, 17 December, 1789. I yesterday received the inclosed letter from Mr. Worgan, surgeon of his Majesty's ship under your command, representing the state of Lieut. Geo. Wm. Maxwell's health. You will readily believe, sir, that I feel very sincere concern at the nature of Mr. Maxwell's indisposition when I inform you that we serv'd as lieuts. together in three different ships during a part of the last war, when he was a most diligent, active, and capable officer. He had a severe fitt of illness just before our first arrival in this country, and which was no doubt the effect of climate. From that period Mr. Worgan seems to date the gradual decline of his intellectual faculties, and I think very justly so, for since that time I have had very frequent cause when upon duty to suspect his mental incapacity. I hope and request, sir, that you will be pleas'd to represent and recommend him to the consideration of the Lords of the Admiralty that something may be allowed for his future subsistence in so very melancholy a situation. Jnq HuNT|. 1; 264 HTSTOEICAL EECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. 26 March. Health of Lieutenant Maxwell. [Enclosure No. 3. ] Pursuant to an order from his Excellency Arthur Phillip, Esqr. r Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief in and over his Majesty's territory of New South Wales and its dependancies, and Captain of his Majesty's ship Sirius, of the 19th Decem- ber, 1789, to us directed. We whose names are hereunto subscribed have impartially examined the case of Mr. George William Maxwell, third lieutenant of his Majesty's ship Sirius, which, after a week's attentive observation to it, we find to be a total incapacity of every mental faculty, and to such a degree that we do not hesitate to pronounce him insane. We therefore recommend that he be immediately removed from the scene and objects with which he has been familiar. We cannot speak confidently as to the recovery of his senses, but think that the sooner he returns to his native climate the greater chance there will be to restore his sanity. In addition to this unfortunate malady, we find that a rupture which he received in the execution of some former services in the navy, is very troublesome at present. And we do declare that we have examined his case with such care and attention that we are ready to make oath to the impar- tiality of our proceedings therein. As witness our hands on board his Majesty's ship Sirius, in Port Jackson, New South Wales, this 26th day of December, 1789. John White, Principal Surgeon to the Settlement. D. Considex, First Assistant to ditto. G. B. Worgan, Surgeon of the Sirius. Loss of papers of the Sirius. Governor Phillip to Secretary Stephens. (Per Dutch snow Waaksamheyd ; acknowledged by Secretary Stephens, 29th June, 1792. ) Sir, Sydney, New South Wales, 26 March, 1791. The following books and papers relative to my accounts for his Majesty's ship Sirius, under my command, having been lost when the said ship was wrecked, I am to request you will represent to my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that the usual dispensing order may be granted to enable me to pass my accounts for the said ship since the 25th April, 1788, viz. : — Journals since the 25th October, 1789; boatswains, gunners, and PHILLIP TO GRENVILLE AND XEPEAX. 265 carpenter's expenses; books, supplies, and returns; ticket and 1791. ticket book; all the muster and pay paper, except a few sheets, 26 March. with the receipt and expence thereof. A. Phillip. Governor Phillip to The Eight Hox. W. W. Grenville. (Despatch No. 6. per Dutch suow Waaksainheyd ; acknowledged by Rt. Hon. Henry Dundas, 15th May, 1792. ) Sir, Sydney, New South Wales, March 26th, 1791. In my letter of the 14th of July, 1790 (No. 9) , I had the N. s. w. Corps: honour of giving you my opinion that the corps raised for the officers!"" service of this country would be competent to every duty for which they might be wanted. But, sir, I did not at that moment pay a proper attention to the number of officers who will compose that corps when the six companies are compleated, one major- commandant, five captains, six lieutenants, and six ensigns, — and as Norfolk Island will require one captain and four subalterns, the number of commissioned officers who will remain in this settlement will not be sufficient to form a general court-martial. You will, sir, be pleased to take that circumstance into con- sideration. I have, &c, A. Phillip. Governor Phillip to Lender Secretary Nepeax. (Per Dutch snow Waaksainheyd. ) Dear Sir, Sydney, March 26th, 1791. As I have hitherto sent home an account of those little Phillip's circumstances which I thought might tend to give any informa- i°urnal- tion respecting this country or the natives, I have now, as usual, inclosed an extract from a book in which the occurrences of the day are set down. They are such as may not merit the attention of the Minister, and as they never were intended, so they cer- tainly are not calculated, for the eye of the publick, having been put down in haste, and merely for the information of a friend; and so far from having had time to make any correction, they have been more than once, as they will now be, sent away without my having time to read them over. * I am, &c, A. Phillip. The Right Hox. Henry DuxDAsf to Governor Phillip. (Despatch No. 1, per transport Pitt; acknowledged by Governor Phillip, 19th March, 1792. ) Sir, Whitehall, 5 July, 1791. . "> July. Agreeably to the intimation which was made to VOU by The transport Lord Grenville in his letter, No. 10, of the 19th of February Last, * Xote 17. t Xote 160. Pitt. 266 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. 5 July. Selection of convicts. A vessel in frame. Stores. Movements of Daedalus. the ship Pitt has been taken up, and will proceed with three hundred and fifty-six male and fifty-six female convicts to Port Jackson the first fair wind. In selecting the convicts who compose the present embarkation care has been taken that no persons but such as are likely to be useful in the settlement will now be sent out. It will, I am afraid, be impossible, unless the Pitt should be detained longer than is expected, to furnish you by her with copies of the several Orders of Council for fixing the destination of these people; but, as another vessel will be dispatched to you in the course of the autumn with a further number of convicts, I shall avail myself of that opportunity of forwarding them to you. You will receive by the Pitt a vessel in frame, which, when set up, will, I have no doubt, be found extremely useful to you; and also a proportion of salted beef and pork for four hundred convicts for twelve months. The supply was confined to these articles on the idea that, with the grain produced in the settle- ments, the flour already sent from home, the quantity purchased at Batavia, and the supply intended to be forwarded to you from Calcutta, you would not, at least for the present, be in want of flour or rice. I shall, however, before the departure of the next ship, endeavour to form the best opinion I can from your com- munications of the exact state of the settlement in this respect, and shall then make such preparation as may appear requisite for furnishing you with such further supplies as you may be supposed to stand in need of. The tonnage taken up in stowing away the vessel in frame has prevented your receiving by this opportunity some articles, particularly the clothing for the convicts now embarked, which could not, from the want of room, be taken on board. The ship Daedalus will proceed in the course of a few days to the north-west coast of America, to receive possession of the several places there which, in consequence of the late convention between his Majesty and the King of Spain, are to be restored. This vessel, after the performance of that service and delivering to Captain Vancouver (employed in surveying the said coast) such stores and provisions as he may be able to take on board, will, agreeably to the intimation made to you by Lord Grenville in his letter before referred to, repair to New South Wales, where she may be expected early in the year 1793, and her commander will then follow your orders, either for going to Calcutta or else- where, for the purpose of procuring supplies. It is probable, however, that Captain Vancouver will not be able to take on board so much of the cargo of the Dsedalus as may be suflicient PHILLIP TO GRENVILLE. 267 to enable him to execute the orders he has received; if it should 1791. so happen, he will apply to you to order the Daedalus to rejoin him ° July' at the Sandwich Islands during the following winter with the remainder of her cargo; and on receiving such application you will comply therewith, or send some other vessel, which may then be with you, with those supplies, and any others he may stand in need of, which the settlement under your government may, without inconvenience, be able to furnish. Major Grose proceeds Major in the Pitt with one company of his corps; the other will follow Gr°se. in the next ship. The disposition which has in many instances been shown by the convicts to mutiny during the passage appears to render a military guard at all times indispensably necessary. I am, &c, Henry Dundas. Governor Phillip to Lord Grenville. (Despatch No. 1, per H. M. ship Supply; acknowledged by Rt. Hon. Henry Dundas, 15th May, 1792. ) Sydney, New South Wales, My Lord, November 5th, 1791. 5 Nov By the Mary Ann transport, which arrived here the 9th of Despatches. July, I had the honor of receiving your Lordship's letter, marked No. 10, in triplicate, and dated the 19th of February, with in- closures numbered from 1 to 22. The letter marked No. 7, and dated the 13th of November, 1790, with the commission for remit- ting the whole or any part of the time for which felons or other offenders may be sentenced, and No. 8, dated the 15th of the same month, with the royal instructions on that head, and the warrant for using the seal of this territory, were received with the seal by his Majesty's ship Gorgon the 22nd of September. No. 9, dated the 16th of November, 1790, containing an inclo- sure, specifying the quantity and quality of the stores sent out, the circular letter, with his Majesty's most gracious speech, and your Lordship's separate letter of the 19th of February, 1791, were received by the Albemarle the 13th of October. All the transports were arrived by the 16th, as mentioned in the inclosed list. The system to be adopted of sending out the convicts in two systematic embarkations in the course of each year, as mentioned by your transportation. Lordship, * must be attended with many advantages to the colony; and from the reports made by the masters of the different ships I have reason to hope that a whale fishery may be estab- whale fishery, lished on this coast. The master of the Britannia has assured me that he saw more spermaceti whales between the South Cape * Note 161. 268 HISTOKICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. 5 Nov. Norfolk Island prospects. Reasons for sending the Atlantic to Calcutta. and this harbour than he saw on the Brazil coast in six years; and three of the whalers are now on the coast. Probably one or more of them may return before my dispatches are closed, which may enable me to give your Lordship further information on this subject. With respect to the supplies of wheat and other grain which it was supposed this settlement might have received from Norfolk Island, your Lordship will observe from the numbers sent there during Lieutenant-Governor King's absence, that what he calcu- lated as likely to be sent off the island will now be consumed by its inhabitants; and although I am sensible that great incon- veniency attends having so many people on that island while no punishment can be inflicted beyond what a magistrate may feel himself authorised to direct (a circumstance which I presume will be taken into consideration) , still I think the numbers sent will be for the general good. The sooner the whole island is in culti- vation the better; as great a number of people as that spot can support will undoubtedly be supported much better there than they could be if they remained here and drew their support from thence, which could only be done at an expense and risque; and at Norfolk Island the labour of the convicts is most to the advantage of the colony, for there the soil makes the best return. In proceeding with my answer to your Lordship's letter, which mentions the resources of this settlement, I am led to assign a reason for having sent the Atlantic to Calcutta, in order to pro- cure a supply of flour and pease, as my letter of the 17th of July, 1790, No. 10, gives reason to suppose two years from that period would put the colony in such a state that a further supply of flour would not be necessary, if no unforeseen accident happened. Our crops of last year greatly failed us from a long drought, very little rain falling from the beginning of July, 1790, to August, 1791 ; and the crops now in the ground, although they promise to be much better than we had reason to expect, have suffered very much from the seed having lain so long in the ground before it vegetated. The great want of a proper person to be charged with the cultivation of the ground has been mentioned in my former letters, and from the consequence the person sent out for that purpose will be of to this colony, I am induced to trespass on your Lordship's patience by repeating what has been already observed in former letters. That it will require not only the good practical farmer, but a man who is calculated for the situation in which he will be placed; he will have to direct the labour of a great body of convicts, at present about fifteen hundred (very few PHILLIP TO GREXVILLE. 269 of whom will feel themselves any ways interested in the success 1791. of their labours, or who will ever do more, or better, than what 5 Xov' they find absolutely necessary to avoid punishment from the over- seers under whose eyes they work ; and very few of those overseers will be found men on whom much dependance can be placed) ; he will be charged with the grain and pulse to be raised for the support of several thousand people, and with all the public live stock, from which, nor from enforcing the labour of the convicts, is he to find any private advantage. I shall be pardoned for this digression. When the provisions brought out with the convicts, and what has been received of the Guardian's cargo, and the surplus of the Gorgon's provisions, were added to what we have in the colony, it only gave us five months' flour, ten months' beef and pork, twelve days' pease, and twenty-three days' oatmeal, for the colony, reckoning from the 12th day of October; I therefore thought it prudent to take the Atlantic transport into his Majesty's employ, and send her under the direction of Lieutenant Richard Bowen (who came out in that ship as naval agent) to Calcutta, in order to purchase flour and pease for the use of the colony. His orders and instructions are inclosed. I see by your Lordship's letter that it was thought the snow* purchase of which brought the provisions from Batavia, and which has been Dutcn vessel. hired to carry home the officers and men after the loss of the Sirius, would be purchased; but she was not calculated for the service of this colony, nor could I have found officers to put in her had she been purchased. The transport mentioned by your Lordship, as to be expected Vessels required, from the north-west coast of Americaf shall be employed as directed; but I much fear some bad consequences may attend employing such vessels for any length of time in this country, where there are several hundred men, many of whom are seamen, who would at any hour risque their lives, if they saw the least probability of escaping. Two boats have been carried away; and Escapees, as there is a probability that one of those boats may get to a Dutch settlement, the names and descriptions of the people are inclosed. :}: The getting back any of those men is much to be desired. As boats capable of going along the coast, and which I should Men-of-war gladly have employed, have been laid up for many months, and necessary- my only security in going betwixt Sydney and Parramatta, before the Gorgon's arrival, depended on the boat I used being unfit to go out of the harbour, your Lordship will judge if a ship, with only one King's officer on board, can be under that discipline which a ship should be under that is to be employed on this * Note 140. t Note 162. J Note 163. !70 HISTOEICAL EECOEDS OF AUSTEALIA. 1791. 5 Nov. Problem re expirees. Master carpenter. Emancipations. station. The colony should never be without two ships; and I feel it my duty to say that I think no ships can with safety be employed on this station unless they are King's ships. , that is, ships having commission, warrant, and petty officers on board them ; and I think that more than one commissioned officer should be on board such ship. Of those convicts whose sentences are expired, some who are seamen or carpenters will be carried away by the transports ; but by far the greatest part of those people must remain, discontented and desirous of seizing the first opportunity which offers of escap- ing. Amongst the many great advantages which would attend settlers coming out who had some property of their own, their finding employment for this class of people would be one, for such settlers would separate them from the convicts, which cannot well be done while they are employed by the Crown, and probably most of them would soon be reconciled to remain in the country. Of the convicts whose terms of transportation are expired, or who, from their very meritorious behaviour, have been emanci- pated, there is one whose time is expired, and whom, in con- sideration of his remaining here a few months longer, I have promised to send home by the next ships. He is the only car- penter at this place who is capable of acting as a master car- penter, and while he remains here I have promised to allow him one shilling per diem. The master carpenter, who is mentioned in my letter No. 4, * is to return to Xorf oik Island, where stores and other buildings are wanted. The first convict who was emancipated! has been bred to surgery, and merited from his exemplary conduct what has been done for him; he acts as an assistant to the surgeons, who find him a very useful man. He is inclined to remain in the country. For him some allowance will be necessary, and for which he was recommended when the inconveniences which the superintendents and others laboured under, from there not being any money in the colony, was represented to your Lordship. The second convict who was emancipated had well earned his emancipation by his good conduct, and the pains he had taken to teach others the business of a bricklayer; this man has likewise my promise to be sent home before I leave the country; and as he continues to carry on the public works with great diligence will expect some little allowance. The time for which he was sen- tenced will be expired before he returns to England. The third convict was emancipated on the recommendation of the Lieutenant-Governor, for extinguishing the fire on board Note 164. t Note 157. PHILLIP TO GRENVILLE. 271 the Sirius after that ship went on shore. This man went to 1791. Calcutta in the Atlantic, and it now appears that his term of transportation had expired prior to his emancipation. One woman has been emancipated on her marrying a superin- tendent. The distinction directed to be made with regard to those con- settlers. victs who have behaved well before they became settlers has been attended to; and I hope the necessity there has been of deviating from the royal instructions respecting settlers will appear to have been sufficient to justify what I have done on that head. My letter to Mr. Nepean undoubtedly gave little reason to suppose that many of the marines would be inclined to remain when the relief took place, and the opinion I formed when that letter was written was drawn from the great anxiety so many expressed of quitting a country which was said to be incapable of furnishing even the common necessaries of life; the people who were to be- come settlers were men who had not been in the habit of judging for themselves, and the fears and apprehensions of some to whom they had been accustomed to look up with respect, had their effect, and there was some difficulty in persuading any man on whose judgment some dependence might be placed to think for himself ; but I have now the pleasure of informing your Lordship that most of those fears and apprehensions are done away, and that we have now eighty-six* settlers here and at Norfolk Island — that is, thirty-one from the marines, eleven seamen, and forty- four from those convicts whose sentences have expired ; there are, likewise, more marines who have desired to be received as settlers when the detachment is to be embarked. No man of bad char- acter has been received as a settler. The first settler was a convict whose time being expired, an James Ruse, hut was built, and one acre and an half of ground cleared for him at Parramatta; he entered on his farm of thirty acres the 21st of November, 1789, and was supported from the public store until the 25th of February, 1791, when he declined receiving any further support, being then able to maintain himself. He has since married, and has a child, both of whom he wishes to take off the public store next Christmas. f A superintendent:}: who was sent out in the Guardian has like- pinuip sehanVr. wise become a settler; he was not calculated for the employment for which he came out, but as a settler will be a useful man. His salary as a superintendent is to cease from the first quarter-day after he became a settler, and which he did the 30th day of March, 1791. All these people are doing well, and I hope Mill be able to maintain themselves when the time expired for which they arc to * Note 165. f Note 136. J Note 100. HISTOEICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. 5 Nov. Superior settlers required. be supported from the public stores. The times on which the settlers entered on their lands, the conditions, &c, are mentioned in the inclosed return; and as we are at some loss respecting the form of grants, I write to Mr. Nepean on the subject. It was my intention not to receive any settlers after the marines and seamen late df his Majesty's ship Sirius had been received but according to the instructions, wich pointed out the maintaining such settler from the public store for twelve months only ; but had I adhered to that determination, I must have given up all thoughts of procuring any settlers from the detachment; and any convict who might have been admitted as a settler to be supported by the Crown for one year only would have passed that year under the apprehensions of not being able to support himself at the expiration of that time, and would probably have been induced to have given up his ground before half the year was expired. The placing the settlers with allotments of land for the Crown betwixt every two settlers was done; but being, in consequence ol that disposition, surrounded with timber, out of sight and out of hearing of each other, they were exposed to a tribe of natives, who, living in the woods, and seldom coming on the sea-coast, have never mixed with us, and always have been hostile; by these people the settlers were several times alarmed, and as they were single men, or at most a man and woman, in the little hut they had reared, I found it necessary to let subsequent settlers occupy all the ground which had been set apart for the Crown. The Royal Instructions respecting the division of land may be carried into execution when large allotments of land are made, and several men are to be employed in the cultivation; but when the allotments are small, and occupied by only one person, inde- pendent of the risque the settler runs from the natives, many inconveniences attend that disposition; they cannot so readily assist each other in moving heavy timber; the labour of fencing in their grounds is greatly increased, and every man is obliged to watch his own grain, on which, from being surrounded with a wood, depredations are more likely to escape detection. I have directed Lieutenant-Governor King not to promise in future more than ten acres of land at Norfolk Island (until instructions are received on that head) to any convict who is to be admitted as a settler, and none are to be received as settlers on the island but for very meritorious behaviour. Here your Lordship will permit me once more to observe how much we stand in need of a few honest, intelligent settlers. The PHILLIP TO GREXVILLE. 273 Ticious and the idle are not easily reformed while they are in- 1791. corporated in one body. Precept has little effect, but example will do much, and although I can still say with great truth and equal satisfaction that the convicts in general behave better than ever could be expected, and that their crimes, with very few excep- tions, have been confined to the procuring for themselves the common necessaries of life, crimes which it may be presumed will not be committed when a more plentiful ration renders those little robberies unnecessary; still we shall want some good characters to whom these people might look up. Having them will be attended with every advantage, and it is to be remembered that the business of cultivation is at present in the hands of few who ever turned their thoughts that way before they came to this country, and very few indeed have more than a very superficial knowledge in agriculture. The opinion of his Majesty's Attorney and Solicitor General* Counsels' has been made public. opiuion- His Majesty's ship Gorgon arrived the 21st of September, and Shipping. Captain Parker, having represented to me that the ship required repairs which would take some time, and the Atlantic, already mentioned to your Lordship as being taken into the service in order to bring a further supply of provisions from Calcutta, being ready to sail, the 26th of October, with provisions and stores for Norfolk Island, Lieutenant-Governor King went on board that Lieut, - Governor ship, and took with him Captain Paterson, who will have one Kmg- company for the service of the island. For the notice which has been taken of Mr. King's services, and the part your Lordship had in procuring him the rank he now holds in his Majesty's navy, I feel myself much obliged, and from the knowledge I have of that officer, am confident that his future conduct will merit the honor he has received. It had been necessary to send two of the transports to Norfolk Convicts and Island with convicts, stores, and provisions before his Majesty's Norfoik°isiand. ship Gorgon arrived. In my letters to Mr. Nepean the incon- veniences attending the masters of those ships not being informed that it might be necessary for some of them to deliver their cargo at Norfolk Island will be pointed out. The Gorgon, notwithstanding the assistance given by the ship- wrights belonging to the colony, which could be spared from the Supply, armed tender, not being likely to be ready for sea before the beginning of December, the Queen, transport, which sailed from hence the 2nd instant with stores and part of a company of SEE. I. Vol. I— S * Note 149. 274 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. 5 Nov. The marine corps. Convicts in the Third Fleet. Enclosures. the New South Wales Corps, was ordered to receive Major Boss, with the officers and men under his command. They may be expected to arrive here by the time the Gorgon will be ready to sail, and which will enable that ship to sail for Europe some weeks sooner than if she had gone to Norfolk Island. Of the convicts mentioned by your Lordship to be sent out, 1, 695 males and 168 females have been landed, with six free women and ten children. It appears by the returns from the Transports that 194 males, 4 females, and 1 child died on the passage; and, although the convicts landed from these ships were not so sickly as those brought out last year, the greatest part of them are so emaciated, so worn away by long confinement, or want of food, or from both these causes, that it will be long before they recover their strength, and which many of them never will recover. Your Lordship will readily conceive that this addition to our numbers will for many months be a deadweight on the stores. The surgeon's returns of this day are : " Under medical treatment and incapable of labour, 626 — 576 of whom are those landed from the last ships. " The examination of the master and mate of the Queen, trans- port, having been referred to me by the magistrates who took it, I have the honor of transmitting an attested copy to your Lord- ship, for I doubt if I have the power of inflicting a punishment adequate to the crime. The Commissary's return, which is inclosed, will show the few articles received from the Cape of Good Hope, and which are the last of the Guardian's cargo. I should have hoped that iron pots, and many articles of husbandry, would have been saved, and of which the colony stands in great need, but nothing of that kind has been received. The iron pots in the colony before the last 1, 800 convicts were landed amounted to no more than what were barely sufficient, and none came with those people. The Commissary is directed to make a return of those articles most wanted in the colony. A return of the quantity of land in cultivation at Parramatta is enclosed. The town, which I have named Parramatta, extends from the foot of Rose Hill for one mile to the eastward along the creek, and I have named it Parramatta, that being the name given by the natives to the spot on which the town is situated. I have, &c. , A. Phillip. PHILLIP TO GRENVILLE. 275 Ha o OS gq O T P" *- ^ O ^5 a CQ o s . ° 3 £ E o PS rfl • i-i . +j © 99 male convicts, he 8th of August, ivicts, one female i turned to Sydney, onvicts victualled ye, 15th October, ctober for Norfolk to Norfolk island sail till the 4th of d to land a part afresh. Returned of October, but nd as appears by tiflcate given to carry the Actives o return with the . 5 ~ " H oj »2 0" ^!. to . a rt si??:-i . h: S^-si ill i*l£}l Hll 11***4 US >2>or< flSg ^ «-S. *| p^. c^ffl 43 1§ 4) fl tf p Pi -i -a c S Mj, " 2 cj 5 >j 5^ JO S^£-S o *. 2 ^|2m — i w 2 S22 o > 11 a^Z^ M M 4) 43 43 O CO c oo o O CJ ^H i-t CO "1 rH — i -O mm wj 5 ° o o o ^ a S P C O 43 43 O O o =? << < o o O OO OQ^ io eo r- t>i 2 S c3^ u© 2o 2r> so a o-^=~ 2-^<« a > , & S- 5 £ J « S s ■3 a 5 a « p, o g £ rn » r-l — "g 4)X o^£°-S W 43 , 0 43 "-• PQ r^pq o o M cv. 'C 1-1 < OS J O* -J 09 H rt S i-i "^ 4> O 2 Ph •C fcf. a --I i * Z< N. 4 - 1 55 Z° ■u o e 21 — 5 fe CO 3 ii 3 g ? | jj 55 S *M 5 O "3 1 II 1791. 5 Nov. Shipping. 276 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. 5 Nov. Phillip's instructions to Bo wen. [Enclosure No. 2. ] By His Excellency Arthur Phillip Esqr. Captain General and Governor-in-Chief in and over His Majesty's Territory of New South Wales and its Dependencies, etc. , etc. It having been found necessary to take the Ship Atlantic into Government employ for the Service of this Colony, and to con- tinue you in the Appointment you received from the Commis- sioners of His Majesty's Navy, as Agent. You are hereby required and directed to go on board the said ship Atlantic, whereof Archibald Armstrong is Master, and take upon you the charge and authority of Naval Agent, accord- ing to the Custom of the Service; strictly complying with the Instructions you have already received from the Navy board as Agent for Transports, as far as the Nature of the Service on which you are to be employed admits. Obeying all such orders and directions as you shall from time to time receive from Me or from the Lieutenant Governor of this Territory in my absence. For which this shall be your order. Given under my Hand at Government house at Sydney, Port Jackson, this seventeenth Day of October 1791. A. Phillip. To Lieutenant Kichard Bowen hereby appointed Naval Agent for the Atlantic Transport. By Command of His Excellency, David Collins, Secretary. [Enclosure No. 3. ] Governor Phillip's Instructions to Lieutenant Bowen. By His Excellency Arthur Phillip Esqr. Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief in and over His Majesty's Territory of New South Wales and its Dependencies, &c, &c, &c. You are hereby required and directed to order the Master of the Atlantic, Transport, which Ship is under your direction as Naval Agent, to receive on board the Lieutenant-Governor of Norfolk Island with such Officers, Soldiers and others, who are ordered to embark for the Island, as likewise such stores and Provisions as His Majesty's Commissary at this Port has been directed to put on board; and with which you are to proceed to Norfolk, where having disembarked the Lieutenant-Governor and others with the stores and provisions; you are immediately to proceed without loss of time to Calcutta, and on your arrival after having Com- municated the orders you are under to the Right Honorable the PHILLIP TO GRENYILLE. 277 Governor-General of India, or in case of his absence to the 1791. Officer who commands His Majesty's forces at that Settlement; 5 Xov- you are to apply to Messrs. Lambert, Ross and Biddulph to ?hjmP's furnish you with as much Flour and Pease as can be received on to Bowen. board the Atlantic, in the proportion of Two tons of Flour to one Ton of Pease; taking care that those articles are of a good quality and procured at the most reasonable prices, giving bills on the Right Honorable the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury at the usual rates of ninety days after sight, for what you purchase. But you are not to purchase any article the price of which shall not be certified by the Commanding Officer of His Majesty's forces then at the Settlement, or by some Person regularly authorised by him to sign such certificate, and which Certificate is to be sent home with the other Vouchers for the expence incurred. You are to cause the Master of the Ship to sign Bills of Lading for all such articles as are put on board on the account of Government, and you are to be particularly carefull that the Ship is properly laden and that such part of the Ship only is taken up by the Stowage of Provisions and Stores belonging to the Ship as is customary for the Navy Board to allow for that purpose in transports hired for carrying of Naval Stores. After having received on board those articles which you are hereby ordered to procure for this Colony, and in doing which you are to use the utmost expedition, you are to return without further loss of time to this Port. For which this shall be your order. Given at Government House, this 25th day of October, 1791. A. Phillip. To Lieut. Richard Bowen, Naval Agent for the Atlantic Store Ship. By Command of His Excellency. D. Collins. [Enclosure No. 4. ] [A copy of the Return of Escapees has not yet been found. '] [Enclosure No. 5. ] Encouragement to Settlers. The following is the encouragement given to the settlers named Enoouragement in the list which accompanies this : — to settl(TS To James Ruse. — One acre and an half of ground, broke up, assisted in clearing the heavy timber off five acres, cloathed and 278 HISTOEICAL EECOEDS OF AUSTEALIA. 1791. supplied with the ration issued from the public store for fifteen °_^v' months, an hut built, grain for sowing his ground the first year, £nseuie?sement w*tn tne necessary implements of husbandry. Two sow pigs and six hens given him. Eobert Webb and William Eeid, to be supported and cloathed from the public stores for eighteen months; to have huts built for them, and to receive the necessary quantity of seed, grain, and implements of husbandry requisite for sowing the ground the first year; two sow pigs, one cock, six hens. The above two settlers likewise were assisted in clearing two acres of ground. Philip Schaffer, himself and daughter, to be supplied with a daily ration as issued from the public stores for eighteen months; an hut to be built on the premises, two acres of ground to be cleared by cutting down the timber and burning it off the land; to have the labour of four male convicts for eighteen months, during which time they are to be victualled and cloathed from the public store; to receive the necessary tools and implements of husbandry, seed grain for sowing the ground the first year, and two sow pigs. The marines and seamen who have become settlers on Norfolk Island to be cloathed and victualled for eighteen months, to be supplied with a proportion of grain and a proper assortment of such tools and implements of husbandry as may be necessary for clearing and cultivating the land, as well as with such a pro- portion of hogs and poultry as may be necessary and can be spared from the general stock of the settlement, not to be less than two breeding sows, one cock and six hens, to have half an acre of ground cleared of timber, and the necessary assistance given for building a hut sufficient to shelter the settler from the weather and secure his property. The same encouragement will be given to those marines who may become settlers on the embarkation of the detachment for England. Those convicts whose sentences of transportation expired and have been permitted to become settlers at or near Parramatta, are to be supported and cloathed from the public store for eighteen months, to receive two sow pigs with the necessary implements of husbandry and grain for sowing the ground the first year. Those who have wives or children are to support them at the expiration of the above eighteen months. PHILLIP TO GRENYILLE. 279 a J ao o 00 = 0 03 OOLlt^ H if , 4*> M NOJ _r-i cic: CO OOM 00000000 0 Grou Oulti rt'QO <# -3 HN«N -^ M . :-•! : : : 3 rf P-S c. 02 (-1 o?4 or =s n £<* •3S _T3 -^> O 0 0 55 % "S 0 0 0 2«- o -CO cB"?° a> 3 c ■*- I *1Z 5 DO ° % M bp ; •_-- c o J o2 ■ S "S - Ed £ C. 2 . - to ~ R 1 o^ gOOt 1 "r a c 0000000c 0^ = 0 = -3 -3 -3 -0 -3 -3 -3 >c 0 c 02 fs P4 O jz "*l No. of cres of Land ranted. 2«> o 00c oooooooc 00 OC 0000 OtHC OOOOwOOC Oil N« lOiOMiO o < o c3 ^ 60 • o. S R n> 5 ® H* " J; S 8 T *s *n 'C *s "fl -n '" 'r "C ^ ^^> >>>>>>>> o o OOIC -«5 <* • 3 > ■> > s 1 -3 "5 3 «■ a O ®"c o> eS i O 0 a ©A? 0000000^ 0 § 0 c -3^ tJ-C 0000 5 -d SS* -o-s-o-o-o-s-o. ^ ■d'd-S'd ripti' 0 *• O O oJ «c 3 C O 03 03 O a •0 O 3 rt a 3 . - o ► -is 03 * •0 "5 ^_; Q Mis s«1 0 s -'^ooooooc1- '7? ^ *•" O ^s jf 0 c 0000 3h"3 d -3 -3 -O -3 -3 s itt;"- -0x3-3 -3 £ x 2- ■i 5 « 5 4 to a I - r pa o w o c g (^ -7 t « r = 3D P 1 I 1- 6 a C I t. — i > 5 J 1 H - 0 6 £ U 1 03 ti t 2: c 5 * 0) 0 — . c — 1 I ■> 3 ■a to 0 0 1 1 i?i;i a§ 2 c ^6 ^?c 33 fi e — — 0 . c >> 3 O 6 1— 1 ; • ••' 1 : : : : 0 : : : >a : : : 0 : > , . — < . . -M . 1791. 5 Nov. Return of lands granted HISTOEICAL EECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. P o m >> PI 03 o 00 PI P. O oooooi^ ooot>o © o o © © o o CM i OOOO o? ° 000 o^5 s o o o o fl »§ o o O r* ^ 73 t3 73 t3 -q S p "O T3 13 T3 . a -So" 55 oh? g ^ 60 • flJ a « >>>>>>>>>>:>> >>>>>>>>> , 00 X X X X X X XXX X X COX X XI to CO '-fl X X 3 3 3 3 3 £t3 £t3 £tJ a ce c t> 2 P> - . 1 73" 73 £73 0 5 0 0. 73 g73T3 jw 3 c8 Sw 3 ps a -^ £ OOOOOO O •-; "3 "^ "3 -3 "O 13 IfiS 2 -' g rt o. 3 3 Sip o, ® ! i. E-i co 1-9 i-s 55 rlfli H-^Hsrt CO LI? !oo S PHILLIP TO GRENVILLE. 281 £ o rt o . o S *- « O O O C -si 5 > 0 oooooooco 00000000 0 -1 . ^t&rtjt}'& ^ F0'C~"CO*0''CrC*C OO^rd'C'C'd'w "u ^o K « o . *J . 2 5s - o i Co£ J3 « rt PL, g_ ^ o o o c c 000000000 ooocococ 0 -c 'O'flt'w'S'S'C'S'fl *w "3 13 "C "S "d "d "C -o H 35 g*5 p=h fei *■ d o °tj 5 co No. ores Lan rant go C O O OC c ooooooooc 0000000c 0 go oo o OC c 00000000c ooocococ 0 <; o «4H SP • 1 1 ' o. S £ ■S «■§ £ 5 5000c c ooooooooc 00000 c 0 c 0 — ■d-d, d'd, d»d'd'd, c 13 H "oa r- 0 1-" £ 0 C - 0 - c 0 * 4S I £ += 1 ■a tJ — ■8 0 fi T3 - T a ca e d T3' d -co T) Fd'Cfw'd'C:'w'C'*d'd -a ggg 0 s nes of Settlers. •9 "U s s 0 ~ c pqS CO CO > C -0 c s > at = - b e c X St Is •_ 5 co c - > b +3 T — - - B tr e >. : CO g > - = — IS c p: co M z H > C c > X 5 3 -/ s Q tr. E - - 0 C CO 3 £ =5 '= 5 5 0 ? O* c CO--- ' ill 6 d : 0 : tocos O : : : : us : : : : 0 : : : ;o : : fc . . •*•* \n .... m ... . 0 1791. 5 Nov. Eeturn of lands granted. 282 HISTOEICAL EECOEDS OF AUSTEALIA. ^ -4-3 «-. o_'S [j o s a-s w 6 £ 3 g * _;£ poooooo o oooooooooo -;000000 tH i-( rH t-I t-\ rH rH rH H iH 10 d : : : : : : :::::::::: £ o CI ^ooooo o oooooooooo ^ -d -d -« -3 "d T3 -3 T3 -d -3 >d -d -d T3 -d -d o £-3 a ^ £ s. 2o«ooo. 2so g S'O g-d-d-d |-J g-d £>£ E> SP SH & ) o o o _ , s-d-d-d 5 gu- as O 03 O ■^•goooooooooo cs o— I'd'd'd'd'd'd'd'd'd'd H • - C 5 flrH w W . 03 . 5 ■ -J • Hj Ph h, rH l-s •■ga- ~'?~E£ g^M * h S8 ... 3 _ , Jt -° g = | fl 5 P PHILLIP TO GRENVILLE. 283 [Enclosure No. 6. ] 1791 Examination of the Master and Second Mate of The Queen, 5" ov' Triwqpapt Examination of _L kain sfok I . officers of the Sydney, 17th October, 1791. transport . 0 Queen. At a meeting of four of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace, &c. Present : — David Collins, Esq. , Augustus Alt, Esq. , Eeverd. Eichard Johnson, John Creswell, Esq. Richard Owen, master of the transport, &c, Robert Stott, second mate of the Queen, transport, were summoned to attend on a complaint made by the convicts who came out in the said transport of not having received the ration of provisions that was directed by contract to be furnished them during the passage. And the said Richard Owen and Robert Stott attending accordingly, — Minutes of the complaints made by the convicts on board of the Queen, transport, were read. William Cummings, ensign of the New South Wales Corps, being sworn, deposed, that about a fortnight or three weeks before they made this harbour, on a dispute arising between the master and the second mate, the second mate came up to this deponent and openly on the deck told him that he had defrauded the con- victs against his conscience, but had he taken the whole he could not give Captain Owen satisfaction; at the same time he abused Lieutenant Blow, the naval agent on board, and said he would not believe but what he was privy to it, and he was an old rascal, and he would tell him so. This deponent further says that his berth was adjoining to the steward-room, and thro' a crevice he saw the second mate, when serving provisions to a convict, instead of five-pounds weight, which he should have used, put in a four- pounds weight ; and after weighing the flour, he further saw him put his hand into the scale and take out one or two handfuls of flour; he then emptied the remainder into the convict's bag, A convict of the name of Martin was attending at this time to assist the mate in weighing the provisions. On a complaint from the convicts of the shortness of their flour, Lieutenant Blow ordered the bags of flour which they had received to be brought up and weighed; these bags had been delivered by the mate to the people, and had been taken down below, all but one bag, which, on being weighed, instead of five pounds (exclusive of the bag) , did not weigh more than four; all the other bags did not weigh more than four pounds, some not more than three pounds and an half; all which bags should have contained five pounds of flour. 284 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. This deponent further says that the declaration stated by him 5 Nov' to have been made by the second mate, just before they came in, Examination of was repeated by him a few days afterwards, and that he thinks transport the business he observed in the steward-room was a day or two Queen. after this declaration. He further deposes that he did not men- tion what he saw in the steward-room to any person. The convicts frequently made complains to him of the shortness of their provisions, that he always told them to go to the naval agent and complain, and their answer generally was that it was of no use — they got no redress. That he one evening in particular went to Lieutenant Blow, and told him that the convicts complained to him of the shortness of their provisions, and received for answer, " My dear fellow, what can I do ? " or words to that effect. Mr. Blow was at this time ill, and had been confined to his bed. This was before the declaration made by the mate. He once proposed to Lieutenant Blow, as the convicts grumbled, to send a soldier that he could confide in, to see the provisions weighed, but it was not consented to; this was while the transport was lying in the Cove of Cork. Question from the mate : — Do you know of any quarrel between me and Captain Owen? Answer: — I heard you say that there had been a dispute between you. Andrew Burn, labourer, being sworn, deposed, that he came out in the Queen, transport, and that the convicts having com- plained of the shortness of their provisions, Lieutenant Blow directed them to select one or two from amongst themselves, to attend at the scale, and that he was one. That accordingly he attended from the Sunday untill the Wednesday following; on Wednesday morning he went up with the bags to see the provi- sions weighed, and while he waited for the second mate coming to the steward-room Captain Owen came up, and calling for a horse-whip gave him a severe horsewhipping, and told him he would teach him to be an overseer again — it was a pretty thing for a thief and a robber to watch honest men. During the time he did attend at the steward-room, he noticed that the scale was suspended by a cord from the deck, and that the mate would, on the bread being put into the scale, hold the beam in his hand, and prevent the scale from swinging. That he told this to his com- rades below, and that if they would complain to the agent he would tell the truth. That John Martin assisted the mate at this time, and that he did not live with the prisoners, but amongst the seamen. That on speaking to Martin, he told him not to come there again, but to get someone else, or else he would be sorry for it. PHILLIP TO GBEXVILLE. 285 Lieutenant Blow, naval agent, being sworn, deposes, that being 1791. applied to by Captain Owen for assistance at the time of serving ° Xov- out the provisions, he told the convicts to choose a man from Examination of amongst themselves, as the soldiers had one of their class to transport attend for them; accordingly they fixed on John Martin, and he Queen- ordered him to attend Mr. Stott, to see the provisions weighed, and to see justice done. A memorandum of the ration to be issued was given him, and another was stuck up amongst the people. John Martin, labourer, being sworn, deposes, that he came out from Ireland in the Queen, transport ; that soon after they sailed from Cork he was ordered by Lieutenant Blow to assist the steward in serving out the provisions; does not recollect being told to see justice done to them. He was told what was the ration to be issued, and knew it — that bread was issued five days in the week. Flour at first was served twice a week, but latterly, on the butter being expended, it was served three times. The convicts used to collect their bags for their flour and bread, and deliver them at the steward-room. In general, Mr. Stott and he issued the provisions by themselves. A four-pound weight and a two- pound were produced, and deposed to by this witness as the weights by which the provisions were weighed. That he well knew the ration of provisions which ought to have been issued, and upon the oath he has taken is certain the full ration was not issued. That on the days they were allowed four pounds of flour there were scarcely three weighed out, and on the days they were allowed five they scarcely received four. That the mate told him instead of the five-pounds weight to put in the four-pounds weight, and when he should have weighed with the four-pounds weight he told him to put in a two-pounds and one-pound weight. He never remonstrated on this with the mate for fear of losing his place; the mate used to let him have what flour he wanted, without fixing him at a ration. That the beam of the scales always had fair play when he held it, but he has seen bread put in, and the beam stopped, and some of the bread taken out, so much that had the beam been left to play the scale with the weight would have been the heaviest. That within a day or two of their arrival a better ration was issued. He has seen the mate himself often when the flour was weighed (four pounds in- stead of five, or three pounds instead of four) put his hand into the scale and take some out, and he has been told by the mate to do it. That he has conversed with the cook about the shortness of the salt provisions, and has known only six- or eight-;md-thirty pounds to be weighed instead of nearly four score. He further deposes that the day they left False Bay lie was locked up by Mr. 286 HISTOEICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. Stott in the steward-room for the purpose of scraping the leaden 5 Nov> weights; that he did scrape them, and told him there was too Examination of much off, but he made him scrape them again. That Mr. Stott transport always kept the weights clean, and never suffered any grease or Queen. ^rt ^Q ke about them. That the mate, when he proposed this to him, told him that he could not afford to give the allowance that he was giving to some people, and he must find some way to bring it up, and told him to scrape the weights. John Turner, labourer, being sworn, deposes, that he came out in the Queen, transport; that he acted as cook's mate on board; that he attended the weighing of provisions, and frequently saw the bread and flour weighed; that he has seen Mr. Stott take some of the bread off and throw it back again. That the cook has told him that the beef and pork were not full weight. He has often taken his mess upon deck and shewed it to the chief mate, and has been told it should be better the next day. That having the liberty of the deck, he once went into the steward-room for his allowance of flour, and saw Martin weighing him four pounds instead of six, which he pointed out, and Martin put the two- pounds weight in, and he got his six pounds; but all the other bags had only four pounds. Mr. Stott was present. They fre- quently complained to Mr. Cummings, but were afraid of punish- ment if they complained to anyone else; they often spoke to Martin, but he always denied knowing anything of any wrong. Adjourned untill to-morrow morning, 10 o'clock. Tuesday Morning, 18th October, 1791. 10 o'clock. The Justices being met pursuant to adjournment, Richard Owen, the master of the Queen, transport, and Robert Stott, the mate of the said ship, attending. Hugh M'Ginnis, labourer, being sworn, deposes that he came out in the Queen, transport; that he well knew what was the ration directed to be issued to the convicts on board, as a written paper containing it was fixed up below in the ship. That he two or three times perceived that the ration which he received was much short of what it ought to have been ; that he has been sent down by the cook to hand up the beef as. it was weighed out by the mate Stott, and that he handed up only sixty weight of beef, instead of one hundred and thirty-two pounds ; no more beef was served up that day, and the cook has frequently been at a loss to know how to divide the meat into the different messes. That in general the meat was issued in this manner. That he has been in the steward-room when the mate has served out the bread, and has seen him when the scale has been even take two handfuls PHILLIP TO GRENVILLE. 287 away, and put the rest into the bag. That on looking at him one 1791. day while doing this, he, the mate, damned his eyes, and abused 5 y°v- him for looking at him. That he complained to his fellow- Examination of prisoners about these deficiencies. That soon after leaving Cork transport some fish were served out sixty pounds instead of one hundred Queen- and twenty pounds. John Martin, being again called in and sworn, deposed that Mr. Stott used to serve a pint of rice for two pounds, which was directed as the weekly ration of rice for seven days. Some rice and a pint (ale measure) being produced, this witness measured out the quantity which he and the mate used to weigh for two pounds, and it proved to be only one pound. Mr. Clark, Deputy-Commissary, attended with the standard weights; and the four-pounds weight belonging to the ship wanted six ounces, and the two-pounds weight wanted not quite three ounces. James Burn, sail-maker, being sworn, deposed that he came out in the Queen, transport, and that he remembers being told by Martin the day the ship had left False Bay that he had been doing a job for Mr. Stott in the steward-room, and does not remember to have heard or spoken anything about scraping weights. Captain Owen being called on, said that when the ship left Cork, by his and Mr. Blow's directions, a copy of the ration was given to Mr. Stott, and orders to serve out the provisions by that ration; that his wishes were the provisions should be properly issued, and justice done to both the convicts and the soldiers; that he flogged A. Burn, because he repeatedly told him he had no business down below; that he has often declared publickly it was his wish the ration should be issued according to contract; that he does not know of any quarrel with Mr. Stott, but remembers checking him severely about a cask of wine. Mr. Stott, mate of the Queen, transport, being called on, said that he received orders from Captain Owen to do justice, and to the best of his knowledge he had done justice to everyone; that he always studied to live quietly, and was liked by everyone on board, and never had a word with either soldier or convict. James Juda, labourer, being sworn, deposes that he came out in the Queen, transport; that he knew while on board what was the ration that should have been served; that he has noticed that the ration used at times be larger than at others; that he has at times been in the steward-room when provisions were issuing; that he had seen Mr. Stott when the bread has been serving take one or two handfuls from the scale and then put the remainder into the bag without seeing whether it was weight. 288 HISTOEICAL EECOEDS OF AUSTEALIA. 1791. 5 Xov. Examination of officers of the transport Queen. Mr. Stott further says that he used to serve a pint heaped up for two pounds of rice, and used to throw in some afterwards. James Kelly, cook of the Queen, transport, called by Mr. Stott, being sworn, deposed that he was cook of the Queen, transport, and that he has at times perceived a great deficiency in the short- ness of the salt provisions, and has found a difficulty in dividing what he received for each mess. On a full consideration of the evidence that has been laid be- fore us, we are of opinion that the ration of provisions directed by the contract entered into between the principal officers and Com- missioners of his Majesty's Navy and Messieurs Camden, Calvert, and King, of London, merchants, to be furnished to the convicts embarked on board the Queen, transport, has not been supplied them. That it does not appear that the proper steps were taken by those who had the means to see the full ration of provisions was served to them on complaints being made of deficiencies. That from the particular circumstances of the fraud it is impossible for us to determine with any precision what those deficiencies are, so as to enable us either to redress the com- plainants or punish the defendants. We therefore humbly beg to be permitted to submit the whole to his Excellency the Governor's consideration, with our request that he will be pleased to take such steps as he shall think necessary. David Collins. Augustus Alt. ElCHARD JOHNSON. JXO. CRESWELL. [Enclosure No. 7. ] [A copy of the Commissary's Return has not yet been found. '] [Enclosure No. 8. ] Ground in Cultivation at Parramatta, November, 1791. In maize. . , wheat. .. barley. .. oats. .. potatoes. Not cultivated ; Crescent mostly The Governor's wheat Garden ground belonging to individuals. Land in cultivation by the N. S. Wales Corps. Cleared and to be sowed with turnips. Ground in cultivation by settlers as per return settlers. Ground in cultivation by officers of the civil and military. Enclosed and the timber thinned for feeding cattle. Cultivation at Groi imd n Parramatta. a. r. p. 2 5 351 44 1 8 6 1 30 1 0 0 2 0 3 4 2 0 4 2 15 6 0 0 SO 0 0 17 0 0 150 0 0 91 3 2 28 0 0 134 0 0 but cleared, planted with vines. garden partly sewed with maize and of PHILLIP TO GRENVILLE. 289 Governor Phillip to Lord Grenville. 1791 7 Nov < Despatch No. 2, per H. M. ship Supply; acknowledged by Rt. Hon. Henry Dundas, 15th May, 1792. ) Sydney, New South Wales, My Lord, 7th November, 1791. In answer to your Lordship's letter, marked No. 9, and dated the 16th of November, 1790, I have the honor to inform your Lordship that his Majesty's pleasure respecting the convicts Convicts on who returned to the Cape of Good Hope in the Guardian has been pardoned. lan made known to those people, and the conditional pardon will be made out for them. * 1 understand by the words " pardoned on condition of their continuing abroad in such parts as may here- after be directed by you for the terms specified in their several sentences of transportation, " and connected with what follows relative to their being supplied with tools, &c, to mean that they are to remain in the colony. As Major Grose, with the officers who have remained in Eng- land, are much wanted for the service of this country, I hope they will leave England by the time your Lordship mentions ; but from The marine the great uncertainty as to the time in which they may arrive, I CorPs- am induced to detain one company of the marines, and send the rest of the detachment home in the Gorgon, under the command of Major Eoss, and which I think more for his Majesty's service than detaining the whole detachment until Major Grose and the officers of the New South Wales Corps arrive. The company which will remain shall be sent home in the Atlantic, when that ship returns from Calcutta, and which will be no additional ex- pence to the Crown, as the ship could not have been hired but en condition of her remaining in the pay of Government until her arrival in England. It was necessary to have three subalterns at Norfolk Island n. s. w. Corps, with Captain Paterson, f otherwise he could not have assembled a battalion court-martial, and which leaves of the New South Wales Corps only two captains, one lieutenant, and two ensigns for the duty of this place and Parramatta. The raising a company from the marines to be annexed to the New South Wales Corps was not effected; and I believe it failed from no other cause than the doubt the men had as to receiving any allowance of spirits, and the fear of being obliged to pay for their rations. Had the company been raised, it would have been given to Captain Lieutenant George Johnston. The officers to whom I felt myself at liberty to offer the lieutenancy declined it, as being old lieutenants in the marines, or wishing to return BBB. I. Vol. I— T * Note 157. t Note 107. 290 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. 7 Nov. Officials for Norfolk Island. Dodd and Brodie. to England on account of their private affairs. No information has ever been received from the Secretary at War respecting the raising of this company, as I had reason to expect from your Lordship's letter numbered 6. * The Deputy- Surveyorf arrived in the Gorgon, and is gone to Norfolk Island. Mr. Zachariah Clark, :}: who your Lordship in- forms me is appointed Deputy-Commissary, continues to act under the Commissary. I presume his warrant will be sent out, , as likewise Mr. Brewer's, as Provost-Marshal, who, I understand, is appointed to that office. Of those persons recommended to your Lordship for salaries in a former letter, Henry Edward Dodd (charged with the cultiva- tion of the ground at Parramatta) , died the 28th of January, 1791; and Walter Broady (who acted as master-smith) went home in the Sirius, to which ship he belonged. I have, &c, A. Phillip. Lieutenant Dawes censured by Phillip. Governor Phillip to Lord Grenville. (Despatch No. 3, per H. M. ship Supply; acknowledged by Rt. Hon. Henry Dundas, 15th May, 1792. ) Sydney, New South Wales, My Lord, 7th November, 1791. In obedience to his Majesty's pleasure, respecting Lieuten- ant Dawes, as signified to me in your Lordship's letter, No. 9, a written message was sent to that officer, of which, with his answer and subsequent letter, copies are inclosed. Whatever reason I had to be displeased with the conduct of Lieutenant Dawes, I was desirous of retaining him in the colony, provided he had seen his error, for although not immediately necessary as an engineer, his services were wanted in surveying and marking out allotments of land for settlers ; and having often found that the peculiar situation this colony has been in made it necessary to pass over improprieties which could not otherwise have passed unnoticed, so on this occasion I should gladly have reconciled this officer to a proper sense of his duty; but as he returns to England, and thinks his conduct justifiable, it becomes necessary to inform your Lordship on what grounds I was dis- pleased with Lieutenant Dawes, who, from being an officer of his Majesty's Marine Forces, was not amenable to a general court- martial in this country. j jiave &c A. Phillip. * Note 111. f Note 168. % Note 30. PHILLIP TO GRENVILLE. 291 [Enclosure. ] 1791 Governor Phillip to Lieutenant Dawes. 7 yov~ Copy of the Message delivered to Lieut. Dawes, on Saturday, Dawes insured the 5th Nov'r, 1791. by Phillip. As it has been his Majesty's pleasure that Lieutenant Dawes should be permitted to remain in this country as an engineer, with the same emoluments as are enjoyed by an officer of the corps of engineers of a similar rank, the Governor is willing to forget the impropriety of Lieut. Dawes's conduct; In purchasing the convicts' ration contrary to repeated orders on that head; In the declaration made by Lieut. Dawes respecting the general order of the 13th of last December; And in his unofficerlike behaviour to the Governor in the presence of Lieut, and Adjutant Long. If Lieut. Dawes is desirous of remaining in this country, and declares himself convinced of the impropriety of his conduct on the above occasions, and acknowledges it in such a manner as may leave no reason to suppose that anything similar will happen in future. [Enclosure. ] Answer from Lieut. Dawes. At present I cannot think that I was guilty of any impropriety whatever in purchasing provisions from a convict, as I had no reason whatever to suppose that it was any part of his ration. Neither in my declaration of the 13th of December, 1790, which I do not by any means wish to have forgotten, nor in what I said to his Excellency in the presence of Lieut, and Adjutant Long ; it being an answer which I thought it incumbent on me to make to what his Excellency had been pleased to say to me just before. These are my present sentiments; but as I wish to act with as much deference and respect as possible to his Excellency's opinion, I would choose to defer giving a final answer until to- morrow, and of course do not wish this to be considered as such. [Enclosure. ] Lieutenant Dawes to Governor Phillip. Sir, Marine Quarters, Sydney, 6th November, 1791. In compliance with my assurance of yesterday, in answer to your message by Captain Collins, I now beg leave to state fully to your Excellency my sentiments on the occasion. 292 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. I confess it does not appear to me that I was guilty of any 7 yov' impropriety in purchasing provisions from a convict, as I had Lieutenant every reason to suppose it was no part of his ration; it being at by pwiiip. that time publicly known to all the officers that he, in his situ- ation of baker to the garrison, gained weekly a very considerable quantity of flour, as the just perquisite of his business, which I therefore presumed became his property, and as such was deemed by every one to be entirely at his own disposal. To this I presume your Excellency alluded in the first part of your message, as I never have bought any other article of a convict's ration from any person of that description whatever. With regard to my declaration of the 13th December, 1790, I beg leave to state to your Excellency, that after so long a time having elapsed, and repeated reflections on the subject, I feel at this instant no reason to alter the sentiments I then entertained. In respect to what I said to y'r Excellency in the presence of Lieut, and Adjutant Long, I have to observe that it was far from my intention to express anything, either in word or manner, in any degree improper or disrespectful, 1 conceived what y'r Excel- lency had said to me just before amounted to a direct charge of leaving the Observatory without sufficient cause; and I then thought, and still think, it was but justice to myself to deny such charge in terms sufficiently clear and expressive to leave no possibility of misconception. I confess I was exceedingly pained to find your Excellency entertained such an idea ; and from the distress which a discovery of it could not but occasion, it is possible something might have escaped me, which might appear to your Excellency improper or disrespectful; if so, I very readily acknowledge that I am ex- ceedingly sorry for it, but think it necessary again to disclaim any intention of the kind. j have &c# William Dawes, Lieut, of Marines. [Enclosure. ! Comments by Governor Phillip. Repeated orders had been given to prevent the convicts from selling any part of their ration, but which they continued to do, and carried on that trade with those, who from their situation were not likely to be suspected, consequently detection was not very practicable. Robberies were too frequently the consequence, and it was not possible that it should be otherwise, for every man could eat his ration, and with which very few of those people were satisfied; at the same time they made a practice of joining PHILLIP TO GRENVILLE. 293 together a part of their ration of flour, and giving ten pounds of 1791. flour for a bottle of rum, and thirty pounds of flour for a pound 7 3jfov- of tobacco. This was at a time when the ration was only four Lieutenant , i, n , . f. , Dawes censured pounds 01 flour lor a man lor seven days. by Phillip. A convict being detected, who, it appeared on his examination before the magistrates, had made a practice of receiving flour and other species of provision from the convicts, and exchanging them for spirits and other articles, he declared that Lieut. Dawes was one with whom he had made such exchanges, having given forty pounds of flour for twenty pounds of sugar to that officer. It does not appear that Lieut. Dawes could know to whom the flour belonged, as the man of whom the purchase was made (a blacksmith) carried on that trade for a variety of people; nor can the Governor admit that Lieut. Dawes never purchased any other species of provisions, as his Major-Commandant had been some time before desired to point out to him the impropriety of his purchasing pease from convicts. Extract from the General Orders of the 13th of December, 1790. " Several tribes of the natives still continuing to throw spears at any man they meet unarmed, by which several have been killed or dangerously wounded, the Governor, in order to deter the natives from such practices in future, has ordered out a party to search for the man who wounded the convict in so dangerous a manner on Friday last, though no offence was offered on his part, and to make a severe example of that tribe. At the same time the Governor strictly forbids (under pain of the severest punish- ments) , any soldier or other person not expressly ordered out for that purpose, ever to fire on any native, except in his own defence, or to molest him in any shape, or to take away any spears or other articles which they may find belonging to those people. The natives will be made severe examples of whenever any man is wounded by them, but that will be done in a manner which may satisfy them that it is a punishment inflicted on them for their own bad behaviour; and of which they cannot be made sensible if they are not treated with kindness while they continue peaceable and quiet. " A party consisting of 2 captains, 2 subalterns, and 40 privates (with a proper number of non-commissioned officers) from the garrison, with three days' provisions, &c, to be ready to go out to-morrow morning at daylight, in order to bring in six of those natives who reside near the head of Botany Bay, or if that should be found impracticable, to put that number to death. HISTOEICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. 7 Nov. Lieutenant Dawes censured by Phillip. " Every possible attention is to be paid not to injure any women or children ; and nothing belonging to the natives is to be brought away, but all their spears and other weapons are to be destroyed and left on the ground. " On this order appearing, Lieut. Dawes, whose tour of duty it was to go out with the party, refused that duty by letter to the senior officer of the detachment (Capt. Campbell) , who, finding it impossible to persuade Lieut. Dawes to obey the order, brought the letter to the Governor, who likewise took great pains to point out the consequence of his (Lieut. Dawes) being put under an arrest. Late in the evening Lieut. Dawes informed Capt. Camp- bell that the Revd. Mr. Johnson thought he might obey the order, and that he was ready to go out with the party, which he did; but after the service was over, informed the Governor that " he was sorry he had been persuaded to comply with the order, " and very clearly shewed that he would not obey a similar order in future. Lieut. Dawes's expressions when Lieut, and Adjutant Long was present were such as would have subjected him to a court- martial had he been amenable to one. 8 Nov. Governor Phillip to Lord Grenville. (Despatch No. 4, per H. M. ship Supply; acknowledged by Rt. Hon. Henry Dundas, 15th May, 1792. ) My Lord, Sydney, November 8th, 1791. In answering your Lordship's letters, the having been obliged to sond some of the transports to Norfolk Island, and to take the Atlantic, transport, into his Majesty's service, for the purpose of procuring flour and pease for the colony, has been mentioned. Some inconveniences having followed the masters of the ships not understanding that they were to land any part of their cargo at Norfolk Island, and which some of them were directed by their owners not to consider themselves as bound to do by their charter-party, it will be pointed out to the Navy Board; and I beg leave to observe, that if some terms could be made with the owners in case a ship should be detained in this country, it might prevent an excessive hire being demanded when they arrive here. The Atlantic was taken up on the best terms that ship could be procured, 15s. 6d. per ton per month ; but if the ship is lost before the owner have received information of her destiny being changed, the loss in that case falls on the Crown. The ship is valued at £4, 000. Copies of the agreement entered into for the Queen, transport, being paid for going to Norfolk PHILLIP TO GREXVILLE. 295 Island, [as she] is not bound to proceed thither by her charter- 1791. party, and for the hire of that ship while employed in bringing 8 Xov* Major Ross and the detachment to this settlement, are trans- mitted to the Navy Board. The expense of the detachment returning in the transport will be small ; the ship only to be paid on that account from the time she has landed the stores and provisions she carried to the island until her return to this settlement at the rate of 15s. 6d. per ton per month. Having pointed out to your Lordship the necessity of sending to Calcutta for provisions, I have to speak of the great quantity of provisions and stores which the transports might have received over and above what they had brought for the colony. Inf orma- Private ship- tion having been received that the Admiral Barrington, Alber- transports. marie, Active, and Queen, transports, had on board a very con- siderable quantity of copper, lead, iron, and cordage, the masters of those ships were sent for, and they acknowledged having received on board the quantities of copper, &c, specified in a list which the master of the Albermarle delivered, and of which a copy is inclosed. They say that most of those articles were received on board after they had taken in what stores and provisions Government had to send, that they never declared their ships full, and that it was known they had those articles on board, which were received publickly and intended for a Portuguese settlement in India. They could not, I should suppose, have been put on board un- known to the agent employed by the Navy Board. A copy of the attestation made by the masters of the Admiral Barrington, Active, and Albermarle, whose ships still remain in the harbour, is inclosed. Your Lordship will readily conceive of how much consequence it would have been to the settlement had two or three hundred tons of limestone been sent out, and which might have been done, if those ships found it necessary to bring so much shingle ballast; for the limestone might with little trouble have been changed for the stone of this country. The inconvenience which would attend unloading the ships will be seen, and without which it is impossible to say what they really have on board; but there is every reason to suppose that the account given in of copper and lead makes but a small part oi what they have brought out. Of the cordage no account can be got ; the quantity is supposed to be very considerable. His Majesty's armed tender Supply, after having been under Conditioned repair from the beginning of June until the middle of September. " Ms- Sui>i>)y. was then found on a survey to be in so bad a state thai -lie could 296 HISTOEICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. J Nov. The Gorgon. Minor officials. Cattle from the Cape. Jervis Bay. Returns. Parramatta named. not be properly repaired in this country; and that the best repair which we could give would only render her serviceable for six months longer. I have, therefore, thought it most for his Majesty's service to send her home, for in a few months she would be useless in this country. The Gorgon will, I apprehend, sail early in December, and not any vessel will then remain on this station. My reasons for not detaining the Gorgon will be obvious to your Lordship, and of such ships as appear to me necessary for the service of this colony I have taken the liberty of giving your Lordship an opinion in my letter No. 1. A master carpenter, * who was employed as such at Norfolk Island, and who has acted in that capacity in this settlement since the ship's company of his Majesty's late ship Sirius were sent home, will, I presume, be put on the establishment and paid as such. A superintendant likewise remains from that ship, to whom I have promised the same salary as is paid to the superin- tendant sent from England. The names and employments of those people are in the inclosed list. The great want of a master carpenter and master bricklayer has been mentioned in my former letters. Those two men who now act in that capacity will shortly leave this settlement. The master carpenter is wanted at Norfolk Island, and the master bricklayer returns to England. The convict I wished to retain as a master carpenter for a short time, and who has been mentioned to your Lordship, is, I find, received on board the Admiral Barrington. The time for which he was sentenced is expired. Lieutenant-Governor King made returns of the live cattle brought from the Cape of Good Hope. The loss of all the bulls is an unfortunate circumstance, as it may be a considerable time before any can be procured. It appears from Lieutenant Bowen's journal, who came out as naval agent in the Atlantic, transport, that there is a good har- bour on the coast, and which he named Jervis Bay. He makes its latitude to be 35° 6' south. He did not land. A sketch of the harbour is inclosed. The Commissary's return of provisions, and the state of this colony, with that of the publick live stock, are inclosed. Having mentioned the town of Parramatta to your Lordship, it may be necessary to observe that I have given that name to * Note 164. PHILLIP TO GRENVILLE. the town which is building at Eose Hill. It extends from the foot of the hill along the banks of the creek, for one mile to the eastward. Parramatta is the name by which the natives dis- tinguish the spot on which the town stands. j have &c. A. Phillip. [Enclosure No. 1. ] [J. copy of the Return of private shipments in the transport Albemarle, of the Third Fleet, has not yet been found. ] [ Enclosure No. 2. ] Declaration of Masters of Transports. We the Underwritten Masters of Transports do hereby Certify to His Excellency Governor Phillip that our respective Ships were never reported to the Navy Board (being full) or as deeply loaded as to oblige us to refuse taking in any Stores or Provisions for the use of the Colony; on the contrary did receive at the Cape of Good Hope 270 Tierces of Provisions and could, if it had been required, Eeceived and brought out from England 400 Tons dead weight in our Three Ships without the least inconvenience to ourselves or Government. A. Barrington E. Marsh. Active John Mitchinson. Albemarle Geo. Bowen. [Enclosure No. 3. ] Eeturn of Superintendants of Convicts, 16th November, 1791. 297 Names. Where and how Employed. Philip Divine....... Thomas Clark Thomas Daveny... John Livingston... Dodge Sydney. Has the care of the Convicts employed in Cultivation at Parramatta. Ditto. Employed as a Master Carpenter. Norfolk Island. Ditto. Marking out Allotments of Land for Settlers at Parramatta. Andrew Hume Burton 1791. 8 Nov. [Enclosure No. 4. ] [A copy of the Commissary's Return lias not yet been found. ] 298 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. 8 Xov. PHILLIP TO GREXYILLE. 299 Weeks on full ration. •1^901^0 •SA'^p rH "S^99A\ eo 1 : •9SB9J •s^-ep eo •S5f99A\ -H •^. ioj •sX'Bp O •S3189AV g g : ■J*»S •S. fop eo o •SJ199AV CO C5 • Mno[^ •S. ^p eo -*. -SJ199A\ 2 CO '■ •uoiitej []nj %v jaqranu aioq w g 2 2 £ CO CO rH CO eo" •paren^oiA Jaqumu 9joqAV 2, 887 961 127 84 4, 059 +5 05 si -a •j9WBn5 © O ^ . Anders Forge Pel lows Gouges and Chizzela of Sorts Small Bench Vices Box Rules iron potts of three to five Uhie Callous 2 HISTORICAL EECOEDS OF AUSTEALIA. 1791. An Account of such Articles as are most wanted, ifcc. — continued. Corn Mills and Querns A few Hones for setting of Crane for Drawing off Spirits Razors Pumps Cloathing for Men and Women Brass Cocks Child Bed Linnen Wine Measures Bed Ticks and some Should be Large and small tooth Combs of a Size for two People there are none in the Colony. Hammocks Soap for Shaving the Men Wax proper for the Great Seal Needles of Sizes of the Territory etc. Pish Hooks of Sorts Paper for making out Patents Razors, 100 Good Stationary for the Different Knives Offices. Jxo. Palmer, Commissary. Governor Phillip to Secretary Stephens. (Per H. M. ship Supply. ) Sir, Sydney, 18 Xovember, 1791. You will be pleased to inform the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty that the Britannia, in- tended for the southern fishery, as mentioned in my former letter, has returned to this port after being out fifteen days, during which time the master says he saw a great abundance of spermaceti whales, but, from the badness of the weather, was not able to put a boat into the water for nine days that the fish remained in sight. The day after the ship left the harbour in company with the William and Ann seven fish were killed; but the gale of wind then coming on, only one fish was saved by each ship. The Mary Ann and the Matilda have returned to this port, being driven in as well as the Britannia by the badness of the weather. Those ships had run to the southward in search of seals, but did not see any fish. The Matilda, having run into Jervis Bay in order to stop a leak, the master made an eye- draught of that harbour, a copy of which is inclosed. By his account the anchorage is exceeding good, and the largest ships may turn in or out of the bay. The Mary Ann and Matilda are now going out of the harbour, and mean to try for fish on the coast. The two other whalers, the William and Ann and the Salamander, are on the coast to the northward. The Britannia sails in a few days, and, from the information I have received from the masters of these ships, there is every reason to suppose that a fishery will be established on the coast. The very officer-like conduct of Mr. David Blackburn as master of the Supply, and during the time he commanded that vessel PHILLIP TO GEEXYILLE. 313 while Lieut. Ball was sick on shore, makes it a duty incumbent 1791. on me to point him out as an officer deserving of their Lordships' m ' notice. And I likewise feel it a duty to say that the service owes yfJ^teJvof much to the abilities of Mr. Eobinson Reid, the carpenter of that vessel. Lieutenant Eobert Parry Young, who came out as Naval Agent Mutiny on the in the Albemarle, has, I presume, informed their Lordships of the convicts having mutinied on board that ship during the passage, and the necessity he was under of executing two of the ring- leaders. * From the information I have obtained of that business, Lieutenant Young appears to have conducted himself with a great deal of propriety and in a very officer-like manner. I am, &c, A. Phillip. Governor Phillip to the Treasury. 20 November, 1791. [A copy of this despatch has not yet been found. '] Governor Phillip to Lord Grenville. (Despatch marked "Separate, " per H. M. ship Supply; acknow- ledged by Rt. Hon. Henry Dundas, 15th May, 1792. ) My Lord, Sydney, 21st November, 1791. 21 Nov. I am honoured with your Lordship's letter of the 19th of Phillip's February in answer to mine to Lord Sydney, and beg leave to re>1^natl0n- assure your Lordship that I should not hesitate a moment in giving up my private affairs to the public service; but from a complaint which so very frequently puts it out of my power to use that exercise which my situation requires, and the present state of this colony, in which I believe every doubt respecting its future independency as to the necessaries of life is fully done away, I am induced to request permission to resign the Govern- ment that I may return to England in hopes of finding that relief which this country does not afford. I have, &c, A. Phillip. Governor Phillip to Lord Grenville. (Despatch No. 6, per H. M. ship Supply; acknowledged by Rt. Hon. Henry Dundas, 15th May, 1792. ) My Lord, Sydney, November 22d, 1791. 22 Nov. I have the honor to inclose for your Lordship's informa- x. s. w. and tion, a General Return of His Majesty's Forces employ'd on the M;u'i"' 'l ""'" Continent of New South Wales and its Dependencies. I have, &c. , A. Phillip. * Note 175. HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. 22 Nov. [Enclosure. ] General Eeturn of His Majesty's Forces employed on the Con- tinent of New South Wales and its Dependencies, November the 18th, 1791. MARINE CORPS. c3 — = s s o o o "3 ■A a e3 O CO 85 £ S3 "5 95 5 a 2 0 05 | eS « o -d -«l 0) bo d 1-8 03 as DO 03 o o 7- 03 > s i 1 2 2 2 4 2 1 1 8 1 2 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 10 3 13 7 3 10 6 1 2 9 88 4 34 1 132 Present |Unfit fQr ^ ""ZZZ^Z At Norfolk /Fit for duty i i Island. \ Unfit for duty At Parramatta, Fit for duty Embarked Total Officers' Names. Present. At Norfolk Island. Major Commandant, Robert Ross Captains — James Campbell James Meredith Captain Lieutenants — Wat kin Tench George Johnstone First Lieutenants — John Cres well Robert Kellow John Poulden John Johnstone James Maitland Shairp Thomas Davey Thomas Timins Ralph Clarke Second Lieutenants William Dawes William Paddy Alexander John Ross Adjutant Second Lieutenant, John Long Quarter-master First Lieutenant, James Furzer. Judge- Advocate, Captain David Collins Embarked. 1 Total 11 A. Phillip. PHILLIP TO GRENYILLE. 315 General Keturn of His Majesty's Forces — continued. NEW SOUTH WALES CORPS. Officers' Names. At Present. Norfolk Island. >> >» s £ 3 Q >> fl A A o Ch Fh o o Ph 1 "i 3 1 2 3 1 1 1 1 "l 1 3 "i" 5* 12 3 "4" 5 12 "i "5 3 63 9! 74 229 present{unfit for duty :::::::::::: At Norfolk /Fit for duty "i "i 3 Island \ Unfit for duty At Parramatta, Fit for duty With leave Total 1791. 22 Nov. Returns of troops. Lieutenant John Long, Acting Town Adjutant Governor Phillip to Lord Grenville. (Despatch marked "Separate, " per H. M. ship Supply; acknow- ledged by Rt. Hon. Henry Dundas, 15th May, 1792. ) My Lord, Sydney, November 22nd, 1791. The commander of the armed tender Supply has an animal A kangaroo in charge which is known in England by the name of kangaroo, scnttot, u> ins- and which I hope will live to be delivered to your Lordship for the purpose of being sent to his Majesty. I have taken this liberty, as it is not known that any animal of the kind has hitherto been seen in England. I have, &c, A. Phillip. 316 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. 24 Nov. Land grants for officers. A passenger on the transport Active. Governor Phillip to Lord Grenville. (Despatch No. 7, per H. M. ship Supply; acknowledged by Rt. Hon. Henry Dmidas, 15th May, 1792. ) Sydney, New South Wales, My Lord, November 24th, 1791. Several officers of the civil and military departments being desirous of having grants of land, which they would cultivate for their own advantage while they remain in the country, and con- vey the property to children or other persons when they return to Europe, I am to request your Lordship will furnish me with such information on this head as your Lordship may judge necessary for my guidance* I have, &c, A. Phillip. Governor Phillip to Under Secretary Nepean. (Despatch No. 2, per H. M. ship Supply; arrived Portsmouth, 21st April, 1792. ) Sydney, New South Wales, Sir, 24th November, 1791. The Master of the Active, Transport, having made Oath that a Woman of the Name of Esther Pass, who came out in that Ship, is not a Convict's Wife, and never was intended to remain in the Settlement, she is permitted to proceed with him. This is mentioned as her Name was returned in a Certificate from the Cape of Good Hope, as a Convict's Wife, Lieutenant Young, the Naval Agent, having never been informed to the contrary, by the Master of the Ship, until after her Arrival in this Port. I am, &c, &c, A. Phillip. A Mistake having happened in numbering Lord Grenville's Letters, I have in these Despatches began with No. 1, which will be continued regular in future. f 25 Nov. Private ship- ments on transports. Governor Phillip to Lord Grenville. (Despatch No. 8, per H. M. ship Supply; acknowledged by Rt. Hon. Henry Dundas, 15th May, 1792. ) My Lord, Sydney, November 25th, 1791. In addition to what I have already 'had the honour of in- forming your Lordship relative to the copper, &c, brought out by the transports, I beg leave to observe : That the ships appear to have regular clearances from the Custom-house for copper, lead, iron, and steel; that I have never received the late Acts of Parliament relative to the southern fishery, nor have I any precedent to go by. This settlement is not mentioned in any Act that I have seen, and it does not appear to me that while the Note 176. t Note 1T7. PHILLIP TO NEPEAX. 317 ships are riding in this harbour I have a power as Governor or 1791. Vice- Admiral of this territory to take out the copper, lead, iron, 2o Xov* and steel they have on board, altho' I have not any doubt but that the ships would be seizable at sea. I have, &c, A. Phillip. Governor Phillip to Lord Grenville. * (Despatch marked "Separate, " per H. M. ship Gorgon; acknow- ledged by Rt. Hon. Henry Dundas, 14th July, 1792. ) Sydney, December 8th, 1791. 8 Deo. [This despatch is a duplicate of the letter marked " Separate " from Governor Phillip to Lord Grenville, dated 21st November, 1791, and forwarded per H. M. ship Supply. '] Governor Phillip to LTnder Secretary Nepean. ? December, 1791. [A copy of this despatch, numbered S, has not yet been found. '} Governor Phillip to Under Secretary Nepean. (Despatch No. 4, per H. M. S. Gorgon; acknowledged by Under- Secretary Nepean, 12th July, 1792. ) Sydney, New South Wales, Sir, 14th December, 1791. 14 Dec. I inclose a list of those convicts, whose times being ex- Expirees and pired, have left the settlement in the different transports, also absconders- of those whose times are not expired but who have absconded ; and some of them are supposed to have been secreted on board the ships and carried from the settlement. It may be very difficult to prove that the masters of any of those ships knew such men were on board; but the necessity of some steps being taken to prevent those people being received on board the transports with the connivance of the masters, mates, or sea- men, without which it could seldom happen, will, I hope, appear to you to be absolutely necessary, for it cannot be prevented by any steps which can be taken here at present. The masters of those ships who have sailed last from hence, have orders to deliver up any convict who may be found secreted on board their ships after they leave this harbour to the Governor or commanding officer at the first port they may put into; and it oontr. u^ will not, I presume, be very difficult for the Navy Board to have a should be clause inserted in the contracts, which would oblige the masters of the transports to enter the names of all those who may be received on board such ship from the time they come on this coast to their return to England; the fear of an heavy penalty * Note 178. HISTOEICAL EECOEDS OF AUSTEALIA. 1791. 14 Dec. on the master or mate who receives a convict on board, and does not register him, may have the desired effect. You, sir, may see some better method; and I only mention this from the great necessity there is of some step being taken in this business, other- wise we shall lose all the able men; and those ships who come on this fishery must be guarded against in the same manner. I have also inclosed the copy of a letter received from the surgeon of the New South Wales Corps, who left England as the surgeon's mate, is unacquainted with the service, and has not any kind of necessary for the use of the sick. Orders have been given to the surgeon of the colony to furnish him with whatever he may demand, either necessaries or medicines, and to receive all such soldiers into the hospital as may be sent to him from that corps; but it will appear by his letter that he fears an heavy expense may be brought against him, and declines having an hospital for the use of his own corps from not having any kind of necessaries. You will, sir, be so good as to let some information be given on this head, although it may not be official to address you on the subject, for I am quite a stranger to this business. The want of a corn-mill, tools, implements of husbandry, and sundry articles which have been mentioned by the Commissary will, I hope, be supplied by the first ship. No answer has yet been received with respect to settlers being sent out, and which is to be so much desired — I allude to settlers who are farmers or planters, and who are possessed of some property. I have, &c, A. Phillip. [Enclosure No. 1. ] [A copy of the list of expirees and convicts who have absconded has not yet been found. '] [Enclosure No. 2. J Surgeon Harris to Governor Phillip. Sir, Parramatta Barracks, 12th December, 1791. I beg leave to represent to your Excellency that the New South Wales Corps being sent out to this country with me, without any kind of necessaries whatever, and many of the soldiers being taken ill with different diseases, consequently in need of much support, and tho' your Excellency has been pleased to give orders to the surgeon of the colony to supply me with wine, sago, and other necessaries that I might demand, yet I am apprehensive that the great expenditure of these articles, for which I give receipt, will much over-ballance any allowance that I know of made me for these things. And I sincerely beg that. PHILLIP TO GEENVILLE AND NEPEAN. 319 your Excellency will furnish me with information how I am to 1791. act in future, or whether its probable that any charge will be made against me for such men as I may be obliged to send to the hospital, as for want of necessaries I am obliged to decline having an hospital built for the New South Wales Corps untill the medecines and necessaries of the regiment arrive. I am, &c, John Harris, Surgeon, New South Wales Corps. Governor Phillip to Lord Grenville. (Despatch marked " Private, " per H. M. ship Gorgon ; acknowledged hy Rt. Hon. Henry Dundas, 14th July, 1792. ) My Lord, Sydney, December 14th, 1791. I had the honour of informing your Lordship in my letter A secon(i of the 22nd of last month that an animal known in England by Jc1?n^l. ro° for the name of kangaroo had been put on board the Supply, as I presumed that so uncommon an animal might not be judged im- proper to be sent to his Majesty. I have now the honour of informing your Lordship that another of those animals is put on board his Majesty's ship, Gor- gon, for the same purpose. I have, &c, . A. Phillip. Governor Phillip to the War Office. 15th December, 1791. 15 Dec [A copy of this despatch has not yet been found*] Governor Phillip to Under Secretary Nepean. (Per H. M. ship Gorgon. ) Sydney, New South Wales, Sir, 15th December, 1791. I am to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 3rd of July, 1790, by the Albemarle, transport, inclosing a copy of the estimate upon which the grant for defraying the charge of the civil establishment in this colony for the year 1791 is founded, for my direction in the application thereof. A receipt signed by the master of his Majesty's ship Gorgon, for the plank sent home in that ship, as specimens of the timber of this country, is inclosed. I have likewise inclosed a general return of the troops serving in this country. 1 am, &C. , A. Phillip. * Note 179. HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. 15 Dec [Enclosure No. 1. ] General Return of his Majesty's forces employed on the conti- nent of Xew South Wales and its dependencies, December the 13th, 1791. MARINE CORPS. * Officers' Names. Present. At Norfolk Island. Ik i s B - 3 Fit for duty. Unfit for duty. Fit for duty. Unfit for duty. Major Commandant — 1 1 l 1 l l "i l "i l l i i l Captains — James Campbell "i "}. "i ... ... i Captain- Lieutenants — Watkin Tench First-Lieut enants — John Creswell Robert Kellow James Maitland Shairp Thomas Davey Thorns Timmins Ralph Clarke Second Lieutenants — Adjutant, 2nd Lieutenant — Quarttr-iua~ter, 1st Lieutenant — Judge-Advocate, Captain — David Collins 5 14 Rank. Present. Fit for duty. Unfit for duty At Norfolk Island. Fit for X1 *«*■ duty. Major-Commandant Captain^ Captain -Lieutenants 1st Lieutenants 2nd Lieutenants Adjutant Quarter-nui-ter Judge- Advocate Sergeants Corporals Drummers Privates 50 51 Total. 1 1 1 13 12 8 101 * Note 180. PHILLIP TO NEPEAN. 321 [Enclosure No. 2. ] General Keturn of His Majesty's Force? 1791. 15 Dec; employed on the continent of New South Wales and its dependencies, troop™8 ° December the 13th, 1791. NEW SOUTH WALES CORPS. Officers' Names. Present. At Norfolk Island. M S3 a OS -*> g s Fit for duty. Unfit for duty. Fit for duty. Unfit for duty. Captains — Nicholas Nepean 1 1 i" i i 1 1 "i l l l l William Hill William Paterson Lieutenants — John McArthur John Townson Edward Abbott Ensigns — John Thomas Prentice William Beckwith William Cummings Chaplain — Quarter-Master — Surgeon — Total 1 4 7 Lieutenant John Long, acting Town Adjutant 1 Rank. Present. At Norfolk Island. At Parramatta. Fit for duty. Unfit for duty. Fit for duty. Unfit for duty. Fit for duty. With leave. Total. I 1 2 1 8 :i •_> 64 2 2 1 1 1 8 6 <> 102 :5 S :5 1 1 1 12 12 8 220 Lieutenants Ensigns 1 8 '. 8 63 Serjeants Privates sin. 1. Vol. 1— X 322 HISTOEICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. 15 Dec. Departure of marine corps. Progress of the colony retarded Governor Phillip to Lord Grenville. (Despatch No. 9, per H. M. ship Gorgon; acknowledged by lit. Hon. Henry Dundas, 14th July, 1792. ) My Lord, Sydney, December 15th, 1791. I have the honour to inform your Lordship that Major Koss arrived here the 5th instant, and embarked the 13th with the detachment of marines under his command on board his Majesty's ship Gorgon, those excepted who have become settlers or who remain for the service of the colony until the remainder of the New South Wales Corps arrive, as will appear by the inclosed return. I have also the honour to inclose your Lordship a return of the numbers who have become settlers here and at Norfolk Island up to the present time. As your Lordship may expect me to mention the period at which it may be supposed further supplies of flour will be un- necessary, I having given my opinion on that head in a former letter, and the time being not very distant when I had supposed the colony might have been able to have supplied itself with that article. I must beg your Lordship's permission to refer — for those causes which have prevented the colony's being in the situation I expected, and which I have no doubt but that it other- wise would have been in — to those parts of my letters in which I have pointed out the loss of the man on whom I placed great dependance, * and who was charged with directing the labour of all the convicts employed in agriculture, the very long drought, the reduced ration, and which, when not so very low as to render the people incapable of labour, serves as a too well-founded excuse for their doing but very little work, and must be always attended with great discontent amongst such people — the miserable state in which two large bodies of convicts have been landed, who are a burthen to the colony, and who when they regain their health are not in general calculated for hard labour — and the want of a proper person to be charged with the cultivation of the ground, and to have the direction of the convicts who are employed in agriculture. If I have too often adverted to this subject, I trust that the cause will excuse me to your Lordship, and for observing, that it now only wants one month of four years since I first landed in this settlement, during which time all the publick live stock which has been received is not more than what would be necessary for one good farm; nor has that been received till within these three months. This I mention to shew how very distant that period must be in which the settlement will be able to supply its inhabitants with animal food; and in addition to what has been observed respecting ships, which are not King's ships, being employed for the service of this colony, as some * Note 81. PHILLIP TO GRENVILLE. 323 dependance may be placed on the ship to be expected from the 1791. north-west coast of America, * I beg leave to observe, that it must lo Dec- be very uncertain in what state that ship may arrive here; she may probably want repairs, and the number of carpenters in this settlement are still very inconsiderable. Captain Parker has informed me that he proposes sailing the Departure of 18th. The attention that officer has shewn to everything which the Goi'g°u- appear'd to tend to the advantage of the settlement, and the great want of a King's ship on the station, makes me regret that I cannot detain the Gorgon; but the ship is too large, and I have not any other in which I could send home the detachment of marines. Immediately after the Gorgon sails it will be necessary to Rations. reduce the present ration of flour, and which I defer till after that ship has sailed with those of the detachment who are return- ing to England, as it might occasion some little uneasiness amongst those who remain; but I have not any other reason for saying this than knowing that the soldier being so frequently on a reduced ration must feel it. I am at the same time very con- fident that not any complaints will be made on that head. When the last ship left Norfolk Island the crops of corn pro- stores for mised well; and as I have to return to the island those marines Norfolk Island- who have been discharged to become settlers there, but who Major Eoss found it necessary to bring with him in order to settle their accounts before he discharged them, an addition will be made to the salt provisions on the island, and which will be sent with the settlers in one of the ships going to Bombay, or in one of the whalers. It will be an expence to the Crown of about one hun- dred and fifty pounds; but which, as the men have been brought here, is unavoidable. The frequent showers of rain which we have had lately gives reason to expect that our Indian corn will be good ; and the wheat and barley have turned out better than was expected. As your Lordship's letter of the 19th of February, 1791, marked No. 10, has the following words, " The proceedings of Major Major Rosa Ross and Captain Campbell according to your representations, " Campbell. I beg that your Lordship will permit me to say that the repre- sentations I have made of the conduct of those officers are just and impartial, and which do not admit of a doubt. I believe Major Ross's or Captain Campbell's friends could not have represented their conduct in a more favorable point of view, without having deviated from truth; and the representations I made appeared to me to be necessary for the good of his Majesty's service. Your Lordship's letter, I presume, alludes to the business of the Criminal Court and to the 11 ight -watch. f Some proofs are * Note 162. t Note 181. 324 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. 15 Dec. before your Lordship, and most of the officers are now returning to England with Major Ross and Captain Campbell. I am dis- tant, no ways connected with the corps, and am sensible that offrs. may not readily stand forth to support a charge brought against one of their own corps, and by a commanding officer of whom some of them may think they have reason to complain. Still I beg leave to say that I have sufficient confidence in those officers to submit every representation I have made regarding Major Ross or Captain Campbell being determined on in my absence; and have only to add that Major Ross and Captain Campbell were officially informed that their conduct on the above matter, and on every occasion when their names have been men- tioned, would be laid before his Majesty's Secretary of State. I have, &c, A. Phillip. [Enclosure No. 1. ] [A copy of the return of Marines, who remained in New South Wales, has not yet been found. '] [Enclosure No. 2. ] Return of Settlers at and near Parramatta. Settler, late superiutendant of convicts 1 Settlers, late of the marines 8 „ seamen, late of his Majesty's ship Sirius 2 „ convicts whose sentences of transportation have expired 34 At Norfolk Island. Settlers, late of the marines „ seamen, late of his Majesty's ship Sirius Settler, seaman, late of his Majesty's armed tender Supply Settlers, convicts whose sentences of transportation have expired „ from the marines ready to embark 45 31 8 1 39 23 102 Governor Phillip to Lord Grenville. ( Per H. M. ship Gorgon ; acknowledged by Rt. Hon. Henry Dundas, 14th July, 1792. ) Sydney, New South Wales, My Lord, 16th December, 1791. I have the honor to transmit the duplicates of four warrants of emancipation under the seal of the Government of this territory, pursuant to his Majesty's commission under the great seal for that purpose. I have, &c, A. Phillip. PHILLIP TO GREXVILLE. 325 [Enclosure No. 1. ] 1791 Warrant of Emancipation, Number 1. lo Dec- Whereas His Majesty by a Commission under the Great Seal of emanSpation. Great Britain, bearing Date the Eighth Day of November in the Thirty-first year of His Majesty's Reign, hath been graciously pleased to give and grant full Power and Authority under the Governor or (in case of his death or absence) the Lieutenant- Governor for the time being of His Majesty's Territory of the Eastern Coast of New South Wales and the Islands thereunto adjacent, by an Instrument or Instruments in writing under the Seal of the Government of the said Territory, or as he or they respectively shall think fit and convenient for His Majesty's Service, to remit either absolutely or conditionally the whole or any part of the time or term for which Felons or other offenders, shall have been or shall hereafter be respectively conveyed and transported to the Eastern Coast of New South Wales, or to the Islands thereunto adjacent. By Virtue of the Power and Authority vested as aforesaid, I, Arthur Phillip, His Majesty's Governor of the said Territory of New South Wales and the Islands thereunto adjacent, taking into consideration the unremitting good Conduct and Meritorious Behaviour of John Irving and deeming him the said John Irving a proper object of the Royal Mercy do hereby absolutely remit the remainder of the Time or Term which is yet unexpired of the original Sentence or order of Transportation passed on the said John Irving in the year of Our Lord One thousand seven hundred and eighty-five. Given under my Hand and Seal of the Territory at Sydney in New South Wales, this Sixteenth Day of December, in the year of Our Lord, One thousand seven hundred and ninety-one. A. Phillip. [Enclosures Nos. 2 and 3. ] [These are similarly worded warrants of emancipation to a bricklayer and to a woman who had married a superintendent, both dated 16th December, 1791. ]" L Enclosure No. 4. ] Warrant of Conditional Emancipation^. [This document, also dated lQth December, 1791, is a condi- tional pardon to fourteen convicts for good behaviour on the ship Guardian, both before and after the wreck, issued "pursuant 1791. 15 Dec. HISTOEICAL BECOBDS OF AUSTRALIA. to His Majesty's most gracious intentions/' and is worded in similar manner to Enclosure No. 1, with the addition of the following sentence'] : — Provided and On Condition that they continue to reside within the Limits of this Government and do not return and appear within any parts of the Kingdoms of Great Britain or Ireland during the terms or times specified in their several Sentences of Transportation. 16 Dec. Sailing of the Supply. Governor Phillip to Secretary Stephens. (Per H. M. ship Gorgon; acknowledged by Secretary Stephens, 21st July, 1792. ) Sir, Sydney, Dec. 16th, 1791. You will please to inform the Right Hon'ble the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty that the detachment of marines under the command of Major Ross are embark'd on board his Majesty's ship Gorgon, as directed by their Lordships, those excepted who remain for the service of this settlement until the remainder of the New South Wales Corps arrives, as mentioned in my letter by the Supply, No. 1, and those marines who have desired to be received as settlers, and who I have directed Major Ross to discharge, pursuant to the orders I have received on that head, and conformable to their Lordships' letter of the 8th of August, 1788, * made public at the head-quarters of the three divisions of marines. The inclosed return will shew the numbers embarked, who remain for duty, and who are become settlers. As Major Ross has expressed a doubt how far the marines who are become settlers are legally discharged, no orders having been received for that purpose from the Admiralty, I beg leave to observe that if their Lordships' pleasure is signified it may prevent any uneasiness on that head amongst the men dis- charged. His Majesty's armed tender Supply sailed from hence on the 26th of November. First-Lieutenant Creswell, of the marines, was embarked on board that vessel and charged with my letters for their Lordships. Major Ross having found it necessary to bring those marines from Norfolk Island who are to become settlers there, in order to their signing their accounts, they will be returned to the island by the Queen, transport, that ship being intended by the owners to proceed to Bombay, and will be ready to sail in the course of twelve or fourteen days. * Note 182. DUNDAS TO PHILLIP. 327 Some specimens of the timber of this country being put on 1791. board the Gorgon, the master's receipt is inclosed. Captain 16 Dec- Parker intends to sail the 18th, and to go round Cape Horn. I am, &c, [Enclosure. ] A' Phillip- [A copy of the return as to the disposition of the Marine Corps has not yet been found. '] Governor Phillip to Lord Grexville. (Despatch per H. M. ship Gorgon; acknowledged by Rt. Hon. Henry Dimdas, 14th July, 1792. ) My Lord, Sydney, December 17th, 1791. I have the honor to inclose your Lordship the Commis- Returns, sary's Return of the State of this Colony, as to the number of People, and the quantity of Provisions remaining in the Publick Stores. I am, &c, A. Phillip. [Enclosures Nos. 1 and 2. ] [Copies of the Commissary's two returns have not yet been found. ] The Right Hox. Hexry Duxdas to Goverxor Phillip. (Despatch No. 2, per store-ship Britannia; acknowledged by Governor Phillip, 2nd October, 1792. ) Sir, Whitehall, 10 January, 1792. jJ7J^ Your letters to Lord Grenville of the date and numbers Despatches, mentioned in the margin, * forwarded by the way of China, have been received, and with their several inclosures have been laid before the King. His Majesty's servants cannot but be aware of the unpleasant effects experienced in the settlements from the accident which happened to the Guardian, and how much that unfortunate dis- aster must have retarded the progress of the settlements. It will, Phillip's however, be a satisfaction to you to know that considering the approved, inconveniences with which you have had to struggle, they are perfectly satisfied that everything has been done by you which could under such circumstances, be reasonably expected. The settlement at Rose Hill promises soon to make a return for the labour which has been bestowed. From what you represent of its fertility, I perfectly agree with you that it would have been the most eligible spot for the first settlement; but circumstanced as you originally were, disappointed in your expectations respecting Botany Bay, and without any sort of information of the nature * 1— June 14, 1790; 2— June 14, 1790; 3— June 17, 1790; 4— June 20, 1790; 5— June 25, 1790; 6— July 2, 1790; 7— July 13, 1790; 8— July 14, 1790; 9— July 14, 1790; 10— July 17, 1790. HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1792. 10 Jan. of the country, it could hardly have been expected that you would have made a more judicious choice than you have done, especially when the advantages which must always be derived from a port so capacious and secure as Port Jackson are considered. With respect to the officers, non-commissioned officers, and such convicts as propose to become settlers, the time for which they were transported being expired, his Majesty's servants do not think it either adviseable or necessary to limit you to any given number of convicts* to be assigned to individuals so widely differ- ing in situation of life, character, and description; but from the opinion which they entertain of your prudence and discretion, they leave you to decide upon a point which must in a gre^t degree be governed by your knowledge of the character and ability of those to whom convicts are to be assigned. The more convicts that can be properly disposed of in this manner, I am inclined to think, the better. In like manner the quantity of provisions necessary to be granted to persons becom- ing settlers, and the cases wherein such quantity ought to be given at once, or retailed, must be left to your own judgment and discrimination. From the experiments which you have very properly made, it appears to his Majesty's Ministers, that in the present state of the settlement, one year's provisions for each settler and for each of the convicts to be assigned to each settler, exclusive of their respective rations, is not sufficient for their maintenance until they may become able to support themselves by their own in- dustry. But as to such settlers or convicts as may wish to establish themselves in Norfolk Island, I take it for granted from what you state of the fertility of its soil and other advantages, that one year's provisions will be sufficient; in your decision, however, upon this point with respect to such persons as become settlers, you will, I have no doubt, advert to what Lord Grenville had so strongly recommended to you, in his letter No. 10, f of weighing maturely the conduct of such convicts, and of appor- tioning the bounty of Government to them according to their deserts. One year's cloathing I should imagine would do, either in New South Wales or in Norfolk Island, but you are at liberty to increase that proportion if absolutely necessary; and respecting the necessity of such increase, you must naturally be more com- petent to determine than any person here. The payment of the fine specified in his Majesty's instructions by persons to whom lands are to be granted, or for compromising for such fine by a quantity of grain, is a point not necessary to be decided upon at this moment, it will, however, be thought of hereafter when matters of the same nature become the subject of discussion. * Note 183. t Note 184. DUNDAS TO PHILLIP. 329 It is not known here with any degree of certainty, whether 1792. Messrs. Lambert, Eoss, and Biddulph, of Calcutta, have carried 1Q Jan" their designs into execution of sending to you from Calcutta a stores cargo of provisions. If that could be depended upon there would be little occasion to send from hence for the present any furl her supply, particularly of flour; but in order to guard against acci- dents which possibly might happen to the ship (if she should have been sent) during her passage to New South Wales, or from the failure of the crops either there or in Norfolk Island, a supply is herewith sent out, together with some beef and pork; the quantity of each article is specified in the inclosed return. Your omitting to forward to me with your last dispatches an account of your stock of provisions prevents my forming an exact calculation on that head. I trust what is now sent, and which is exclusive of what may have been raised, will prove ade- quate to your exigencies. By a letter which I have received from Major Ross, dated the 29 August, 1790, * I had the pleasure of hearing, that from the state of the cultivation on Norfolk Island, it was probable that the crops of the present season would enable him to export some Grain from grain to New South Wales. If that should be the case, and you Norfolk Island- should not be disappointed in the expectations you have formed, and which appear by your letter No. 10, there seems to be a fair prospect of easing this country in a short time of a consider- able part of the expence of that establishment. A constant supply of grain being once secured, it will be necessary that you should turn your thoughts towards the means of obtaining such other supplies as are indispensably necessary, particularly horned cattle, goats, and hogs, the moment the Supply tender, or any other vessel you may have under your orders can be spared for that service. The ships which last touched at the Cape of Good Hope will carry you a small supply, and occasionally some few may be expected from hence; but unless these supplies can be obtained nearer at hand, it will be a long time before the settle- ment will be sufficiently stocked, and till that happens a constant expence for provisions must be incurred. It is to be hoped that some assistance will shortly be derived Manufacture on the spot in the article of clothing, as I observe by Major of Ross's letter that the flax-dresser had already made some progress towards it on Norfolk Island, and implements will be provided and sent out to you with a view to the manufacture of thai nrtide there. The want of a port at Norfolk Island is, as you justly observe, ^vantages ol a material objection to its becoming the principal settlement, but NolU, lk bland. in whatever degree it may be considered, it seems adviseable Erom * Note L85. 330 HISTORICAL EECOEDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1792. 10 Jan. King appointed Lieutenant- Governor of Norfolk Island. Phillip's appointments. Treatment of convicts in second fleet. its superior fertility that as many people as can properly be ac- commodated should be placed there, at least until some further progress is made, and supplies are more abundant than at present in New South Wales. Captain King, who has been specially appointed Lieutenant- Governor of Norfolk Island, will, I hope, have arrived long before this letter can reach you. His presence will remove any diffi- culties which you seem to have anticipated from an expectation of your being obliged to detach the Lieutenant-Governor and Commandant of the Corps to that island. The presence of Cap- tain King, and the assistance he will derive from the military will, I trust, for the present enable him to provide for the due administration of justice, until such settlers may arrive as may be of a proper description to be vested with a magisterial authority there. The persons who have been employed by you in public situa- tions will be compensated for their services. It was understood here that the principal duty under the Com- missary had been executed by Mr. Zachy Clarke, and under that idea, the appointment of Deputy-Commissary of Stores and Pro- visions on Norfolk Island has lately been given to him; but as Mr. Freeman's services appear to be equally necessary in the same capacity in New South Wales, the Lords of the Treasury- have consented that he shall have a similar allowance for his services there from the time he was first employed. It is much to be lamented from the description you have given of Mr. Dodd, that he cannot be prevailed upon to continue at Rose Hill to superintend the cultivation there. If by increasing his appointments from three to five shillings per diem it can be effected, you are at liberty to hold out that encouragement to him for any specific time. Three years might perhaps be sufficient, by which time a proper person might be found for a successor. As you are of course apprized of the extent of the services ren- dered by Mr. Murphy, * there will be no objection to your reward- ing them. For that and other purposes a remittance will be sent you by the Kitty, which you will apply with as much economy as possible. At the time the letters were written by you which I have now noticed, it appears that three or four of the superintendants had not arrived. I fear, however, that none of them will be found to answer the description which you seem to require, but if any one or two persons proper for that service can be engaged here, I shall take care to send them out to you by the first opportunity. The distresses to which the convicts sent out in the three ships were exposed during their voyage to New South Wales, is a sub- Note 186. DUNDAS TO PHILLIP. 331 ject into which the strictest enquiry will be made, in order to the 1792. bringing to punishment the persons who have been the cause of 10 Jan- that shocking calamity. I am also happy to inform you that such steps will be taken as will, I hope, in future effectually prevent the secreting and carrying away convicts or others from the settle- ment. The party so offending will be made liable to forfeit his contract or charter-party, and I request you will transmit to me every intelligence of such an offence, should it be committed, with proper affidavits authenticating the same. The men composing the corps which has been raised to serve in N. S. w. Corps. Xew South Wales under Major Grose have, as a condition of their enlisting, been promised the usual ration, except spirits, without any deduction from their pay. This will be explained to you by Major Grose upon his arrival, and will, I have no doubt, operate as a strong inducement to some of the marines to enlist in the additional company. When the cultivation of the settlement is somewhat farther advanced, the means of supplying the deficiency in the ration with beer will, I have no doubt, be one of the objects of your consideration. The Lords of the Admiralty have not yet determined on send- ing any ship to Xew South Wales to supply the loss of the Sirius, but as my predecessor has already informed you, that circum- stance will not occasion any decrease of the pecuniary emolu- ments with which it was understood by you that your situation was to be attended during your continuance abroad. I have the satisfaction of informing you that the address of Address to the officers of the Civil and Military Establishments to his the Kiug- Majesty on his happy recovery, which accompanied your letter Xo. 2, was received in the most gracious manner. Exclusive of the provisions and other articles which will be sent out in the Britannia, agreable to the invoice herewith trans- mitted, you will receive by the ship Kitty, who is now taking in stores and part of her cargo and I expect will sail in the course of this settlers to month, about three hundred tons of provisions, forty or fifty tons ' of cloathing and stores, together with thirty female and ten male convicts, the latter being such artificers and handy-craftsmen as are stated in your letters to be most wanted in the settlement. At the same time I take this opportunity of acquainting you that a ship of about four hundred tons is already taken up in conse- quence of my. directions for that purpose, in which it is intended to ship with all convenient speed such further articles as you have more particularly required in several of your letters, mid which are proposed to be sent, conformable to the inclosed list marked A, together with a year's cloathing for the settlement, and HISTOEICAL RECORDS OF AUSTEALIA. 1792. 10 Jan. lb. 23, 232 78, 432 203, 520 33, 633 12, 386 2, 790 44 Hhds. Beef. 258 Tierces do. 424 Hhds. Pork. 66 Hhds. Flour. 35 Barrels do. 11 Half-hhds. do. other articles, the particulars of which are contained in the List B. At the same time every encouragement will be given to induce certain settlers (who are Quakers, to the amount of fifteen families, and who have made proposals to Government) to em- bark by the same conveyance. Exclusive of the convict artificers as above-mentioned, terms have been offered for a master car- penter and a master miller, but as yet have not been accepted by any persons of sufficient character and reputation to be relied on. I have, however, no doubt of obtaining such persons before the Kitty sails from hence. I am, &c, Henry Dundas. [Enclosure No. 1. ] Invoice of Goods shipped on board the Britannia for New South Wales : — Shipped by the Grace of God, in good order, and well conditioned, by Alexander Davison, in and upon the good ship called the " Britannia, " whereof is Master, under God, for this present voyage, Wm. Raven, and now riding at anchor in the River Thames, and by God's Grace, bound for Port Jackson, now in New South Wales ; To say, Forty-four hogsheads and two hundred and fifty-eight tierces of beef, four hundred and twenty-four hogsheads of Pork, sixty-six hogs- heads, thirty-five barrels, and eleven half-hogsheads of flour, one hundred and ten casks of ironmongery, forty- one cases and three bales of clothing, and sixty bales of bedding, being marked and numbered as in the margin, and are to be delivered in the like good order, and well con- ditioned, at the aforesaid port of Port Jackson (the danger of the seas only excepted) , unto his Excellency Governor Phillip, or to Assigns. Freight for the said goods being paid with Primage and Average accus- tomed. In Witness whereof the Master or Purser of the said ship hath affirmed to three bills of lading, all of this tenor and date : the one of which three bills being accomplished, the other two to stand void. And so God send the good ship to her desired port in safety. Amen. Dated in London, 31 Dec, 1791. Wm. Malen, Mate. A. D. 840 a. 949 1, 053 a. 1, 064 1, 066 a. 1, 068 1, 071 a. 1, 074 1, 094 a. 1, 108 1, 110 a. 1, 116 1, 229 a. 1, 249 1, 288 a. 1, 299 1, 169"] 1, 228 J 110 Casks Stores. 12 Cases 3 do. 4 do. 15 do. 7 do. 21 Bales 12 do. 1, 022 Packages 60 Bales 1, 082 Packages Weight and contents unknown to — W. Raven. Duplicate. Exd. Alexr. Davison. KING TO PHILLIP. 333 [Enclosure No. 2. ] 1792# A. — Articles to be sent to New South Wales, in consequence of Governor 10 Jan. Phillip's representations. Invoice of 4 pair Millstones, with the necessary apparatus and gear for two stores. windmills. 9, 278 Gallons Rum, being the allowance of half a gallon for each person per annum. B. — Clothing and other articles for the settlement at New South Wales 928 pieces Ozenburgs. 310 pieces coarse Cloth. 560 doz. pairs coarse Yarn Stockings. 726 doz. and 8 pair coarse leather Shoes. 363 doz. common Hats. 363 doz. common leather Caps. 166 doz. women's neck Handkerchiefs. 3, 381 lb. coarse Thread. 181 doz. pieces Tape. 33, 367 Needles. 9 Groce Scissars. 1, 423 Groce horn Buttons. 117 cwt. black Leather. 19 cwt. vamping do. 523 lb. shoemakers' Thread. 20 sets shoemakers' Tools. 9 groce women's Thimbles. 4| groce men's Thimbles. 109 smoothing Irons. 19 cwt. Yarn. 1, 090 pair Blankets. 2, 180 Rugs. 47 pieces Ozenburgs. 109 pieces Flannel. 92 doz. pair Children's Shoes I ^ ro, "u 92 doz. hats or leather caps. ' 109 pieces Irish Linen. 1, 112 pair small Blankets. 10 groce small tooth Combs. 20 groce common Combs. 20 groce Razors. 10 groce commonest Knives. 100 lb. Pins. 450 cwt. Soap. Under-Secretary King to Governor Phillip. (Per store-ship Britannia; acknowledged by Governor Phillip, 4th October, 1792. ) Sir, Whitehall, 10th January, 1792. Mr. Nepean being gone to the West Indies for the recovery Nepean an of his health, it is become my duty (having had the honor of inv;lll(1- being appointed Under Secretary of State in this department) to acknowledge the receipt of your letters, sent by way of China to Mr. Nepean, Nos. 1 to 5 inclusive, with three others dated the 6th, Despatches 22nd, and 23rd of August, 1790. 334 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1792. 10 Jan. Specie to be sent. Orders in Council. Oil to be sent. Landmark at South Head. In the dispatch which has been written to you by Mr. Secretary Dundas you will find that many of the points to which these letters relate have been fully answered ; the rest I shall now reply to in the order in which they stand. The remittance which has now been made to you, in conse- quence of your application, will enable you to discharge any arrears of pay that may be due to such marine artificers as remain in New South Wales. The amount of the several sums due to those who may return will be liquidated here. It was intended that a certain quantity of specie should have been sent to you by the Guardian for this purpose, but circumstances interfered to prevent its being done. You will receive by the ships which have lately sailed most of the orders of His Majesty in Council which relate to the convicts already sent to New South Wales. Those which remain will be sent to you by the Kitty, and will explain to you the terms or times for which the said convicts have severally been sentenced to be transported. The accounts received of the rancid state of the butter sent out by the first ships, and the little utility with which that supply was attended, led to a supposition that an article of that sort might be dispensed with. It is, however, determined that, in consequence of your representation, a quantity of oil shall be sent out, which will answer most of the purposes of butter, and can be longer preserved. It is not altogether clear how far the marines were led to expect a supply of spirits for three years after their landing, but as Major Ross may be expected in the course of a few months, any doubts upon that subject may be cleared up, and there can be no question but that satisfaction will be made for any actual engagements on the part of Government which have not been compleatly fulfilled. The commanders of ships hereafter to be dispatched will be apprized of the landmark you have erected to direct their passage into Port Jackson, which, on a coast so little known, appears to have been a measure extremely necessary and proper. The decrease of the number of sick landed from the Neptune, Scarborough, and Surprize has afforded great satisfaction, and it is hoped that by the care and attention which they have received since their arrival the speedy recovery of the rest will soon be effected. Several affidavits have been taken since the return of the Neptune respecting the inhuman treatment said to have been offered to these people, with a view to the prosecution of the persons who were the cause of it, and in consequence of which the master, it is reported, has absconded. * I am, &c, J. Kixg. * Note 187 PHILLIP TO DUNDAS. 835 The Eight Hox. Hexry Dlxdas to Governor Phillip. * 1792 (Per transport Kitty; received by Governor Phillip. IStli November, 10 Feb- 1792. ) Sir, Whitehall, 10th February, 1792. Having written so fully to you by the Britannia, I have at present nothing- further to add than that you will receive with this letter by the ship Kitty the several articles specified in the stores. inclosed bills of lading, numbered 1 and 2. There will sail at the same time in the Kitty the male and Convicts, female convicts particularised in the list No. 3, wherein the respective occupations of the former are inserted opposite to their names. Such further articles as you have particularly required, together with a year's cloathing for the settlement, will be for- warded to you by a ship which I expect will be despatched in about six weeks, and on board which such settlers as have deter- mined to go will embark, with a master miller and carpenter. What the number of the settlers may amount to I cannot at present ascertain, but I think it will fall short of that stated in my last letter, No. 2, as having made proposals to Government. I also inclose you a copy of the Order-in-Council (No. 4) respecting all the convicts now sent (those from Ireland excepted) , and con- cerning whom the Orders-in-Couneil have not yet been trans- mitted to me from that kingdom. I have &c. Hexry Duxdas. [Enclosure No. 1. ] Shipped by the Grace of God, in good Order, and well conditioned, by Alexander Davison, in and upon the good Ship called the Kitty, whereof is Master, under God, for this present voyage, George Ramsay, and now A. D. riding at Anchor in the River Thames, and by God's Governor Phillip. Grace bound for Port Jackson, to say, Two Chests, containing Three thousand Eight hundred and Seventy No. 1 — A Chest. Ounces of Silver, in Dollars, being marked and num- No. 2 — A Chest. bered as in the Margin, and are to be delivered in the — like good Order and well conditioned at the aforesaid 2 Chests. Port of Port Jackson (the Danger of the Seas and Pirates only excepted) unto His Excellency Governor Phillip, or to his Assigns, Freight for the said goods being paid, with Primage and Average accustomed. In witness whereof, the Master or Purser of the said Ship hath affirmed to Four Bills of Lading, all of this Tenor and Date, the One of which Bills, being accomplished, the other Three to stand void. And so God send the good Ship to her desired Port in Safety. Amen. Dated in London, 2d February, 1792. Contents unknown to 6. Ramsay. Harpur Street, 8 February, 1792. A i. ex. Davison. * Note L88. 336 HISTOKICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1792. 10 Feb. [Enclosure No. 2. ] [A bill of lading, worded in similar manner to Enclosure No. 1, with the addition of the package numbers in the margin, notifying the shipment on the Kitty of four casks, one hundred and nine cases, twenty jugs, twenty kegs, seventy-three bales, twenty coils, seven pigs lead, six vices, three hick irons, three anvils and one hundred cast-iron pots. '] [Enclosure No. 3. ] [This list specifies fifteen women convicts, of whom two were sentenced to transportation for life and the remainder for seven years, and eleven men of whom two were transported for life and nine for seven years. Of the men by trade three were carpenters, two brickmakers, two bricklayers, one gardener, one joiner, and one blacksmith. In addition to these, fourteen female convicts from Dublin are enumerated without particulars. ] [Enclosure No. 4. ] [A copy of this Transportation Order has not yet been found. '] 19 March. Despatches. Convicts per transport Pitt. Replies to despatches anticipated. Governor Phillip to the Eight Hon. Henry Dundas. (Per transport Pitt to Bengal, and thence to England. *) Sir, Sydney, March 19th, 1792. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter marked No. 1, and dated the 5th of July, '91, by the Pitt, in which ship Major Grose arrived with the company of the New South Wales Corps. The Pitt arrived here the 14th of last month, had been very sickly on the passage, and buried thirteen soldiers, seven seamen, twenty male convicts, and nine women. One hundred and twenty male convicts were sick when landed, but I have the satisfaction of finding those who have been re- ceived from the Pitt less emaciated, and in appearance fitter for labour, than most of those who have been hitherto received. In proceeding to answer your letter, I have, sir, to beg leave to refer to mine by the Supply, armed tender, and by his Majesty's ship Gorgon ;f they will show the state of the colony, the neces- sary articles of which we stand in need, my reasons for sending the Supply to England, and the Atlantic, store-ship, to Calcutta ; also what may be expected from this settlement respecting the raising a sufficient quantity of flour and maize for the support of its inhabitants. The great necessity of sending out a proper person to be charged with the culture of the ground and with the grain which is raised, until it is deliver'd to the Commissary, has also been mentioned in those letters, there not being any person in this settlement properly qualified for that charge. * Note 189. t Note 190. PHILLIP TO DUXDAS. 337 Returns have been made by the Commissary of what provisions 1792. have been rec'd from the diiferent ships and from Batavia, * but 19 March- none have ever been received from Calcutta, and from the length stores received, of time since a supply from that quarter was mentioned, I had given up all expectation of it before the Atlantic was sent from hence. The vessel sent out in frames has been landed, and I Colonial vessel, hope that we shall be able to set her up; but for doing which we have only three or four ordinary shipwrights, and it is much to be regretted that the Navy Board did not judge it necessary to send out one or two good shipwrights; and all vessels intended to remain for any time in this country should be coppered, as wooden bottoms will be destroyed by the wormes in less than two years. When this vessel is set up, she must remain until proper people can be found to man her. I have, sir, in my former letters given an opinion as to the necessity of the ships employed on this station being commanded by King's officers, and from them small vessels may be manned; but no dependance can be placed on convicts. Many great inconveniences attend our being without any ship on this station, and I should have retained the Supply until that vessel had been relieved; but the carpenters who were on the survey were of opinion that after her going once to Norfolk Island repairs would be necessary which could not be given in this country; consequently the Supply, if not sent home, must have remained useless in the harbour, and I had not any use for her seamen. The Gorgon sailed from hence the 18th day of December, since which not any material change has happened; and I am very sorry to say that most of the convicts who were received by the Health of t i • 1 . in . . 1 i i . - , • t . i • i COlOlllsts. last snipsf still continue in the same debilitated state in which they were landed, and of whom, in less than seven months, two hundred and eighty-eight men have died. In the seven months prior to the arrival of those ships, the deaths were nineteen. The returns of sick this day is — civil and military, eighteen; male convicts, three hundred and ninety-four; and females, seventeen. The want of cloathing and of many articles which the Com- stores required, missary has demanded makes me anxious for the arrival of the ship which was to follow the Pitt. We have not tools sufficient for the people, and the cloathing which has been rec'd for the use of the convicts is so very slight that most of the people are naked ;i few weeks after they have been cloathed. The Commissary's return will show the quantity of provisions remaining in store, and you will, sir, easily conceive how much this colony must have been thrown back, and still suffers, from Ser. T. Vol. I— Y * Note 191. f Note 192. 88X HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1792. 19 March. Live stock wanted. Superior settlers wanted. having been for such a length of time at a reduced ration. I am very sensible that the colony would have been liberally supplied with every necessary but from events which could not have been foreseen; still, sir, the inconveniences are felt, and people are dispirited, particularly the settlers, for whom live stock is much wanted, in order to enable them to support themselves at the expiration of the time for which they are to be supported from the public store (eighteen months). The publick live stock is not sufficient for those settlers to whom I have already granted land; what may be expected by the Daedalus is, I fear, very uncertain, and, at any rate, not to be looked for this year. It is also to be apprehended that the Daedalus, after so long a voyage, may stand in need of considerable repairs, and the best carpenters we have had in this settlement have left it. I have, sir, long hoped to see a ship, or a couple of ships, sent from England for the purpose of bringing live stock to this colony, and beg leave to observe that if such a ship as the Gorgon was to be properly fitted in England, with only half-a-dozen guns mounted, she would be able to bring ten times more live stock than the colony has hitherto received; but then I suppose no live stock to be on board such ship when she leaves the Cape of Good Hope but what is on the public account and intended to be landed in the settlement. A few draft horses, and from fifteen to twenty asses, with two or three English rams, are much wanted, and the English ewes would do better in this country than the Cape ewes, which grow too fat to breed. The above animals, with cows, ewes, swine, and a couple of bulls, are the only stock wanted. What we received from the Gorgon thrives well, but unfortunately all the bulls died on the passage, and we have not one in the colony. I have, sir, in all my letters pointed out the great advantages which would attend our having a few intelligent farmers as settlers. They would do more for the colony than five hundred settlers from soldiers or convicts, very few of whom are calculated for the life they must necessarily lead in this country, where they are so entirely cut off from the gratifications in which most of them have always placed their happiness; but I do not think that so great an encouragement is necessary to be given at present to settlers who may be sent out as there was at first. I think those who are to be supported from the public store should not receive that support for more than eighteen months, in the room of two years, as I find proposed, and that at the expiration of the eighteen months they should return all the convicts they may have been allowed, or pay for their hire (in grain) if they retained them any longer. PHILLIP TO DUNDAS. 339 What I feared from the kind of settlers I have been obliged to 1792. accept has happened in several instances. They have grown tired 19 March- of a life so different to that in which they had been brought up, Conduct of . settlers. and wish to give up their grounds, or have sold the little live stock they had raised to procure articles for which they do not reap any real benefit, and which they find means of getting from the ships. But, of fifty-eight settlers who have been placed round Parramatta, only half-a-dozen have hitherto come under this description, and four convicts, whose times being expired, became settlers, now support a convict each, who works for them. One settler went away when the last ships sailed, and two more have left their grounds and gone on board the Pitt, and I have just received an account of twenty-two men and nine women who are received on board that ship, the terms for which they had been sentenced being expired. Thus will the best people always be carried away, for those who cannot be received on board the ships as seamen or carpenters pay for their passage. The maize, which is now getting in, turns out much better The harvest, than could have been expected from the dry weather and the late season in which it was put into the ground. Mills for grinding this grain are much wanted. The iron mills which have been sent out are very soon rendered useless; they are said to be not of the best kind, and the people who use them cannot be supposed to be the most careful. A windmill will save an infinite deal of labour. The wheat of last year (about four hundred bushels) has been issued to the people; the wheat of this year's growth, which is estimated at five hundred bushels, and seventy bushels of barley, will be kept for seed. I suppose that about nine hundred acres of ground will be sowed this year with maize and wheat; but little labour is done at present, for the people are in general very weak. The ration now issued is, to a man for seven days, five Rations, pounds of flour and four pounds of pork; at which ration we have flour for fifty-two days and pork for one hundred and forty- seven days. At Norfolk Island, from a mistake made by the storekeeper, stores at , , . , , . „ , , . , , , . , . f ISoriolk Island. they did not receive their lull proportion 01 beef and pork when the last supplies were sent to the island; but seven weeks' beef and thirteen weeks' pork (at the established ration) , with what stores and cloathing can be spared, are now shipped on board the Pitt, and that ship will sail for the island in a few days. The owners of the Pitt are to be paid six hundred and fifty-one pounds freight for the provisions, &c, which the ship carries; and the master having offer'd to proceed to Calcutta, and take his chance 340 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1792. 19 March. Stores from India. Report oil laud. of being hired to bring the provisions to this settlement which have been ordered by the Atlantic, if from any accident that ship should have been prevented reaching Calcutta, I have availed myself of this offer, it not being attended with any expence to the Crown. He proceeds to Calcutta immediately after landing what he has on board for Norfolk Island, and I have sent duplicates of my letters which went by the Atlantic to Lord Cornwallis and Messrs. Lambert & Co. , from whom the provisions were to be purchased, so that we may be pretty certain of receiving the flour and pease which have been ordered; but I shall not think it necessary to send for any further supplies, as I understand by your letter that another ship was to follow the Pitt, and that the colony would be furnished with what might be judged requisite. If it should appear that I have too frequently adverted to our wants, my being probed by the wants of every individual, and what I feel still more, the knowing how much might have been done in the time I have been in this country, and in how very different a state it would have been had we been more fortunate in receiving the necessary supplies and a few intelligent men, so very requisite in a young colony, will, I hope, plead my excuse. The extraordinary accounts which have been given of this country have induced me frequently to enter into little details wch. I thought might lead to the forming a just opinion of it. And I now, sir, inclose the copy of a letter which does not, I believe, give a more favourable account of the soil than what it deserves, for when I ordered the ground to be examined I particularly directed the report to be made with such caution that on any future examination the soil might appear in every part to be to the full as good as it should be represented. The person who has examined the ground was sent out in the Gorgon as a superintendant, was brought up a gardener, and has been for several months employed in surveying and marking out allotments of land for the settlers, and he is a very steady man, and may be supposed to be a much better judge of the good or bad qualities of the ground than any of those persons who have hitherto given their opinions. I have, &c, A. Phillip. [Enclosure No. 1. ] Parramatta, February 24th, 1792. In obedience to your Excellency's directions, I have attended to the land at and round Parramatta * and it is my opinion that where the thirteen settlers are, at the foot of Prospect Hill, the land is excellent. It is a black rich light soil, in depth from four- * Xote 193. PHILLIP TO DUNDAS. 341 teen to twenty inches, and for a considerable distance to the 1792. southward, westward, and eastward of those settlers the land is very good. Where the four settlers at the northern farm are, * and for several miles to the northward and to the eastward of them, the ground is very excellent. It is a fine rich clammy light loam, from fifteen inches to two feet in depth. Round the fifteen settlers at the Ponds, at the Field of Mars, where the eight marine settlers are placed, and where the nine eastern settlersf are, the land is a very good light loam of a middling depth. Ruse's, Williams's, and Stewart's grounds are exceeding good; Schaffer's, Webb's, and Reid's allotments^: are of a middling quality, inclining to a loamy sand. It appears to me that all the above settlers will succeed very well, excepting two at Prospect Hill — John Silverthorn, who employs his time chiefly in working for the other settlers, and Thos. Martin, a person entirely ignorant respecting agriculture; and at the Ponds, Thos. Kelly, Jos. Marshall, and Edward Elliott; they are persons who cultivate their ground in a very slovenly manner; and are very dilatory. The above five named have complained that their ground is bad, and will produce nothing. I have carefully examined into it, and I find it to proceed from the before-mentioned causes, and not from sterility in the soil. I likewise have attended to the nature of the ground at the new farms, where I find several hundred, yea, some thousands, of acres of very good land fit for cultivating. § The ground in cultivation at Parramatta is good, inclining to sand, and the greatest part of what is enclosed for cattle is of a middling quality, very fit for pasture. I beg leave to observe here that where the different species of red gum-trees grow the earth has a great portion of oils mixed with it, and unless the ground is properly worked and turned over to meliorate and disolve those oils, the first crop will come to little account, David Burton, Superintendent. * Marginal Note by Governor Phillip. — Little more than 1 mile to the northward of tlic town. t Margined, Note by Governor Phillip. — The 15 settlers are from 2 to 3 miles to the N. E. of Parramatta. The Field of Mars is at the entrance of the creek leading to Parramatta. The nine settlers are from 4 to 6 miles to the cast. <>t Parramatta. % Marginal Note by Governor Phillip. — These farms arc mar the town and on the creek, except the first. !< Marginal Nate by Governor Phillip. — These arc public grounds a1 bom 2 to 3 miles to the westward and north-west of I'arramatta. 342 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1792, 19 March, CI 6 u g CD o "v a H OS t- ^? w r-i a QO tH "3 Pi Id 1— 1 ro Fh O & d c3 03 -M c3 a Sh Fh a Pn oS CO g © CD CD m o < GO •sajo^g aqa raoaj pjicrnoiA ^ou 3[d09(j US - ; s a -IS a 03 a '> '5 'uaiprpiQ -" SO •U3UIOAV - - - •02? 'gaad8aj(8ao;s 's^u^pua^uiaadng 5<1 ■* IN -. {j^ssnuinoo-^ndaa •jo. (3Aans-^nd3Q : H ^ suoaSjris-^u^sissv •ureid^qQ - CO CO : •IT5I1J'BI^-}S0A0. T(J : - •uoaSans I^dpuUff H MOA"aA. ing : •. fjTJSSIUiraOQ - 3^BD0ApV-9^pnf : c 9 a. P C s i najprtqo ?i Ol n •U9UI0A\ f- n : •sdaoo sb\v\\ mnos A\3fl 311J JO lUCpUTJUIUIOO-JoCBrc pUB 'X. io;uj9X ^m io aouj3AOO-in3n : : -J0U. I9A00 pUB •lT3J3U3f)-U!'BldBO - B y s 1 1 C3 o 2 H 1 OS 30 ; A • . 5 : £ ! i. '^ o ■3 *° 1 C " 03 5 g : ■ i'c 16 January, 17f2— Norfolk Island, as per return PHILLIP TO DUNDAS. 343 E •iiOpuB ja;»ng : : : •as^aj ■51-lOd 1 "Si'Bp ^ fs * to 0*0 §-2 ■U91U0A\ : rt : : k3 •U9K CM lO 'SJOIAiiOQ w >* 11 •a^doaj 99jj s h »i •U91U0A\ •o *>} - to •uaK cc CO . u • a . "3 • C a • V — "S "o ! »5 01 CO 5 J, 5 cS c • * : o ; 1 1 s rH_ "3 ai - a P 1 = S3 . ; E 2 £ 2 -J 3 , £ 2 * 'O 1792, >> 19 March, at Norfolk Island 344 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1792, Governor Phillip to the Eight Hon. Henry Dundas. 20 March (Per transport Pitt to Bengal, and thence to England. *) Sir, Sydney, New South Wales, 20th March, 1792. Provost Marshal ' I have the honour to inform you that I have appointed Mr. Fane Edge, f who has for some time done the duty of Town Adjutant at this place, to be Provost-Marshall of Norfolk Island, until his Majesty's pleasure is known; such an officer being much wanted on the island, and the person I have appointed being properly qualified for that office, I beg leave to recommend him for a confirmation of the appointment, with such salary as may be judged proper. Registrar of I have, sir, also appointed Mr. Richard Atkinsf to be Registrar CoiirtAdnUral8 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1792. tend it. The women in general marry, and if their husbands are 26 June. employed in the fields, their attendance in their huts is necessary, and most of them have children; and the quantity of clothing immediately necessary whenever the store-ships arrive is now become so very considerable that I find it impossible (having the clothing to make) to supply the convicts regularly at stated periods. Frocks, trousers, shirts, shifts, gowns, and petticoats might, I presume, be made in India for this colony, and by introducing one stripe of a different colour from the rest, prevent what is intended for the convicts from being sold to the soldier or the settler; and such distinguishing mark should be put on every- thing intended for the use of the convicts. A copy of Mr. Biddulph's letter to me is inclosed. To what Messrs. Lambert, Ross, & Co. might have had to offer on that head I am a stranger, as Lieutenant Bowen was obliged to sail without having received his letters, or a copy of the contract made on purchasing the provisions for this colony, and for which he had waited at the mouth of the river as long as he judged it prudent. I am, &c, A. Phillip. [Enclosure. ] Mr. Robert Biddulph to Governor Phillip. Sir, Calcutta, February 28th, 1792. Tho' circumstances that Mr. Bowen may perhaps take an opportunity of explaining to your Excellency have prevented me from taking any part in the supply of provisions at present shipping for the colony under your command, I have by no means given up my intention of offering my services to you and his Majesty's ministers sat home. By the letter* which you did me the honour to write me in conjunction with Messrs. Lambert and Ross, I considered the Atlantic as consigned to us, as did those gentlemen also; the affair took another turn, and after much consultation and speculation on the subject an offer was made by Messrs. Lambert and Ross, entirely unknown to me, which has been accepted. The present supply is so small an object that I mention it for no other reason than to give me an opportunity of observing that my exclusion has not been voluntary, as the business upon the grounds it has been concluded was never made known to me. Had it been so I should have taken my part in it under the ex- pectation that it would have been continued to more favourable times. I beg, therefore, to tender my services to your Excellency and the colony, and it is my intention to offer them to his Majesty's ministers in Europe, being now about to return there. * Note 203. LONG AND STEPHENS TO PHILLIP. 359 The offer I have now the honour to make is on my own account, 1792. and on the same terms as my joint offer with Messrs. Lambert 26 June* and Ross, and any orders in consequence which your Excellency may please to address to me in Calcutta will be duly attended to by my attornies, Messrs. King and Johnson, who are regularly authorized to act for me in such cases during my absence. I beg leave to trouble your Excellency with an explanation of one part of my conduct, which may perhaps be construed to ex- clude me from any future claim, " that I refused to enter into any warrantee. " Delivering the articles required at prices to be certi- fied by the commanding officer, I certainly did so, as did likewise Messrs. Lambert and Ross; but as the terms of the original offer was never suggested to me, I hope it will not be supposed that I have declined adhering to them. Mr. Bowen does me the favour to carry a sample of cloathing of various kinds, which I will deliver at New South Wales at the following rates, viz. : — Shirts, Is. 4-Jd. (one shilling and four- pence half-penny) ; trowsers, 3s. 5d. (three shillings and five- pence) ; shoes, 3s. 6d. (three shillings and sixpence) ; frocks, 4s. (four shillings). I have, &c, ROBT. BlDDULPH. Secretary Long to Governor Phillip. (Per store-ship Bellona. ) Sir, Treasury Chambers, 27th June, 1792. 27 June. Having laid before My Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury your letter of the 15th of January 1791 advising of your having drawn a Bill on this Board for £100 in favour of Mr. Detmer Smith. I am commanded by their Lordships to acquaint you they have directed the Bill to be paid by the Agent and carried to your private Account. I am, &c, Charles Long. Secretary Stephens to Governor Phillip. (Per store-ship Bellona; received by Lieut. -Governor Grose, 16th January, 1793. ) Sir, Admiralty, 29th June, 1792. 29 June. Having laid before my Lords Comm'rs of the Adm'y your Loss of the letter of the 26th March, 1791, requesting that the want of the Egg. Mrtm. books and papers therein mentioned may be dispensed with, they having been lost when his Majesty's ship Sirius was wrecked, to enable you to pay your accounts for the said ship, I am com- manded by their Lordships to acquaint you that they have given you an order for that purpose. I am, &C, P. S. HISTORICAL KECOKDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1792. 4 July. Sir Geo. Yoxge to Goyerxor Phillip. (Per store-ship Bellona; received by Lieut-Governor Grose. 16tk January, 1703. ) Sir, War Office, 4th July, 1792. I have had the honor of laying before the King your dispatch of the 15 Deer. , 1791, " with the letters and papers accom- panying it from Capt. Nepean and Lieut. Mc Arthur, both of the New South Wales Corps, and at the same time I informed his Majesty that Major Grose and other officers of his corps (among them Captn. Foveaux, whose absence alone appears to have prevented your bringing Mr. McArthur to a court-martial) must have arrived at Sydney a few weeks after the date of your letter. His Majesty thinks it most likely that the arrival of those officers will have occasioned you to take some further steps in the affair, the result of which must, of course, be waited for before his Majesty can attempt to form a judgment thereupon. His Majesty is sensible of the inconveniences which, in the present state of the colony, must attend the assembling of a general court-martial in New South Wales; and an additional difficulty is created by the return of the marine officers of this country, whose depositions could not be admitted in evidence against Captain Nepean without his express and spontaneous consent: on the other hand, the ordering the parties home with their respective witnesses (most of whom, if not all military persons) would be productive of at least equal inconvenience to your Government, and so much time might elapse before the trial could be brought on here as to exceed the limits of a mili- tary prosecution prescribed by the Military Act, the facts alleged against Lieut. McArthur being understood to have taken place a considerable time before he left Europe. Under these difficulties I am ordered to acquaint you that nothing will be more satisfactory to his Majesty than to find by a subsequent report from you that you have been able, in some proper way or other, to ascertain the real circumstances of the difference between Captn. Nepean and Lieut. McArthur, and to supply such information thereupon as* may afford to his Majesty the means of deciding upon the respective conduct of these officers, and of disposing finally of the business without prejudice to the honor of his service, and without giving either of the parties just cause to complain that they have not been allowed full opportunity of justifying themselves upon the several matters in question. I have, &c, Geo. Yonge. * Xote 179. STEPHENS, LOXG, AND NEPEAN TO PHILLIP. 361 Secretary Stephens to Governor Phillip. 1792. (Per store-ship Bellona. ) 6 Jldy Sir, Admiralty Office, 6th July, 1792. My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty having been Donovan pleased to promote Mr. Secretary Donovan* to the rank of a JJnk oV to Lieutenant in His Majesty's Navy, I am commanded by their Lieutenant. Lordships to send you his Commission inclosed, which you will please to deliver to him on his taking the usual Oaths, and pay- ing into the Hands of your Secretary the established Fee of £1 Is. 6d. , for the said Commission, whom you will please to permit to receive and be accountable to this Office for the same. I am, &c, Php. Stephens. Secretary Long to Governor Phillip. (Per store-ship Bellona. ) Sir, Treasury Chambers, 12 July, 1792. 12 July. Having laid before the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury your Letter dated Sydney New South Wales the 20th Novr. last advising of your having drawn a Bill for £100 in favour of Captain David Collins I am commanded by their Lordships to acquaint you they have ordered the Bill to be paid by the Agent for New South Wales and to be charged to your Account. I am, &c, Charles Long. Under-Secretary Nepean to Governor Phillip. (Per store-ship Bellona. ) Sir, Whitehall, 12th July, 1792. I have received your Letters numbered 3 and 4f and I Despatches have great Satisfaction in referring you to Mr. Secretary acknowledged. Dundas' Letter of the 10th of January last, in answer to what you have stated relative to such Convicts as have been secreted on board the Vessels which have sailed from New South Wales. The Steps which have been taken to restrain so pernicious a Practice in future are not dissimilar to those you have suggested and will I trust be attended with the desired Effect. You will also find by the late and present Dispatches from Mr. Secretary Dundas, that your requisition for Corn-mills and sundry other Articles stated in the List transmitted by the Com- missary has been complied with; but the quantity required of each Article was not specified which it is desirous may be done in all future Lists. * Note 203a. t Note 203&. 1792. 12 July. HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. The Copy of the Letter to you from the Surgeon of the New South Wales Corps, enclosed in yours, No. 4, with your observations thereon, has been transmitted to the War Office and you will I hope in consequence receive an Answer by this Conveyance. Inclosed are Duplicates of the List of Convicts sent out in the Royal Admiral and of the Estimates for 1793. I am, &c, Evan Nepean. P. S. — I have likewise transmitted you a Copy of the Agree- ment made with Jas. Thorpe Master Millwright. Such Bills as are drawn in his favour in discharge of his Salary will be directed to be discharged upon their being accompanied with proper Vouchers. E. N. [Enclosure No. 1. ] [A copy of the list of convicts has not yet oeen found. '] [Enclosure No. 2. ] Estimate of the Charge of defraying the Civil Establishment of New South Wales from the 10th of Octr. 1792 to the 10th of Octr. 1793. Allowance to the Governor £1, 000 0 0 Lieut-Governor 250 0 0 Deputy Judge- Advocate ... 182 10 0 Commissary 182 10 0 Provost Marshal 91 5 0 Secretary to the Governor 91 5 0 For Stationary 20 0 0 Chaplain 182 10 0 Surgeon 182 10 0 3 Mates each £91 5 0 273 15 0 Surveyor of Lauds 182 10 0 Lieutenant-Governor of Norfolk Island 250 0 0 Assistant Chaplain 146 0 0 Deputy Commissary of Stores 91 5 0 at Norfolk Island... 91 5 0 Deputy Surveyor of Lands 91 5 0 Ten Superintendants of Convicts at £40 per Annum each engaged to serve three years after their landing : 400 0 0 Agent 150 0 0 Arrears of Allowance for Secretary and Stationary from Oct. 10th 1786 to October 10th 1792 667 10 0 Upon Account for Payment of Fees upon the Receipt of Audit 200 0 0 Total £4. 726 0 0 NEPEAN TO PHILLIP. 363 [Enclosure No. 3. ] 1792. Ax Agreement entered into and made the twenty fourth day of . ' July in the Year One thousand seven hundred and ninety two jS^Sme^ Between Alexander Davison of Harpur Street in the County of master miller. Middlesex and Kingdom of Great Britain Esquire in Virtue of a Letter of Authority to him from John King, Esquire, One of His Majesty's Under Secretaries of State for the Home Department, on Behalf of Government, of the one Part, and James Thorp, now belonging to or employed by Mr. Samuel Wyatt of the Albion Mills Black Friars Bridge in the County of Surry Mill- wright of the other Part as follows : First — the said James Thorp doth agree with the said Alex- ander Davison, that he will embark on board of the Bellona for Xew South Wales, to act as a Master Millwright in His Majesty's Service in erecting Mills in that Country for the Space of Three Years commencing from the Day of the date of these Presents : And in consideration of which the said Alexander Davison doth promise and agree that he will find or cause to be found for the said James Thorp good and sufficient Clothing and Provisions during the whole of the said Term of Three Years commencing as aforesaid. And will also pay or cause to be paid to the said James Thorp as a Salary for such his Service the annual Sum of One Hundred Guineas by even half yearly Payments during the said Term of Three Years the first Payment thereof to begin or be made at the Expiration of half a Year or six Calendar from the date hereof. And the said Alexander Davison shall and will pay or cause to be paid the expences of conveying the said James Thorp to the said Settlement. And in case the said James Thorp, shall during the whole of the said Term serve in the Capacity and Place aforesaid, that he the said Alexander Davi- son will pay all of his Expences of returning to England at the expiration thereof or otherwise occasion a free Passage to him. And the said Alexander Davison doth hereby require authorise and empower Arthur Phillip Esquire Governor of the said Colony to provide for the said James Thorp such good and sufficient Clothing and Provisions as aforesaid during the said Term and to pay the said Salary as the same shall become due for such Service as aforesaid to the said James Thorp his Executors Administrators or Assigns: And also to pay such essential expenses of the Voyage of the said James Thorp from the said Colony as aforesaid. And the said James Thorp doth hereby further covenant promise and agree that the said James Thorp will well and truly conduct demean and behave himself in the said Business or Employ of a Master Millwright in His 4 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1792. Majesty's Service as aforesaid for and during the full Term of 12 July. three Years commencing as aforesaid. And lastly the said Parties do agree with each other that in case either of them shall not well and truly perform this Agreement and carry it into execution as aforesaid that the Party non performing the same shall and will forfeit and pay to the other of them the Sum of One hundred Pounds as soon as may be after such Default. In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands and seals at London the day and year first above written. Alexr. Davison. J as. Thorp. Sealed and delivered (being first duly stampt) in the presence of: — Geo. Laremuth and Jas. Ainslie. Harpur Street. Received 24th July 1792 of A. Davison Esq. 50 guineas being 6 Months' Advance of Wages due me on the 24th Jan. 1793 next by Government at the rate of 100 Guineas per Annum com- mencing this Day as per Agreement above. Jas. Thorp, Master Millwright going out in the Witness: Geo. Laremuth. Bellona to New South Wales. 14 July. Secretary Long to Governor Phillip. (Per store-ship Bellona. ) Sir, Treasury Chambers, 14 July, 1792. Having laid before My Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury a Letter from Mr. Commissary Palmer dated Sydney New South Wales the 21st October last advising of his having drawn a Bill for £100 for the purchase of sundry Articles for the Use of that Settlement I am commanded by their Lord- ships to acquaint you they have directed the Agent for the Colony to pay the said Bill upon Account but my Lords are pleased to desire that in future you will yourself draw for all the Contingent Expences of the Colony. I am, &c, Charles Long. The Eight Hon. Henry Dundas to Governor Phillip. (Per store-ship Bellona; acknowledged hy Lieutenant-Governor Grose, 16th February, 1793. ) Sir, Whitehall, 14 July, 1792. In my last letter of the 15th May, I stated that the re- mainder of the articles left out of the Eoyal Admiral, together with such settlers as should be willing to embark on the condi- DUNDAS TO PHILLIP. 365 tions held out to them (which is contained in the enclosure Xo. 1) i"92. would be sent by another Indiaman, to be forthwith taken up for 4 uly' that purpose. On account of some temporary difficulties which occurred, but which will for the future, I hope, be removed, it was judged necessary, to avoid delay, to send by the Bellona, transport, which conveys this letter, as many of the above articles as she could carry, together with a millwright, eleven settlers, and ten female convicts. I am sorry to add that the above settlers are as yet all that have offered themselves. A list of those articles; of the settlers, with their particular occupations annexed to their names; and of the female convicts, with their respective periods for which they are transported, and enclosed in Xos. 2, 3, and 4. From the description you have given of the settlement at Xew South Wales, it appears that the difficulty which attends the clearing of the ground stands much in the way of its being culti- vated to any considerable extent. This leads me to view the increase of live stock as a primary Livestock object. I have some hopes that you may receive a few sheep or horned cattle, or both, by the Royal Admiral from the Cape. At the same time, as I observed in my last, it is to Bengal that I chiefly look for an efficient supply of that nature. As soon, therefore, as the arrival of the Discovery shall give you an opportunity of procuring such a supply, I strongly recommend your dispatching her to Fort William* for that purpose. In so doing, I conceive it will be expedient in the outset to confine the species of live stock chiefly to sheep and horned cattle, as they will support themselves on the herbage alone, whereas hogs, poultry, &c, must occasion a considerable deduction from the quantity of grain and pulse, where it is raised only in small quantities. Your recommendation of several persons for certain salaries or Salaries allowances to be made them has been complied with. Under the circumstances you have stated, I approve of your having exer- cised your discretion with respect to the allotments granted to the late settlers. + In so doing your conduct appears to have been adapted to the exigency of the case. In answer to the request made by several of the military and "Land grants civil officers to have grants of land made them, which they may dispose of at their departure, I do not foresee that any incon- venience can arise from your complying with their requisitions, provided the allotments are made not with a view to a temporary but an established settlement thereon; that is, comprehending such portions of land, and in such situations as would be suitable for a bond fide settler should it ever come into the hands of such a person. * Note 200. f Note 204. 366 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1792. 14 July. Despatches. Criminal trials at Norfolk Island. Port wine and tobacco. Surgeon Considen. Since writing the above I have received your despatches of the dates and number mentioned in the margin, * by the Gorgon, and have had the honour to lay them, with their several enclosures, before his Majesty. The causes you have related as retarding the progress of the settlement are certainly to be taken into consideration in refer- ring to the calculations you have made of the probable time when it might be able to support itself. But those causes more strongly incline me to recommend the greatest attention to the increase of live stock, as mentioned in the former part of this letter, and the procuring of them from Bengal, whenever an opportunity offers, for that purpose. Until an Act of Parliament can be prepared in the course of next session, I trust that the authority of the magistrates in Norfolk Island, reserving the trial of capital offenders for the court at New South Wales, will be found sufficient for the pre- servation of order or the purposes of justice. For the benefit and convenience of the settlement, I have directed that a certain quantity of port wine and tobacco (speci- fied in enclosure No. 2) shall be consigned to you, in order that you may at your discretion furnish at prime cost, the former to such of the civil and military officers, and the latter to such of the men as may be desirous of purchasing the same. I am, &c, Henry Dundas. P. S. — You will grant permission to Mr. Dennis Considen to return to England should his health still continue to require it. It is hardly necessary to suggest to you the propriety of placing under the millwright two or three of the most intelligent con- victs, being carpenters. — H. D. [Enclosure No. 1. ] Proposed Conditions under which the Settlers have engaged to go out to New South Wales. Passage to be provided by Government. Lands to be granted free of expence. To have an assortment of Tools and Implements out of the public stores. To have two years' provisions. The service of convicts to be assigned them free of expence. Such convicts to have two years' rations and one year's clothing. * 8th December, 1791 : 14th December, 1791 ; No. 9— 15th December, 1791 ; 16th December, 1791; 17th December, 1791. STEPHEXS TO PHILLIP. 367 [Enclosure No. 2. ] 1792 [A copy of the invoice of stores per the store-ship Bellona has not yet been found. '] [Enclosure No. 3. ] List of Settlers who have embarked on board the Bellona for New South Wales. — [1792] Edward Powell, aged 30; farmer and fisherman, from Lancaster. Thomas Rose, , , 40; farmer, from Blandford. Mrs. Rose, Thomas Rose, Mary Rose, Joshua Rose, Richard Rose, Elizabeth Fish; Joseph Webb, Thomas Webb, gardener. Frederick Meredith, baker. James Thorpe, millwright. Walter Brodie, blacksmith. [Enclosure No. 4. ] [The list of convicts specifies nine, not ten, women, three of whom were sentenced to fourteen years' transportation and six to seven years. ] 33^1 13 9 >The farmer's family. 18: farmer. July. Secretary Stephens to Governor Phillip. (Per store-ship Bellona; received by Lieut-Governor Grose, 16th January. 1793. ) Sir, Admiralty Office, 20th July, 1792. By Captain Hunter, late of his Majesty's ship Sirius, I Despatches, received on the 23rd of April last a duplicate of your letter of the 20th of August, 1790 (the original of which is not yet come to hand) , also your letters of the 14th and 26th of March, 1791, which, with their several enclosures, were immediately communi- cated to my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. Their Lordships have transmitted to the Navy Board an extract Landmark at of your first-mentioned letter, stating that a stone building was South Head- erecting near the South Hea*d of Sydney Cove, for the purpose of more readily marking the entrance of that harbour to ships coming in with the land. Their Lordships command me to signify to you their approval Thc snow of your having hired the Dutch ship, which brought provisions Waaksamheyd. from Batavia, to bring to England the officers and sen men of his Majesty's late ship the Sirius. 368 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1792. 20 July. Promotion of Bradley and Waterhouse. Ships for the Colony. Promotion of Walker. Their Lordships, in consideration of the services of Lieut. Bradley and of Mr. Henry Waterhouse, have been pleased to promote the former to the rank of master and commander, and have signed a commission giving the latter the rank of a lieu- tenant, and have ordered him to be paid for the time he acted as third lieutenant of the Sirius, when Lieut. Maxwell was dis- charged from that ship. Extracts of so much of your letters of the 14th of March and 16th of November, 1791, as relate to the ships proper to be em- ployed for the service of the colony, and the danger that may arise from employing any but King's ships, have been sent to Mr. Nepean, for the information of Mr. Secretary Dundas. Their Lordships have ordered Mr. Walker (late captain's clerk on board the Sirius) , who you directed to take charge of the provisions and cloathing put on board the Dutch transport for the use of the crew of the Sirius on their passage to England, to be paid for that service, and have appointed him purser of his Majesty's ship the Pallas. I am, &c, Philip Stephens. 21 July. Despatch. Discharge of marines. Secretary Stephens to Governor Phillip. (Per store-ship Bellona ; received by Lient. -Governor Grose. 16th January. 1793. ) Sir, Admiralty Office, 21st July, 1792. On the 19th of last month I received by the Gorgon your letter of the 16th of December, 1791, and immediately communi- cated the same to my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. In answer to that part of your letter stating the doubts of Major Eoss, how far the marines who were become settlers in the colony could be legally discharged from the service, I have it in command from their Lordships to acquaint you that by the next conveyance certificates in form shall be sent you from the com- manding officers of the divisions to which those men belonged. Colonial timber. The specimens of the timber of New South Wales which you sent in the Gorgon have been received, anq1 trials will be made of their qualities. • Capt. Edwards, after the loss of the Pandora, having proceeded to the island of Timor, the Governor of that place delivered to him several convicts who had deserted from Port Jackson, a list of whose names is herewith enclosed for your information. I am, &c, Ph'p. Stephens. Escaped convicts COMMISSIONERS OF NAVY TO PHILLIP. 369 [Enclosure. ] 1792 List of Convicts, Deserters from Port Jackson, delivered to 21 July' Captain Edward Edwards, of his Majesty's ship Pandora, by Timotheus Wanjon, Esqr. , Governor of the Dutch Settle- ments at Timor, 5th October, 1791. William Allen 1 John Butcher Nath'l Lilley James Martin Mary Bryant On board His Majesty's ship Gorge Transported by the name of Mary Broad. William Morton, died on board the Dutch East India Comp'y's ship Horn- wey. William Bryant, died 22nd Dec'r, 1791, hosp'l, Batavia. James Cox, died (fell overboard) , Streights of Sunda. John Simms, died on board the Dutch East India Comp'y's ship Horn. wey. Emanuel Bryant died 1st Dec'r, Batavia ) M1 f h above Wm Charlotte Bryant, died 6th May, 1792, on and board His Majesty s ship Gorgon. ) J J Edward Edwards. Commissioners of The Navy to Governor Phillip. {fev store-ship Bellona; received by Lieut-Governor Grose, 16th January, 1793. ) Sir, Navy Office, 25th July, 1792. 25 July. We wrote you by the Royal Admiral on the 17th May Despatches, last, of which the inclosed is a duplicate, since which we have received by his Majesty's ship Gorgon your letters or duplicates of the 7th and 14th March and 9th November, 1791, and here- with we transmit you copy of a charter-party for the ship Bellona, The store-ship with copies of bills of lading for the provisions and stores put on Bellona- board her for the use of the settlement, and lists of settlers and female convicts embarked. This ship, you will observe by the charter-party, is to be discharged in twenty-one days after her arrival, which is the longest time we could obtain for the delivery of her cargo without an increase of expence, and we hope that, with the assistance you may be enabled to afford, she will be cleared in time so as to prevent demurrage. We have, as you desired, inserted a clause to authorise you to retain her in case of necessity; but as the Daedalus and Kitty, transports, are hired on monthly pay, until they return to England, at much lower freight, we trust the Bellona will not be wanted, and that you will not detain her unless there should be an absolute necessity for it. The quantity of wet provisions and flour in this ship would not admit of her taking in any limestone as ballast, but we shall avail ourselves of the first opportunity that offers to recommend -nine being sent out. Siu. T. Vol. I— 2 A 370 HISTOEICAL EECOEDS OF AUSTEALIA. 1792. 25 July. A transport's surgeon. The Lords Commissioners of the Treasury having thought fit that a skilful surgeon should go out in the Bellona to have the care of the settlers and convicts, and also the charge of Govern- ment stores on board her, we have appointed Mr. Eichard Clarke, a surgeon in the Navy, to perform those services, and desire when that is done you will order him a passage home by the most speedy conveyance that offers. -^ are £c Henry Martin. Geo. Eogers. W. Palmer. P. S. — We have given the above-mentioned charter-party to Mr. Clarke, and have directed him to deliver it to you on his arrival. Mr. Palmer's letters of the 23rd ISTov'r and 16th December, 1791, with the several papers inclosed, are received. [Enclosures Nos. 1 and 2. ] [Copies of the charter-party and of the invoices of goods per the transport Bellona have not yet been found. '] [Enclosures Nos. 3 and 4. ] [The lists of settlers and convicts are similar to Enclosures Nos. 3 and -4 of the despatch from the Right Hon. Henry Dundas to Governor Philip, dated lkth July, 1792. '] 7 Sept. Commissariat administration. The Victualling Board to Governor Phillip. (Fer store-ship Eesolution. ) Sir, Victualling Office, 7th Sept. , 1792. Understanding that Mr. Andrew Miller, Commissary to the Settlement at Port Jackson, New South Wales, has furnished sundry quantities of Provisions to His Majesty's Ship Sirius and the Supply armed Transport; we request the favor of your directing him to forward to this Board an Account and Vouchers for such Supplies as have been made to His Majesty's Ships and Vessels in those parts : and further that you will be pleased to give orders that when any provisions etc. are sent on board His Majesty's Ships by the Commissaries there, proper Accounts and Vouchers may be transmitted to this Board by the first conveyance that may offer to England, in order that the Pursers of the Ships may be duly charged therewith. We are, &c, Eras. Stephens. W. Boscawen. A. Chorley. PHILLIP TO DUNDAS. 371 Governor Phillip to The Right Hon. Hexry Duxdas. 1792. (Despatch No. 2, per store-ship Britannia to the Cape of Good Hope, and thence to England. *) Sir, Sydney, New South Wales, October 2nd, 1792. I am honoured with yours of the 10th of January, 1792, Despatches, by the Britannia, which ship arrived the 26th of last July; and I am happy to find that my services have met with approbation. I will not, sir, trouble you with a recapitulation of the wants of this colony, as duplicates of my letters by the Pitt go by this con- veyance, further than to say what may point out the necessity of an immediate and adequate supply. With respect to those articles of which the colony stands so stores required. much in need, I beg leave to observe that all those wants which have been pointed out in my different letters from time to time still exist, or with very few exceptions; and for iron pots in particular, however trifling the article, we have been nearly as much distressed as for provisions; cross-cut saws, axes, and the various tools for husbandry are also much wanted ; many of those articles are now made here, but the demand for them is greater than can be supplied, as most of what have been received from England are worn out. With respect to the cloathing, the osnaburghs sent out are in themselves ill calculated for the cloathing of men who work in the woods. Many bales which have been received, though not rotten, have been so much injured from the damp that they have scarcely borne washing a second time, and one-third of what was sent by the Britannia was totally destroyed, and several bales of cloth, and other articles, much injured. I have, sir, in a former letter, wished to have the men's cloath- ing ready made, as many inconveniences attend our receiving the materials, as I had first desired. " The having between three and four thousand people, who are generally in such a state when the supplies arrive that a consider- able time passes before they can be cloathed, and from the diffi- culties attending the making up of cloathing for such a number of people. " The Atlantic returned to this port from Calcutta on the 20th of The Atlantic, last June, and one-third of every article received by that ship, as well as what was received by the Britannia, has been sent to Norfolk Island by the Atlantic, which returned from thence the 30th of last month, and will, I hope, sail for England by the middle of November next. Nothing will detain her a moment after the ship is ready for sea. f There remains at present in this colony of flour and rice, as Provisions in bread, sufficient for ninety-six days, at two pounds of flour and 3 ore' * Note 202. t Note 205. 372 HISTOEICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1792. five pounds of rice per man for seven days, salt provisions suffi- 20ct- cient for seventy days at a full ration, and of pease and dholl sufficient for one hundred and fifty-six days, at three pounds per week for each man. In Norfolk Island their provisions will last for a longer time. Anxieties re You will, sir, naturally suppose that I anxiously look for the further supplies. arrival 0f those ships by which we expect a further supply of provisions, and I am very sorry to be under the necessity of adverting to the observation I have so often made, that the colony, having been almost constantly on a reduced ration, is a great check on the public labour, as well as the cause of many very unpleasant circumstances. Men who are inclined to be dis- contented find an ample source, and the convicts an unanswer- able excuse, when pressed to labour. Xor are these the only evils which attend the untoward circumstances which have kept this stores from colony in such a state for nearly four years. When the Atlantic Bengal. arrived from Bengal, this settlement had only thirteen days' flour and forty -five days' maize in store at the ration then issued, which was one pound and a half of flour and four pounds of maize per man for seven days. And when the Britannia arrived, we had only salt provisions for fifty-three days at the then ration, which was only two pounds of pork per man for seven days. The arrival of the above ships put it in my power to increase the ration, and which, though at present little inferior to the full ration, is, from the nature of some articles, and the deficiency of others, very far from being satisfactory; nor can the present ration be continued many days longer if the Kitty does not arrive. The expences attending the supplying the colony with the provisions received from Calcutta by the Atlantic will be seen by the accounts which accompany this letter, and I have only to observe that the different articles are very inferior to those of a similar nature which are furnished from Europe. Eight casks of salt provisions which were sent from Calcutta on speculation, though used as soon as landed, were very bad, but the small quantity of provisions in store obliges me to order it to be issued. It is, sir, also necessary to observe that the beef received from the Britannia is bad in kind; it has been surveyed by two officers, a lieutenant and a master of the Navy. Their report states, after weighing and examining a considerable num- ber of casks : " That the average loss on the hogsheads agreeable to the contents marked on them is thirty-six pounds and one- third, and on the tierces twenty pounds and one-third. And that the whole of the beef appears to be lean, bony, and very coarse, and inferior in quality to any we have ever seen issued in his Majesty's service. " PHILLIP TO DUNDAS. 373 In addition to the provisions received from Messrs. Lambert, 1792. Ross, & Co. , a merchant, the Hon. John Cochrane, sent eight casks of the finest, and of the second sort of fkmr, and soojee, and which he offered to warrant for a twelvemonth, but when landed it was in such a state from being heated, and from the weevil, that it was necessary to cause it to be immediately issued. The enclosed extract from Mr. Cochrane^ letter contains his proposal for furnishing this settlement with those articles. With respect to the cattle purchased at Calcutta, viz. , two bulls, Cattle from one cow, one calf, two rams, eighteen ewes, and twenty goats, one Calcutta- calf, eight ewes, and thirteen goats died on the voyage; and the bulls being of the buffalo breed will not connect themselves with our cows, which are of the European breed. The only cow received from Calcutta was so weak when landed that she has been since lost by falling into the water when going to drink. We have, however, three very fine bull calves, which promise well. You will, sir, observe by this detail that the period at which the colony will supply its inhabitants with animal food is nearly as distant at present as it was when I first landed in this country. I have in my former letters mentioned the means which appeared to me to be the readiest and most certain to stock this country with cattle; merchant ships will do but little, and I fear that little will be done at a very great expence. Of the present state of this settlement, I have the satisfaction Progress report. of assuring you that the soil and its produce more than answer the expectations which I have formerly given. Our last year's crop of maize, notwithstanding the long drought, was 4, 844| bushels, of which 2, 649i bushels have been issued as bread for the colony, 695 bushels reserved for seed and other purposes, and not less than 1, 500 bushels were stolen from the grounds, not- withstanding every possible precaution was taken to prevent it. * From the time the corn began to ripen to the time it was housed, the convicts were pressed by hunger, and great quantities were stolen and concealed in the woods; several convicts died from feeding on it in its crude state, when carrying the grain to the public granary. But in speaking of these people, it is but just to observe that I can recollect very few crimes during the last three years but what have been committed to procure the neces- saries of life. One thousand acres of ground are in cultivation on the public public account, of which 800 are in maize, the rest in wheat and barley, agrlculture- at Parramatta and a new settlement formed about three miles to the westward of Parramatta, and to which I have given the name of Toon-gab-be, a name by which the natives distinguish the spot. * Note by Governor "Phillip. -388 bushels of wheat and 59 of bailey are sown in the public grounds, and i. V> bushels ol whei t bave been issued in lieu of bread. HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1792. 2 Oct. The soil is good, and in the neighbourhood of this place there are several thousand acres of exceeding good ground. The quantity of ground in cultivation by the settlers is 416 acres, and they have 97 acres more ground cleared of timber. * By the land in cultiva- tion some judgment may be formed as to the corn, which may next year be carried into the store towards the support of the colony. And I flatter myself that the time now approaches in which this country will be able to supply its inhabitants with grain; but no dependance must be placed on a crop while it is in the ground, consequently regular supplies of flour, &c, from Europe will be necessary until there is a sufficient quantity in store to serve the colony for one year at least. The grub, as in all new grounds, is very destructive. The crop may fail from a dry season, or be lost from fire or other accidents, and to which it may naturally be supposed the crops in this country are more exposed than in Europe. My letters by the Supply, Gorgon, and Pitt will have shewn that I look to England for the necessary supplies, of which we still stand in great need, and which I doubt not are now on their passage; but the great length of time in which this colony has remained in its present state takes away hope from many, and the consequences must be obvious. It has, sir, been my fate to point out wants from year to year; it has been a duty the severest I have ever experienced. Did those wants only respect myself or a few individuals I should be silent; but here are numbers who bear them badly; nor has the colony suffered more from wanting what we have not received than from the supplies we have re- ceived not arriving in time. What is observed respecting the officers, non-commissioned officers, and such convicts as propose to become settlers, in yours of the 10th of January, marked No. 2, shall be made the subject of a separate letter. It is, sir, observed in the above letter that no return was made of the stock of provisions in my dispatches sent by the Justinian, consequently that no exact calculation could be made on that head. I had, sir, particularly directed the Commissary to make that return, and which, as far as his memory serves him, was sent to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury. The information given by Major Ross, in his letter of the 29th of August, 1790, will be adverted to when I come to speak of the present state of Norfolk Island, as will also what relates to increasing the number of people and the administration of justice in that settlement. * Note bi/ Governor Phillip. — Acres of land in cultivation, on the public account, 1, 000; garden ground, 100; settlers' ground, 415; whole quantity of ground in cultivation, 1, 516. PHILLIP TO DUNDAS. 375 It has long been my wish to stock this country with cattle, as 1792. recommended ; but it has never been in my power to take any 2 0ct- step towards obtaining that desirable end. And here I must beg The need of leave to refer to my former letters, which will point out how cat e' utterly impossible it has been for me ever to employ a ship on that service. The Daedalus has been pointed out as a vessel to be employed for that purpose when she returns from the north-west coast of America, if not wanted at the Sandwich Islands, by the vessels employed on a survey. How far the Daedalus may arrive here in a state fit to proceed to sea again in any time after a voyage of such a length must be very uncertain, and it will require a great length of time, and I fear be attended with very great expence, if this country is to be stocked with cattle through the means of one or two hired transports, where the interests of the owners are so directly opposed to the interests of the Crown, and every possible pretence is made use of to create delays; but, sir, I have to beg your pardon for obtruding my opinion on this subject, having so often done it in my former letters, and I shall follow the directions I have received on that head. Mr. Z. Clarke, having been appointed Deputy-Commissary of Deputy- Stores and Provisions on Norfolk Island, will relieve the person Commissary n't Norfolk now charged with that duty, * and who will be employed at this island, settlement. When the description of people who form this colony is considered, I presume the necessity of having storekeepers at the different settlements on whom some depenclance can be placed will appear, and I have been under the necessity of adding one to the number at Sydney, and one is also appointed at Norfolk Island; but no more has been promised them than what is paid to the superintendants, and with which they are satisfied, in hopes of being placed in better situations hereafter. The one whom I have appointed at Sydney was a sergeant of storekeepers. marines, f and the one at Norfolk Island came from England with Lieut. -Governor King. The expence attending these appoint- ments is, I am sorry to say, very trifling when compared with what has been hitherto lost from the public stores. The remittance to be expected from the Kitty will be applied Specie, for the purposes pointed out, and that with the strictest economy. If people for superintendants of such descriptions as have been superintendents pointed out can be found they will be very useful. Of those which have already been received, one is become a settler, and is doing well; a second has been discharged as useless in every respect; and a third, who can be well spared, will be discharged, as wishing to become a settler. :}: The steps which you are pleased to inform me have been taken to prevent the ships from carrying away the convicts will, I doubt * Note 206. f Note 207. % Note 208. 376 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1792. 2 Oct. Rations for X. S. W. Corps. Additional company for N. S. W. Corps. Settlers. Ships for the Colony. The supply of spirits. not, answer the purpose; and the necessary proofs against the master of any ship who may offend in future will be transmitted. The information respecting the promise made to the New South Wales Corps respecting their receiving the usual ration, spirits excepted, without any deduction being made from their pay, has been communicated to Major Grose, who, on his arrival, was totally unacquainted with the intentions of Government on that head. With respect to some of the marines inlisting in the additional company, forty-seven have already entered with Captain George Johnston, the officer who was left with the command of the marines when Major Ross embarked, as will be explained in a letter which accompanies this. The supplying the deficiency of spirits with beer may be done hereafter, but the former part of this letter will show that that time is distant. As a ship of four hundred tons is taken up for the purpose of bringing out such articles as have been required, I hope her speedy arrival, and that the fifteen families of quakers will come by that conveyance. * You have, sir, observed in your letter, that "the Admiralty had not determined on replacing the Sirius, but that that circum- stance would not occasion any decrease of the pecuniary emolu- ments with which I understood my situation was to be attended. " I beg leave to say that the opinion I gave as to the necessity of employing King's ships on this station — that is, as I explained in my letters, ships having the officers requisite for keeping a proper discipline on board, and deterring the convicts from making any attempt to escape by seizing on the ship — did not proceed from any view of pecuniary advantage to myself, and to which I never adverted. That object never drew my attention, and the advan- tages I derived from the Sirius — a captains pay for a sixth rate — being by the royal instructions of the twenty-fifth day of April, 1787, directed to be continued, although there should not be any of his Majesty's ships employed on this station, rendered it totally unnecessary for me to wish for a King's ship under any other idea but the one pointed out in my letters. As that proposition does not appear to meet their Lordships' ideas, I have prepared for the safety of such ships as may be employed here, as far as depends on me, by sending to Norfolk Island those whom it might be presumed would be the ringleaders, should the seizing of any transport be ever determined on. In the enclosure containing a list of the articles to be sent outr marked A, f I observe that "two thousand three hundred and nineteen gallons of rum, being an allowance of half a gallon for Note 209. t ^ote 210. PHILLIP TO DUNDAS. 377 each person per annum, " was to be shipped, and it is with great 1:92. satisfaction I observe from the words which I have quoted that Government has included the convicts, for it is a bounty which many of those people well deserve — and to the undeserving it never will be given. At the same time, I fear that the soldiers not receiving the customary allowance of spirits as in other garrisons will be the source of great discontent. The quantity of provisions necessary to serve this colony for Provisions twelve months is enclosed ; and I presume a more considerable reqmr' quantity of provisions than what is mentioned as shipped on board the Britannia and the ships which were taken up when your letter was dated will immediately follow. Salt provisions, which will keep good for any time in this climate, can only be procured from Europe. The badness of what was brought from other parts has been already mentioned. The Commissary being obliged to purchase various articles out . Priva*e.. , ,, -t^. -. 1. T-i-i- i importations. 01 the Pitt, where the private property sold 111 this settlement amounted to upwards of four thousand pounds, may serve in some measure to point out what might be brought by a ship loaded wholly on the account of Government. Many of the most necessary articles which had been put on board that ship were afterwards landed, and yet the stowage of those articles would not have taken up one-quarter of the stowage which the private trade took up. It is not, sir, to reflect on the person who commanded the Pitt that I make this observation, but from feeling the obli- gation of pointing out a circumstance which may prevent a simi- lar evil, the effects of which are at this moment severely felt in the colony. A copy of the return of those convicts who died, or run from Convicts by the Pitt, as sworn to by the naval agent, is enclosed; and some restrictions to prevent the convicts being permitted to go on shore for the convenience of individuals, by which means I under- stand several were lost from the Pitt, will, I apprehend, be thought necessary. I have, &c, A. Phillip. [Enclosure No. l. 'J The Hon. John Cochrane to Governor Phillip. Extract from a letter from the Honble. John Cochrane, dated Calcutta, 18th March, 1792. " On the arrival of the Atlantic, store-ship, I tendered my ser- vices to the gentlemen to whom the ship was recommended to supply a considerable quantity of flour on the same terms as 1 lately supplied the East India Company for their troops on the coast of Cromandel and Malabar, and to guarantee its keeping. But as Messrs. Lambert & Ross have taken the whole contract, 378 HISTOEICAL EECOEDS OF AUSTEALIA. 1792. 2 Oct. Supplies from Calcutta. 4 Oct. The Atlantic. they have not thought proper to apply to me for any. Lieutenant Bowen has been so obliging as to allow me to send you eight casks of flour of my own manufactory, two casks of the finest flour bolted on cloth No. 1, two casks of second quality fine flour, two casks of fine soojah, or what the French call roulon, and two casks of second quality of soojah. The flour you will find on inspection to be as fine as any English flour, but not so white in colour ; the reason is this : that the red wheat in this country is more plenti- ful than the white wheat. If you approve of what I now send as a trial, by the time your orders can come back I will be able to furnish you with any quantity. The second flour now sent, and which in fact is equal to fine, and the second soojah is what I would recommend for your cargo. Flour — two-thirds to be flour and one-third soojah. I will furnish you with flour and soojah of the above qualities, either in jars or casks, at the rate of fifteen shillings sterling per cwt. of 112 lb. , and be answerable for its keeping good for twelve months, or I will supply it to you at the fair market price of Calcutta, or the price at which flour or soojah of the same quality sells for in the market, to be ascertained by the clerk of the market, or by any person you may appoint. " [Enclosure No. 2. ] A Demand for 12 Months Provisions for the use of His Majesty's Colony of New South Wales calculated at the established Kation for the present number of Inhabitants in this Settlement, and at Norfolk Island. (Vizt. ) Flour or Bread 1, 215, 760 lbs. Beef 607. 880 do Fork 347, 360 do Butter, Oil. or Sugar 65, 130 do Rice 86, 840 do Pease 8, 141 bushels. Sydney, 3rd Octr. 1792. Jno. Palmer, Commissary. [Enclosure No. 3. ] [A copy of the Return relating to the convicts on the transport Pitt has not yet been found. ] Governor Phillip to Secretary' Stephens. (Per store-ship Britannia to the Cape of Good Hope, and thence to England. *) Sydney, New South Wales, Sir, 4th October, 1792. You will please to inform the Right Honorable the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty that the Atlantic, store-ship, which returned to this port the 20th of last June from Calcutta, * Note 202. PHILLIP TO STEPHENS AND KING. 379 under the command of Lieut. Bowen, naval agent, is now fitting 1792. for sea, and will sail for England with the remainder of the detachment of marines now on duty in this settlement by the middle of next month. You will, sir, also inform their Lordships that, pursuant to his Additional Majesty's pleasure, communicated to me through the Lord Gren- S. v^corps. ville, when Secretary of State for the Home Department, that a company was to be raised from the marines, to be annexed to the New South Wales corps, and that his Majesty was graciously pleased to permit me to recommend the officer for that company from the marines. I have recommended Captain George John- ston for the command of the company, and that forty-seven men from the marines having inlisted with that officer are discharged from that corps. Sergeant Thomas Smith is also discharged from the marines, being appointed a storekeeper under the Commissary for this territory. I am, &c, A. Phillip. Governor Phillip to Under Secretary King. (Per store-ship Britannia to the Cape of Good Hope, and thence to England. *) Sydney, New South Wales, Sir, 4th October, 1792. I am favoured with yours of the 10th of January, 1792, Despatch, and which I have barely time to acknowledge. With respect to what I had formerly observed, relative to the Butter. butter, and which led to a supposition that that article might be dispensed with in future, I did, sir, think that butter which does not keep good for any length of time in a hot country, and of which there is always a great waste, might be better supplied by some other article; oil, as you observe, or sugar, are undoubtedly to be preferred. An inquiry into the conduct of the master of the Neptune will, The master of I make no doubt, have a good effect, and which I believe to have the NePtuiie- been highly necessary, for the convicts were certainly very ill- treated; but no specific charge was ever brought against him here, and the first knowledge I had of some circumstances, which, from the affidavits that have appeared in the public papers, it is said I censured, was from these papers themselves. It may not be unnecessary to observe that it will be some time pease. before a sufficient quantity of pease can be raised here for the use of the garrison, and by whom every article customary in other garrisons is excepted. I am sorry to observe that iron pots are not included amongst iron pots the articles to be expected by the next ship, and which are even reti"lri'd- * Note 202. 380 HISTOEICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1799. 4 Oct. more necessary than cloathing. They should be from one to five gallons; about six hundred pots from one to three gallons, and four hundred of from three to five gallons will be necessary. I am, &c. , A. Phillip. Stores for N. S. W. Corps. The Britannia chartered by officers. The whale fishery. Governor Phillip to The Eight Hox. Henry Duxdas. (Per store-ship Britannia to the Cape of Good Hope, and thence to England. *) Sydney, New South Wales, Sir, 4th October, 1792. The inclosed letter from the major-commandant of the New South Wales Corps, and which is accompanied with my answer, will serve to show the necessity of this colony's receiving a regular supply of provisions, and the opinion formed of those supplies which have been received from India. I am sensible that the officers and men want conveniences which are found in garrisons long established; but here are some advantages to the officer and soldier not to be found elsewhere, and when the ration is regular, and the means of providing necessaries for the soldier is in a proper channel, I believe there will be no complaints of this country. The Britannia was at anchor, in the lower part of the harbour, ready to sail for New Zealand, when I was informed that the officers had come to a resolution of hiring that ship to go to the Cape of Good Hope, and in the same evening I saw Major Grose on the subject; but being o± a very different opinion as to the propriety, as well as of the necessity of such a measure, I wished to prevent what may be supposed to affect the interest of the East India Company, by opening a door to a contraband trade; at the same time, as I could not prevent it, and do not believe that the Britannia goes to the Cape with any such view, I beg leave to say that I do not think his Majesty's service will suffer, if the reasons assigned in Major Grose's letter should be deemed sufficient for the step which has been taken, and which being admitted may prevent much discontent. In my letters by the last ships I have requested that the acts relative to the southern fishery may be sent, and such instructions as may be deemed necessary on that head, for I have no lawyer to consult, f and it will probably be the same with the person who is to supply my place when I leave this country, which my state of health obliges me to hope I shall be at liberty to do after the arrival of the first ships, and I believe my returning to England * Xote 202. | Xote 211. PHILLIP TO DUNDAS. 381 will be the greatest service I can render this colony, independant 1792. of every other consideration, for it will put it in my power to shew what may, and what may not, be expected from it. I have, &c, A. Phillip. [Enclosure No. 1. ] Major Grose to Governor Phillip. Sir, Sydney, October 4th, 1792. The situation of the soldiers under my command, who at The chartering this time have scarcely shoes to their feet, and who have no other Britannia, comforts than the reduced and unwholesome rations served out from the stores, has induced me to assemble the captains of my corps for the purpose of consulting what could be done for their relief and accommodation. Amongst us we have raised a suffi- cient sum to take up the Britannia, and as all money matters are already settled with the master, who is also an owner, I have now to request you will interest yourself in our favour, that you will, by representing the necessities of my soldiers, protect this ship from interruption as much as you can, and that you will assist us to escape the miseries of that precarious existence we have hitherto been so constantly exposed to. With every respect, &c, Frans. Grose, Major-Commandant New South Wales Corps. [Enclosure No. 2. ] Governor Phillip to Major Grose. Sir, Sydney, New South Wales, October 4th, 1792. In answer to your letter of this day's date, requesting that I would interest myself in favour of the ship Britannia, which you inform me is taken up by yourself and officers, and that I would protect that ship from interruption as far as depends on me, I can only observe that the opinion I gave on the subject on the 2nd instant, when the business was first mentioned, must have pointed out that any interruption which that ship might meet with, if the master acted contrary to the tenor of his license from the East India Company, did not by any means depend on me, and I am still of the same opinion with respect to this ship's going to the Brazil, or the Cape of Good Hope, as I was at the above time. I am sensible that the garrison suffers many incon- veniences from the necessary supplies not arriving, and which I should gladly do away by any means in my power, yet I cannot acquiesce with you in thinking that the ration served from the public stores is unwholesome; I see it daily at my own table; I am sorry to see that it is neither so good nor in that quantity as 38: HISTORICAL BECOKDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1792. 4 Oct. The chartering of the Britannia. I would wish it; and every means in my power has, and will be, taken to remedy the evil. I offered to write to the Cape of Good Hope, and direct all the ships coming to this settlement to receive on board such necessaries as you might order to be purchas'd, and which I still think would be the best way of procuring them, or to employ the Atlantic, or either of those ships which are expected to arrive from day to day, in procuring the necessaries of which you stand so much in need, if, when those wants are stated officially, such a step appeared necessary; but with a ship lying in the harbour, already in the public employ, and others expected, I saw no necessity for taking up the Britannia, nor can I form any judgement how far that ship's going to the Cape will do away all the distresses you have mentioned, as only shoes and the ration are pointed out in your letter. With respect to shoes, the corps has received as many as were demanded, while there were any in store, and the Commissary, as he ever has done, will supply the quarter-master with leather, as long as any remains. As to the nature of the ration, it is, I believe, nearly as good as what is issued to the army and navy in India, and I think that there can be little doubt but that an ample supply of provisions from Europe will arrive before the Britannia can return to this port; and there is every reason to expect that a very few months will remove the inconvenience the colony labours under, of which you may form some judgement from what you have seen of my letters by the Gorgon and Supply, which ships may be supposed to have arrived in England by the latter end of last June. When the Atlantic was sent to Calcutta, every officer was permitted to send for such articles as he wanted, and which will always be allowed, and everything else done for the accommo- dation of the officers and men under your command which the public service admits. I am sorry that I cannot, with propriety, take any official step in this business. I am, &c, A. Phillip. Assigned servants. Governor Phillip to The Eight Hon. Henry Dundas. (Per store-ship Britannia to the Cape of Good Hope, and thence to England*; acknowledged by the Rt! Hon. Henry Dundas to Lieut. -Governor Grose, 31st June, 1703. ) Sir, Sydney, New South Wales, 4th October, 1792. In answering that part of your letter (No. 2)f which respects the number of convicts to be given to officers and others who may become settlers being left to my discretion, I have the honor to assure you that, in granting that indulgence, I shall particularly attend to the intentions of Government; every year * Note 20f t Note 212. PHILLIP TO DUNDAS. 383 will of course lessen the assistance necessary to be given to 1792. settlers, but to those who have not the means of hiring men to assist them in building their huts, and in clearing some ground to begin with, some assistance from the Crown will always be necessary. Experience has shown that a less number of convicts than what I had at first deemed necessary, and that fifteen or eighteen months' support from the store, instead of two years' , will be very sufficient to put a settler in such a situation, that he may do very well without any further assistance from the Crown. Experience has also pointed out many inconveniences attending objectives of the receiving men as settlers who only look to the convenience of se ers- the present moment. With some the sole object in becoming settlers is that of being their own masters, and with others the object is to raise as much money as will pay their passage to Eng- land, and then assign their lands to those who take them with the same view. There are many of this description at Norfolk Island, as will appear by the enclosed extract from Lieutenant- Governor King's letter to me on that subject; but, as they have not received their grants, the necessary steps will be taken to prevent this imposition by removing some from the island, and by granting leases of only five or seven years to others, for one or two of these people have attempted to dispose of their grounds as soon as their huts were built, and they had received that assistance which had been promised them. As all the settlers have been on a reduced ration, it will be necessary to keep them on the public store longer than was in- tended; but none of them will exceed two years. It has not been possible hitherto to supply all those people with the live stock promised them on their becoming settlers; but as hogs and poultry are now increasing very fast, those promises will be made good to them. I have not received any instructions respecting the quantity Laud grants of land which may be intended to be given to an officer on such officers becoming a settler, nor under what circumstances an officer might be permitted to settle. This is mentioned as an ensign in the New South Wales Corps has been desirous of be- coming a settler if he could have been permitted to retire on his half pay. It is, sir, likewise necessary to observe that the officers in the New South Wales Corps have supposed, on coming to this country, that lands might be granted them, with indulgences similar to those which have been granted to settlers; and I am very far from wishing to throw the smallest obstacle in the way of officers obtaining grants of land; but in the present state of 384 HISTORICAL EECOEDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1792. 4 Oct. Thomas Daveney. The necessity of a criminal court at Norfolk Island. this colony the numbers employed on the public buildings in procuring the materials, and in other occupations equally neces- sary, does not leave more than four hundred and fifty for agri- culture, and from that number those convicts must be taken who are to be given to officers or settlers, which will increase the number of those who do not labour for the public, and lessen those who are to furnish the colony with the necessaries of life. At present fifty-one convicts are allowed to the Major-Commandt. of the New South Wales Corps, and those under his command in this place, and convicts in proportion are allowed those on duty at Norfolk Island. The officers, civil and military, have land which they cultivate; but as the grounds which they have chosen are mostly within the limits of what is marked out for building on hereafter, or on the land which is to remain as common land for the township, no lease or grant has been given with such grounds, and the officers understand that they are to give them up when wanted for the public service. There is also a superintendant who wishes to settle, when he can be spared from his present employment; but as a settler he will expect land in proportion to what will be granted to those families coming from England. The person in question is a most useful man, and the settlement at Toongabbe is under his direction ; increasing his salary might retain him for some time, and which I should promise him, but that the consequence would be every superintendant would expect the same; and whatever their merits may be, they are a set of men who cannot be well spared at this moment. If I was at liberty to grant a greater quantity of land (to the superintendant in question) than I am empowered to grant to the non-commissioned officers, I should propose his becoming a settler, and that a certain quantity of ground should be cleared for him at the public expence, in pro- portion to the length of time his services as a superintendant may be wanting. What is recommended relative to the cloathing will be particu- larly attended to, and the necessary implements for manufac- turing cloth will be forwarded to Norfolk Island as soon as they arrive. The inconveniences which attend the want of a criminal court* at Norfolk Island are very great, and increase with the number of people; the most daring robberies are committed, and fre- quently with impunity, for sending the party accused to be tried here is so distressing to the witnesses who must be sent also, and are in general settlers, or men who have ground in cultiva- * Note 213. PHILLIP TO DUNDAS. 385 tion on their own account, which they are obliged to leave, with 1792. all their little property, to the care of those in whom they cannot place any great confidence, and their grounds being neglected during their absence, however much the individual has suffered by the robbery, the prosecuting the criminal would distress him still more, and consequently many crimes are never brought for- ward. I presume that if an offender could be tried on the island, no capital sentence to be carried into execution until confirmed by the Governor of the territory, numerous evils would be prevented. It is, sir, from the accounts which I have received from Lieu- tenant-Governor King that I am induced to advert to this subject, which has been mentioned in a former letter, * and I shall apply the only remedy in my power, that of directing the most notorious characters to be sent to this settlement, and replace them by those of a better description; but this will not, I fear, effectually remove the evil, for the numbers of those whose sentences being expired are free men will increase, and they are a description of men who give infinitely more trouble than the convicts, nor can the number on the island be increased to such an extent as might be wished. It does not appear that the crops on the island by any means Dissatisfaction answered the expectations formed by Major Ross, and the people iJ]^*011' were all so much dissatisfied with the plan laid down for their becoming independent of the store, f and which they pretended to say they were forced into, that Lieutenant-Governor King would have been obliged to give it up, as he has done, had the prob- ability of its answering been ever so great. In marking out the grounds for settlers, the necessity of devi- The granting ating from the royal instructions has been mentioned in my of lands- former letters; but in the allotments made for the Church and for a school a quantity of ground equal to the largest allotment has been retained for the use of the Crown ; and such land being permitted to be leased for fourteen years, and the Lieutenant- Governor having been desirous of having 30 acres of ground in the 400 reserved for the Crown, for the purpose of building a house, presuming that he might hereafter obtain a grant for that ground (the 30 acres) , I have complied with his request, and planted him a lease for fourteen years, for which he is to pay two shillings per annum for each acre, the rent to commence at the expiration of the fifth year4 As similar leases may be granted in future, a proper form of a lease is much wanted; and here, sir, I beg leave to advert to the question asked in my letter of the 24th * Note 214. t Note 215. J Note 210. Bee. I. Vol. 1—2 B Norfolk Island. 386 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1792. of November, 1791, by the Supply, respecting the granting a certain quantity of land to officers, which they would leave, on quitting the country, to children or other persons. A form of a grant of land, with such a clause as might prevent the immediate disposing of the property, is also much wanted. I am sensible that it is easy to introduce a clause which would answer the pur- pose; but a grant drawn up by an official person would be more regular than anything which has been done here. * I have, &a, A. Phillip. [Enclosure. ] Extract from a letter to Governor Phillip from Lieutenant- Governor King, dated Sydney, Norfolk Island, Sept. 19th, 1792. iteport from " As many of the fifty convicts whom I settled have applied to the master of the Pitt to take them off the island, I found it necessary to take some steps with respect to these people, and to endeavour to prevent many evils and misunderstandings that will necessarily happen if these people get their grants and afterwards leave the island, which inconveniences to the public will be more aggravated if they are permitted to make over their grants, to- gether with their lots, to those women whom they have married, or to sell them to any one they please. If it should happen to be a deserving man or woman that gets it, it may be well ; but I much fear it would in general go to people of a very different descrip- tion. Soon after the Pitt's departure I took an opportunity of sending for the above fifty settlers, and pointed out to them the necessity there was for my understanding their several intentions, and to inform them that if any of them endeavoured to leave the island before or soon after the twelve-month might be expired for which they were to be victualled from the public stores they would be stopped until that twelve-months' provisions should be made good to the public. I also informed them that those who had any idea of leaving the island could not plead ignorance of this regulation, and that I knew it to be the intention of many of them to gain what they could from their grounds, and when they had realized enough to carry them off the island, to leave their families, which would be a great burthen to the public. Some of them hoped that if they cleared their ground they might be permitted to make their grants over to their wives or their friends, by which the industrious individual would suffer greatly, as fifty of the best and most desirable lots would, in time, become the property of abandoned women, burthened with children. * Note 174. PHILLIP TO DUNDAS. 387 " Several thefts have been committed during this month: which 1792. have in general received slight punishments, as they were mostly 4 Qct occasioned by hunger. On the 23rd, after receiving their pro- Report from visions, five convicts went into the woods, where they joined a convict (named James Clarke) who had been out a fortnight; they continued plundering the grounds of settlers and others, and were so daring as to make an attack on the stock in the farm- yard, and had succeeded so far as to cut the throat of a fine goat, but on being discovered they left the carcass behind them; having just before plundered my garden, and those of other officers of everything they could take. These daring outrages made it neces- sary for me to publish a proclamation declaring those fugitives to be outlaws, and for every person to use their utmost to take them, dead or alive, at the same time offering a reward to those who might apprehend them. Four were taken on the night of the 29th, and as the next day (Saturday) was the day the provisions were issued, the justices having found them ' guilty, ' they re- ceived 100 lashes each, in part of 300 to which they were sentenced, and also to be kept at hard work and in irons during the remaining part of the transportation. On the night of the 30th another man was brought in, who was the principal con- federate of the convict who had been out so long, and avowed himself the person who had killed the goat, saying he did it in hopes he should be hung. This hardened wretch is not more than 18 years of age, and has made two attempts to murder people. The principal still remains in the woods, notwithstanding the greatest search is made for him. The next day being Sunday I forgave the first four, as they came in the Pitt, and as the tales which had been told them of the woods affording a livelihood was a strong inducement. " As the settlers have been so frequently robbed by the run- away convicts, they applied to me for arms, which I granted to them. " About 100 acres of Indian corn have been planted, many acres of which we have been obliged to replant three different times, owing to the destructive effects of the ground grub, which have destroyed the whole of the corn growing on the flats, but the greatest part of the hundred acres is very thriving, and has a promising appearance of doing very well ; the Indian corn, wheat, &c, planted by the different settlers also looks well, and every- thing at present promises ample returns. The new ground is not at all infested by the ground grub, which gives the settlers a wry ■Feat advantage over the public grounds, which are greatly in- fested with them, and occasions great loss of seed and labour. 388 HISTOBICAL EECOEDS OF AUSTKALIA. 1792. " The following is an exact statement of the numbers now on 40ct- the island :— Norfolk Island. Officers, civil and military, non-commissioned officers, \ , n\ and free people, with their wives and children. J " Settlers from the marines, seamen, and convicts 123 Wives, women, and children belonging to the above 179 Convicts taken off the store by settlers, and convicts"'! men gg who have served their time of transportation, and r woml«* 17 who provide for themselves. J Servants to officers, overseers, watchmen, under the^| Provost-Martial, hospital cooks, barbers, taylors, { ^ bakers, employed at the stores, shoemakers, and [ " assisting the surveyor. j Clearing half-acres, &c, for settlers 60 Average number of sick during the month, including"! 91 invalids. J Women who do not work from being incapacitated, ""j living with officers as washing- women, having > 137 young children, and children. J 888 "Deduct 59 men and 17 women off the store, remains 812 persons on the island, who do nothing towards maintaining them- selves. " The whole number of souls on the island is 1, 115, from which number taking 812, there remains 303 convicts (including 22 females) , to carry on all the works, namely, sawing, carpenters, boat-building, blacksmiths, shingle-makers, charcoal burners, masons and labourers, quarrymen, lime-burners, lath-makers, paling, barrow-men, bringing stones for building, and the culti- vation of the ground for the public use, thatchers, thrashers, &c. ; 158 of the above are constantly employed in cultivation, conse- quently 145 remain to carry on the other works. I have made the above statement in order to give your Excellency an idea of the small progress we have made since being on a reduced ration. " The robberies, both on public and private property, having for these some months past been of so daring a nature, and the situation of the island, and those upon it, requiring some examples to prevent the growing property of the settlers and the public being plundered, I do not doubt but that your Excellency will see the great necessity of stopping these practices which strike so deeply at the peace and property, as well as the public security. " James Clarke, a convict who has been for some time past a fugitive in the woods, and has constantly plundered the grounds of several people, was shot at by Leonard Dyer, whose ground he was robbing at the time he shot him. PHILLIP TO DUNDAS. 389 " This unhappy wretch, who was killed, has been constantly 1792. in the woods these four months past, and has been a terror to 40ct. every settler. Every patch of potatoes or cabbages were plundered ^p?1* f™m . / , . , t i ■ i Norfolk Island. by him, and notwithstanding the greatest exertions were made by the different settlers to detect him, he always succeeded in robbing them, and got off with his booty. " The quantity of ground sowed, belonging to the public, is nearly as follows, viz. : — In and about Arthur's Vale, one hun- dred and six acres of wheat, and seventeen acres of maize; at Queensborough, twenty-six acres of wheat, and ninety acres of maize; at Phillipburgh, fourteen acres of maize, all which is very thriving, and I have a great pleasure in informing your Excellency that there is every appearance of a plentiful crop from the quantity of ground sowed, which would have been much greater but from the work being carried on so very slowly, owing to the shortness of the ration, and the weak state of the labouring part of the convicts, and a quantity of ground origin- ally cleared for the Government, which has unavoidably fallen into settlers' lots. Excepting a few, the settlers in general do very well; most of them have a good space of ground cleared on their different lots, and their crops are in great forwardness. " The seamen and marines late belonging to the Sirius are all doing very well, and will in a few months be in very good circum- stances, as their crops are likely to be good. " I am sorry to say that no amendment is made in manufactur- ing the flax of this island. I am confident that a native of New Zealand would in a short time enable us to make a great progress in cloathing ; but 'till then I fear we shall not be able to improve on the pattern now sent. Your Excellency may depend on my doing my utmost to promote that, as well as every other improvement. "Respecting Mr. Chapman's appointment as storekeeper at Phillipburgh, the necessity of that appointment will be very obvious, as two-thirds of the Atlantic's cargo is landed there, and where provisions are issued. "J. T. Doidge, late superintendant of convicts, is become a settler. I have to request being informed what are the encourage- ments and conditions on which the superintendants settle. " The quantity of ground now in cultivation for the use of the public, and which I have mentioned in a former part of my letter, is two hundred and fifty-three acres, and I hope ten or twelve acres in addition will be cropped by the middle of November. Everything at present appears likely to yield a good return, which may be estimated at upwards of five thousand bushels; much may also be got from the different settlers, and other individuals, if I receive orders to purchase it. 390 HISTORICAL EECOEDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1792. 4 Oct. Report from Norfolk Island. "I think it highly probable that the store will be eased of two hundred people if the crops belonging to private persons turn out good; but the whole of the above statement must depend on the continuation of the present favourable aspect, for the time is not past when a great part of our crop may be hurt by the grub and catterpillar, many acres of maize have been planted thrice. " The unavoidable reduced labour, in consequence of the short ration and the other reasons which I have had the honor of pointing out to your Excellency in a former part of my letter, have prevented that quantity of ground being cleared which would have enabled us to become every year more independent; but I am sorry to say that our labour these nine months past (from the above causes) has not been so great as might be ex- pected; but as these difficulties will in a part be done away very soon, I hope next year, or after this crop, to answer that part of your letter wherein you wish to know the time when further supplies may be no longer necessary with more certainty than I possibly can now. But it is my present opinion that we shall be independent for grain and flour after the next year's crop, if this and the succeeding one turn out well. Respecting animal food, that will be some time longer necessary, particularly for the civil and military, although there will be a great quantity of swine on the island next year if our crops don't fail. "Having with infinite labour made an opening on the stone beach at Cascade Bay for landing, I found after a gale of wind from the northward that it was filled up with large stones. I therefore turned my attention to erecting a crane on the landing- rock, at the east end of Cascade Bay, which is connected with the road by a strong and well-framed bridge, and some rocks that were under water, and have been blown to pieces, have rendered the north side of the island very accessible, and have removed every obstacle respecting landing safely and conveniently on this island, which now can be always easily effected either in Sydney or Cascade Bay, as they reciprocally become the lee side of the island. But artificers are much wanted. " A grant to surgeon Arndell. Governor Phillip to The Right Hon. Henry Dundas. (Per store-ship Britannia to the Cape of Good Hope, and thence to England* : acknowledged by the Rt. Hon. Henry Dundas to Lieut. -Gov. Grose, 31st June, 1793. ) Sir, Sydney, New South Wales, October 4th, 1792. In the return of settlersf which I have the honour to trans- mit herewith, you will observe the name of Arndell to a grant of sixty acres of land. He is an assistant surgeon, who wishes to * Note 202. t Note 217. PHILLIP TO DUNDAS. 391 become a settler, and who has with that view got about ten acres 1792. of land in cultivation at his own expence ; and as I understand 4 0ct' that some encouragement was given to the surgeons, to expect being put upon the staff, and to receive half -pay after a certain time of service, I am induced, from the good conduct of the assistant surgeon, Mr. Thomas Arndell, and his attention to his duty, to beg leave to recommend him as deserving of some reward for his past services. He continues to do his duty at Parramatta, where he has had the direction of the hospital for near three years, and will be continued in that charge until he receives per- mission to retire, and which he has requested by letter, a copy of which I have the honour to enclose. From particular circumstances not immediately necessary to trouble you with, I signed the grant for the sixty acres of land, and which, as the colony will be benefitted thereby, I hope will be approved of: although, as holding a place under the Crown, Mr. Arndell does not immediately come under the description of any of those to whom I have been directed to grant lands. As an assistant surgeon will be necessary when Mr. Arndell is surgeon Laing. permitted to retire, I beg leave to recommend Mr. Edward Laing, who is at present surgeon's mate to the New South Wales Corps, to be one of the assistant surgeons to this colony. I have, &c, A. Phillip. [Enclosure Xo. 1. ] Eeturx of settlers and persons to whom lands have been granted : At and near Parramatta. Settler, late superintendant of convicts 1 Settlers, late of the marines 8 Do. , seamen late of his Majesty's ship Sirius 2 Do. , convicts Avhose sentence of transportation have expired 53 An assistant surgeon (Mr. Thos. Arndell) 1 An emancipated convict, who acts as assistant surgeon 1 At Norfolk Island. Settlers from the marines 46 Do. from his Majesty's late ship Sirius (seamen) 8 Do. from the Supply, armed tender (do. ) 1 Settlers from convicts, times expired 3 Desirous of becoming a settler, J. T. Doidge. late superin- tendant of convicts 1 Desirous of becoming settlers, convicts whose times are expired 45 Sydney, 8th October, 1792. A. Phillip. 392 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1792 [Enclosure No. 2. ] 4 Oct. Mr. Thos. Arndell to Governor Phillip. Sir, Parramatta, 10th July, 1792. Finding myself advancing in life, and wishing to provide for a family who depend upon me for a support, I take the 1 iberty to request that your Excellency will be pleased to move his Majesty's Ministers to permit me to retire from the service, with such part of my pay as my services in this country may be thought to merit; and that the land, which I have began to cultivate, with a view to becoming a settler, may be granted me for that purpose. I have, &c, Thomas Arndell. Governor Phillip to The Eight Hon. Henry Dundas. (Per store-ship Britannia to the Cape of Good Hope, and thence to England. *) Sir, Sydney, New South Wales, October 4th, 1792. Additional The desire I had of securing to his Majesty's service in this N. ^wfcorps. country those marines who had been selected to remain here when the rest of the detachment was embarked, induced me to nominate Captain Lieutenant George Johnston to the company to be an- nexed to the New South Wales Corps, until his Majesty's pleasure should be known, pursuant to Lord Grenville's letter of the 7th of November, I791, f which informed me that his Majesty had been graciously pleased to permit me to recommend such officers as I deemed deserving of the royal favour. I have thought that the opportunity of retaining a certain number of soldiers who had distinguished themselves by their good conduct for more than four years was not to be lost, although their numbers were not sufficient to form a compleat company; and most of them offered themselves on condition of their serving with the officer under whose command they had been left when the rest of the detachment was embarked for England, and who I beg leave to recommend as a deserving officer, who is very properly qualified for the company. I hope that my not having waited for. further directions from the Secretary of War will be justified by the necessity of imme- diately accepting the offer made by those men of inlisting; for had I waited for the arrival of a ship from England, it was more than probable that, on their seeing themselves at the eve of returning home, few of them would have been willing to have remained in the country. Of the fifty-nine non-commissioned officers and privates of the marines thirty-eight have inlisted; and four men, whose sentences * Note 202. t Note 218- PHILLIP TO DUXDAS. 393 had expired, and who since their arrival in this country had con- 1792. ducted themselves properly, have been permitted to inlist. I have, sir, to beg leave to explain that my saying in my former letter of the 5th of last April that I had nominated Captain Lieutenant George Johnston to the company proceeded from the hurry in which I then wrote, the ship by which that letter was sent having at that time left the cove and then going to sea. My meaning was, that he was charged with the command of the com- pany until his Majesty's pleasure should be known, and I only meant to recommend him for the company, and for which his conduct during his service in this country has given him so good a claim. Of the marine settlers at Norfolk Island, nine have also given up their lands and inlisted with Captain Johnston, so that the strength of his company is three Serjeants, three corporals, two drummers, and forty-six privates, of which number forty-seven are from the marines, two drummers, soldiers' sons, one private from a transport, and four from men whose sentences were expired. I have, &c, A. Phillip. Governor Phillip to The Eight Hon. Henry Dundas. (Per store-ship Britannia to the Cape of Good Hope, and thence to England. *) Sir, Sydney, New South Wales, 8th October, 1792. 8 Oct. I have the honor to enclose a list of the superintendants Superintendents and others who are employed at this settlement, and at Norfolk Island, as also the names of those superintendants who have died, or been discharged. The present number of superintendants, and those classed under that denomination, exceed the number provided for in the esti- mates, but there is a necessity of having a master carpenter at Norfolk Island, as well as at this settlement, and as the one who now acts in that capacity here cannot be removed without some inconvenience to the individual, the master carpenter who came out in the Royal Admiral goes to Norfolk Island, and the convict whose term of transportation being expired, now acting there in that capacity, will be otherwise disposed of. Mr. Donovan, late midshipman of his Majesty's ship Sirius. and who has been usefully employed in Norfolk Island, is said to be appointed a lieutenant in the Royal Navy, and will therefore be discharged on the first ship's going to the island, in order for his returning to England. John Davis will be discharg'd as soon as the Atlantic is ready to sail, as two convicts now employed in the stores, and to whom * Note 202. 394 HISTOKICAL RECOKDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1792. 8 Oct. Eeturn of superintendents emancipation at a future period has been promised, provided they remain faithful to the trust reposed in them, will supply his place; and Andrew Hume will be permitted to become a settler, which will reduce the number to the limits prescribed by the estimate. I have, &c , A. Phillip. [Enclosure. ] Return of Superintendants of Convicts, Store Keepers, and others necessarily Employed in His Majesty's Settlements in New South Wales. Names. Where and how Employed. At Sydney. Philip Divine ■ Superintendent of Convicts. John Davis Charged with landing Provisions at Sydney, and with the care of the Boats employed carrying Provisions and Stores between that place and Parramatta, from 1st of December 1791 (was Gunners Mate of His Majesty's Ship Sirius). Thomas Smith Charged with Superintending the Re- ceipts and delivery of Provisions Stores and Cloathing from the 17th of August 1792. was a Serjeant of Marines and discharged from that Corps. James Bloodsworth Employed as a Master Bricklayer from 1st of September 1791. At Parramatta. Thomas Clarke Superintendant of Convicts. John Livingstone Employed as a Master Carpenter from the 1st of April 1791. William Broughton Store Keeper at Parramatta, from the 20th of February 1789. At Toonyabbe. Charged with the direction of the Con- victs Employed in Cultivation from the 1st of April 1791. At Serf oik Island. Directs the landing of Provisions and Stores from the 1st of December 1791. Andrew Hume Superintendant of Convicts. William Neate Chapman Store Keeper at Phillipsburgh (Norfolk Island) from the 10th of December 1791. Darcey Wentworth Superintendant of Convicts (Vice Doidge) from the 10th of December 1791. Thomas Daveny. Mr. Stephen Donovan . . . . VICTUALLING BOAED TO PHILLIP. 395 Return of Superintendents of Convicts, Store Keepers, and others necessarily Employed in His Majesty's Settlements in New South Wales — (continued). Names. Where and how Employed. Henry Edward Dodd Walter Broady Phillip Schaffer David Burton Late Superintendants. Died the 28th January 1791. Master Blacksmith — went Home with the Sirius's Ships Company to which he belonged, the 28th March 1791. Settler near Parramatta since the 30th March 1791. Died at Parramatta the 13th April 1792. Late Snperintendant at Norfolk Island, Gave up his Engagement the 10th of December 1791. William Thomas Doidge. 1792. 8 Oct. Sydney October 8th 1792. A. Phillip. The Victualling Board to Governor Phillip. (Per store-ship Speedy. *) Sir, Victualling Office, 9th Oct. , 1792. 9 Oct. Since our Letter to you of the 7th of September last, Naval stores. Three Receipts as hereunder described for Provisions etc. returned from His Majesty's Ship Sirius and the Supply armed Tender to the Commissaries at New South Wales have been delivered into this Office, vizt. A Receipt signed Thomas Freeman Deputy Commissary for sundry Articles saved out of the Wreck of the Sirius and returned into Store at Norfolk Island (per endorsement on the back of the said Receipt) between the 19th of March 1790 and 10th of Feby. 1791. A Receipt signed Roger Murley Storekeeper for sundry Provi- sions etc. saved from the Wreck between the 19th March and 9th April 1790. A Receipt signed And. Miller Commissary dated the Sth April 1791 for Provisions etc. returned into Store at Norfolk Island on the 22nd of March preceding from the Supply armed Tender. We therefore request that you will be pleased to give directions to the several Commissaries etc. not only to render proper Accounts and Vouchers to this Board by the first conveyance of * Note 2lSil. 396 HISTOEICAL EECORDS OF AUSTBALIA. 1792. the Provisions, etc. they may issue as desired by our before rnen- 9 0ct- tioned Letter but also of those they may receive on account of this Department. We are, &c, G. P. TOWRY. W. BOSCAWEN. Fras. Stephens. A. Chorley. S. Marshall. Governor Phillip to The Eight Hon. Henry Dundas. (Per store-ship Britannia to the Cape of Good Hope, and thence to England. *) •Sir, Sydney, New South Wales, 9th October, 1792. Provost-Marshal A person to discharge the duty of Provost-Martial being Brewer. indispensibly necessary on my arrival in this country, and the person who was appointed in England, Mr. George Alexander, having thought proper to remain on shore when the ships sailed, I appointed Mr. Henry Brewer, f then a rated midshipman on board his Majesty's ship Sirius, to act in that capacity, which he has continued to do from the 26th of January, 1788, the date of my warrant ; and having had very sufficient reason to suppose that it never was Mr. Alexander's intention to come to this country, I detained Mr Brewer to fill that office, and having recommended him to the Secretary of State for the appointment, I was given to understand by Mr. Nepean that my request would be complied with: but Mr. Brewer's agent now writes that no pay could be received for him as Provost-Martial, as he was not confirmed in that office. I therefore beg leave to lay the whole of his case before you, and as no fee nor any kind of emolument attends the office of Provost-Martial, and the person in question has done the duty near five years, he will be involved in difficulties from which he never will be able to extricate himself, unless he receives the appointment annexed to the office he has filled; and I also beg leave to recommend him for a confirmation of the appointment of Provost-Martial to this territory, storekeeper William Broughton, who has acted as storekeeper from the Broughton. 20th of February, 1789, and who is now employed in that char- acter at Parramatta, is also informed by his agent that no money could be received on his account. This person has been included in the returns sent home, and has been promised the same salary as is allowed to a superintendant, and for which, and for an order being given for his salary being paid in England, I beg to recommend him. He is greatly distressed by the disappointment. I have, &c, A. Phillip. * Note 202. f Note 31. PHILLIP TO KING AND DUNDAS. 397 Governor Phillip to Under Secretary King. 1792. (Per store-ship Britannia to the Cape of Good Hope, and thence to England. *) Sir, Sydney, New South Wales, 11th October, 1792. I have received your letter, dated the 15th of May, by the despatches. Royal Admiral, inclosing the copy of an agreement made with the master carpenter and master miller. The settler, Jameson, with his family, arrived in this ship. I have, sir, also to acknowledge the receipt of the estimates from October. 1792, to October, 1793. The Royal Admiral arrived here the 7th instant. When that Transports' ship left the Cape of Good Hope, which was on the 30th of August last, the Kitty had not then arrived there. I am, &c, A. Phillip. Governor Phillip to The Right Hon. Henry Dundas. (Per store-ship Britannia to the Cape of Good Hope, and thence to England. *) Sir, Sydney, New South Wales, 11th October, 1792. I am honoured with your letter by the Royal Admiral, Despatch, dated the 15th of May last, which ship arrived here the 7th in- stant. Of the convicts embarked on board that ship, ten men and two Convicts per women died on the passage, and four children were born, one of Royal Admiral, whom died; one male convict escaped at the Cape of Good Hope, and seventy-two men, eleven women, and five children have been landed sick. I have no doubt but that strict justice has been done them, and hope the sending out convicts and stores by ships employed in the service of the East India Company will answer the end proposed by Government; but, sir, if I was to give an opinion, I think the people have been too much crowded on board this ship. That there are great numbers of spermacetic whales on this Whaling, coast is confirmed by all the whalers; but, I believe, not one of them gave the coast a fair trial, nor can I suppose that they left it solely on account of bad weather and strong currents. The weather on the coast of Brazil is not better than it is on this coast, nor have the whalers there those advantages of harbours which ships employed on this fishery would have; as to the currents, they are pretty much the same on both coasts. The permitting of spirits amongst the civil and military may be necessary, but it will certainly be a great evil. The want of a place in which the copper and other articles on board the Barrington and other transports would have been secure * Note 202. 398 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1792. 11 Oct. Private shipments in third fleet transports. General reports. Phillip's resignation. had it been seized, until the legality of that measure had been determined, and the not having the last Acts of Parliament relative to the southern fishery, were amongst the reasons which induced me to let the transports proceed on their voyage, and for which I am now very sorry. * The Commissary is directed to mark the quantities of every article wanted when he makes demands; he will also inform the Treasury that no further supplies of thread, yarn, or stills will be necessary for three or four years. What relates to live stock and the culture of the ground will be seen in my letter marked No. 2. f The master carpenter and miller are landed, as is the person sent out to become a settler, or to be otherwise employed in the colony. The port wine, spirits, and tobacco which are to be furnished the officers and others at prime cost, will be a matter of great conveniency to those persons. You are, sir, pleased to express your regret at my being obliged to return to England on account of my health, and I feel much satisfaction from the manner in which that circumstance is men- tioned. How far that part of your letter to which the above alludes may have been intended to convey to me his Majesty's permission to return, I am doubtful, and although I am inclined to think it has been written with that intention, and feel how necessary it is for me to give up, at least for a time, the charge of this Govern- ment, which is very far from what I wish to do at the moment the colony is approaching to that state in which I have so long and anxiously wished to see it; still, sir, I fear there is a possi- bility of its being expected that I should remain until permission to quit the Government is more fully and clearly expressed; and as there appears to be a wish that I should remain in this country some time longer, I shall wait the arrival of the next ships. :}: I have, &c, A. Phillip. Governor Phillip to The Right Hon. Henry Dundas. (Per store-ship Britannia to the Cape of Good Hope, and thence to England. §) 12 Oct. Sir, Sydney, New South Wales, 12th October, 1792. I have the Honor to inclose a Return of the Settlements at Sydney, Parramatta, Toongabbe, and Norfolk Island. I have the honor to be, Sir, &c, A. Phillip. ♦ Note 219. t Note 220. X Note 205. § Note 202. PHILLIP TO DUNDAS. 399 s 3 a o Q 3 Il9. ipilll0 (N ©J CO CO Weeks' Provision in Store at the Establish'd Ration. •HO JO J9^ng A'. pco . •naraoAV CO -l[Oqa pU'E 9SB9CI CO 00 •Sa^'BAUJ 1-1 •* CO H^ CO IN JI. IOJ A. p* ^ CI •SJ9Tuam. iQ 00 CO C-J •src. iod. ioo C O O "U91U0AV o-to 0 ■ I-l -f (N 10 CM •niB[d^qo -1 •U9K CD 0-1 30 cr. m 00 m eo ■* •Aao^ua9X 9q^ joj 1'eqs. i'Bjv isoaoj j •uo»S. ins rEdionuj - - 33 •U9UI0AV • (M • - "U9H (M CD • •Ajtsssiiuuioq •spirei jo ao^9AJng - J£ a 11 •sjoiauoo •m co I-H "9ld09J 99 X J • 1-1 m •Q'XVOOA. pY 9^pnf A!jnd9Q •ptrqeT JtlojaoN jo joiu9. \oo--;n9iq i-H 0> "U91U0AV 00 CO cz - ■U9K CO-M r-l •AJO'+uagj, 9q:j joaouj9. \oo- '^n9n - People not Victualled from the Stores. ■uwpnqo - : : •J9iq0 UI J0UJ9A0f) p'utj i'ei9u9f)-ad'Br» •U9Ui0A\ CO ^ • 03 a 0 M TJ C a> S H OS Ih" 8 . 0 Sfg ft . 2 * •U9K CO <3> O (M CO •* I 11 CD 1— •90-bk ?* ^ucafaas pm: [trqsjrojg ^ : •. n:. iisi. o9y I-1 : O 0, § | * "5 2 3 g- 0 •l. moo 9q^) jo aSpnf - • : 3* e OS •90940 9qi 01 V)liil'( | v \'. n:ssim -mon lumnpv 901 \ -:: 1792. ^ 12 Oct. Vi <3 State of the m Colony. 400 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1792. 13 Oct. Governor Phillip to Under Secretary King. (Per store-ship Britannia to the Cape of Good Hope, and thence to England. *) Sir, Sydney, October 13th, 1792. I am favored with yours by Capt. Bond, who will receive every assistance he may want. The Ship is clearing, ! and there cannot be any doubt that he will arrive at China in time. j am ^c A. Phillip. 16 Oct. Despatches. Phillip's resignation. Governor Phillip to LTnder Secretary Nepean. (A private letter, per store-ship Britannia to the Cape of Good Hope. *) My dear Nepean, Sydney, 16th October, 1792. The Britannia going to the Cape, although very much against my inclination, gives me an opportunity of forwarding the despatches, and of saying that I most sincerely hope your voyage has restored your health:}: The Atlantic will sail about the middle of next month, and most probably my letters by that ship will be the first you'll receive. As to myself, § I have still to wait the arrival of another ship, and every day tells me that my return to England, for a time at least, is more and more necessary. The manner in which Mr. Dundas speaks of my leaving this country is very handsome ; but I do not well understand that part of his letter. I fear that it may have been supposed I would re- main until His Majesty's permission was clearly expressed; and I should be sorry, after all my labours, to have it said on my return that I was not expected. The ship which was to follow the Royal Admiral will, I hope, clear up the doubt, and not only leave me at liberty to quit the Government, but also put the means of doing it in my power; otherwise I do not see how I am to get home after the Atlantic has sailed, unless it is by the way of China or the north-west coast of America, neither of which would be very agreeable to a man going in search of health. That you may long enjoy yours is the wish of a very sincere and faith- ful friend. A. Phillip. I suppose you'll hear from your brother, but as he has some doubts of writing by this ship, he is well and much better than he has been for some time. * Note 202. t Note 221. t Note 222. Note 205. PHILLIP TO KING. 401 Governor Phillip to Under Secretary King. - c 0 <». s J; , -; ° At Parramatta, under the direction of the £ 1 ci eg rt -= 0^ > $< Superintendant Clark 1 7\ h 305 4 . 320f At and leading to Toongabbe, under the direc- tion of the Superintendant Daveney 171| 14 511 696^ Settlers. At Parramatta — James Ruse, settled 21 Novr. , 1789| 3 18 1 . 7 29 On the Creek leading to Parramatta — Robert Webb . . ^ « ( Settled 16 March, 1791 5 H 2 8 William Reid .. | "55 | „ 1C , , 1791 4 6 1 ! 5 12} Philip Schaeffer }■&■{ , , 17 April, 1791 2 27 1 1 8 39 John Irving ... . | -g | , , 2*2 Feb v. , 1792 9 2 11 Thomas Arndell ) % l_ , , 16 July, 1792 2 16 3 21 Charles Williams ) 5 6 j „ 13 July, 1791 10 3 2 12} James Stuart ■•lo-'Sj , , , , 1791 7 i • 7} At Prospect Hill, 4 miles to the westward of Parramatta — John Silverthorn Settled 18 July, 1791 .... s 5 6| Thomas Martin .. „ „ , , 4f 5} John Nichols .... , , , , , , l5 «* :. ' Willi im Butler .. 1 H 5j George Lish , , , , , , .... 3 H 5 William Parish . . , , , , , , .... 1 5 6 William Kilby.... 1 9 10 Edward Pugli .... 1 73 8* Samuel Griffiths.. , , 25 July, 1791 1 5 0 John Castles .... , , , , , , .... 3 7| tl John Williams „ 1 Novemr. , 1791. . 3 4 John Herbert , , 8 Janry. , 1792 l 53 c| Joseph Morley , , 20 , , 1792 l 5 6 John Brown , , 5 Augt. , 1792 2 2 John Limeburner , , , , , , .... j ! 2 John Trace , , 15 Augt. , 1792 2 John Baughan .... , , „ , , 2 2 Joho Ocraft , , 25 Augt. , 1792. .. . 3 3 Carried forward 191} 2U i 1, 001] 8 29 1, 2523 1792. 17 Oct. Return of land in cultivation. Sek. I. Vol. T— 2 C * Note 202. f Note 130. 402 HISTOEICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1792. 17 Oct. A Return of Land in Cultivation, &c. — continued. . 1 "S-S bb Brought forward JZ 3 5 0 c P -z o -SJ as C > Ground clear'd Timber Plantin O P 191J 21 \ i 1, 0014 8 1 29 l, 252f At the Northern Boundary Farms, 2 miles from Parramatta — John Parr Settled 27 Ausjt. , 1791 1* 8 1 2 124 Simon Burn , , , , , , 14 12 f 14 Joseph Carver , , 19 March, 1792 . . 4 \ "4 St Jonn Rowe , , 1 April, 1792 5 i 3 William Whiting. . , , 12 May, 1792 .... :: , .. 6 I 2 8£ At the Ponds, 2 miles to the N. E. of Parra- i matta — John Summers Settled 18 July, 1791 . . 4 2| 1 3 John Richards , , , , , , A 24 h William Field „ „ „ i 34 51 10 John Ramsay , , , , » , •••• i 104 k 15 Curtis Brand , , , , »»••-• i 5" 6 William Hubbard .. , , , , , , i 6 7 Joseph Bishop , , , , „ i 3 4 Mathew Everingham , , , , , , i "\ 54 i 74 William Wade „ 5 Aug. , 1792. . . . i 1 2 4 John Anderson , , 12 Aug. , 1791 .. i 4 1 5| Edward Elliot \ 5. V 3 9* Joseph Marshall .... , , , , , , i 5" 2 8 Edward Varndell .. , , 10 Sepr. , 1791 . . i 3 1 Anthonv Rope , , 10 Jany. , 1792. . l 3 John Pedwick „ 19 Feby. , 1792. . 2 "4 24 Thomas Haward .... „ 2 March, 1792 . . 1 1 At the Field of Mars, on the North Shore, near the Entrance of the Creek leading to Parra- matta— James Manning .... Settled 3 Feby. , 1792 . . 5 \ 10 154 John Carver , , , , , , fi I 64 Alexander McDonald , , „ , , i 10 I '"7 184 Thomas Swinerton . . , , , , , , 5 5 10 Thomas Tining .... , , „ , , i 44 "h 6 12 Thomas Cotterel. .. . , , , , , , l 5 2 8 Isaac Archer , , , , , , l 4 1 0 John Colethread , , , . , , 5 5 At the Eastern Farms — William Careless. . . . Settled 10 Janry. , 1792 5 5 William Weavers .. , , , , , , ■• 6 6 John Beezeley , , 24 Janry. , 1792 14 2i John Callaghan , , , , , , .. 5 ' 64 u4 John Jones , , , , , , • • 24 1 William Jones .. , , , , , , .. 3 3 6 Thomas Chadwick .. , , , , , , .. 2 2 William Tirrel „ „ „ .. 4 4 John Lawrell , , , , , , . . 24 1 34 Richard Hawkes. . . . , ,23 May, 1792 . . 4 4 Joseph Hatton , , 29 May, 1792 . . 4 4 Richard Cheers .... „ 15 Aug. , 1792 . . 1J li Governor's Garden at Parramatta i 2 1 3 84 Garden Ground belonging to different People, including the Convicts' Gardens 100 Ground in Cultivation by the Civil and Military in Sydney Total 2084 24} i 62J 1, 1864 ~ai 4 100 1, 708$ Augustus Alt, Land Surveyor-General. 403 DESPATCHES TO AND FROM ENGLAND DURING THE Administration of Lieutenant-Governor Grose. Governor Phillip embarked on board the transport Atlantic in the evening of the 10th December, 1792, and sailed at daylight next morning, whereupon the government of the colony devolved on Lieutenant-Governor Grose by virtue of his commission as Lieutenant-Governor, dated 2nd November, 1789 (see p. 405) , and of the ante-penultimate clause of Governor Phillip's second com- mission (see p. 8) , in the absence of Captain John Hunter. * The oaths of office were taken by Major Grose on the 31st day of December, 1792. He administered the government until his departure for England in the store-ship Dsedalus, and on this vessel he embarked on the 15th and sailed on the 17th December, 1794. * Note 222a. 405 DESPATCHES, December 1792 — December, 1794. Lieutenant-Governor Grose's* Commission. George E. George the Third, &c. , to our trusty and well-beloved Major Francis Grose, greeting: — We, reposing especial trust and confidence in your loyalty, courage, and experience in military affairs, do, by these presents, constitute and appoint you to be Lieutenant-Governor of the settlement within our territory called New South Wales, in the room of Major Eobert Koss, from and immediately after your arrival in our said settlement. You are, therefore, as Lieutenant- Governor to take the said settlement into your care and charge, and carefully and diligently to discharge the duty of Lieutenant- Governor thereof, by doing and performing all and all manner of things thereunto belonging; and we do hereby strictly charge and require all our officers and soldiers who shall hereafter be in our said territory, and all others whom it may concern, to obey you as our Lieutenant-Governor thereof; and you are to observe and follow such orders and instructions from time to time as you shall receive from us, our Governor of our said territory for the time being, or any other your superior officer, according to the rules and discipline of war, in pursuance of the trust we hereby repose in you. Given at our Court at St. James's, the second day of November, 1789, in the thirtieth year of our reign. By his Majesty's command, W. W. Grenville. Under Secretary King to Governor Phillip. (Per transport Boddingtonsf ; acknowledged by Lieut-Governor Grose to Rt. Hon. Henry Dundas, 3rd September, 1793. ) Sir, Whitehall, 31st December, 1792. 3117^c I avail myself of the opportunity of a ship's sailing from proposed Ireland for New South Wales to forward to you copies of two JggfjJJJ* letters:}: which Mr. Secretary Dundas has written to the Gov'r- India. Gen'l of Bengal on the measure of supplying the colony of New South Wales with live stock and provisions. Your opinion on this subject will of course be highly acceptable to Mr. Dundas. * Note 222a. f Note 223. } Note 224. 406 HISTOEICAL EECOEDS OF AUSTEALIA. 1792. 31 Deo. Proposed supplies and stock from India. I also forward to you three packets, which were received in the course of last month from Calcutta, on the same subject, two of which with flying seals Mr. Dundas has perused. As an additional number of convicts will most probably be sent out early in the ensuing year, Mr. Dundas will write to you by that opportunity. I am, &c. , J. King. [Enclosure ]So. 1. ] Lord Grenville to the Governor-General of India, My Lord, Whitehall, 11th Octo. , 1792. The supplying his Majesty's colony of New South Wales as well with live stock as with Indian corn and the seeds of vege- tables from Bengal is conceived to be a measure which must be highly advantageous to that colony, and I have in consequence received his Majesty's commands to desire that your Lordship will take such steps for carrying the same into execution as shall appear to you to be most adviseable. It is deemed expedient for the present to confine the live stock which may be sent to sheep and a proportionate number of cows and bulls, as being best adapted to the present state of cultivation there. I forbear to mention any precise number, as that must depend on the size of the vessel best adapted for such service, as well as on other local circumstances. The Governor of New South Wales will be made acquainted by the first opportunity with the mode of supply herein adopted, in order that he may make such preparation for its reception as may be necessary. Grenville. [Enclosure No. 2. ] The Eight Hon. Henry Dundas to the Governor-General of India. My Lord, Whitehall, 19th Decemr. , 1792. Since Lord Grenville's letter to your Lordship of the 11th of October last respecting the supplying of New South Wales with live stock from Bengal, I have received from Messrs. Lam- bert, Ross, & Co. an account of the provisions shipped on board the Atlantic, transport, for that colony. It appears from the contents of that letter that they have made proposals for supplying it with almost all the articles which are requisite, and that they have in consequence sent samples of such articles by Mr. Bowen, with the prices annexed, in order to decide upon the expediency of a future permanent and regular supply from Bengal, so long as the same shall be necessary. If, there- KIXG TO PHILLIP. 407 fore, from the representation of his Majesty's Government of 1792. New South Wales it should be found that, agreeably to such 31 Pec- samples, the articles themselves are such as are suitable to the Proposed nature of the settlement, it will probably be the ultimate deter- stock from mination of his Majesty's servants that the entire supply thereof Indla- shall be from Bengal. In that case, and in order to carry such a system into effect, it will be necessary for the Presidency to consider of the best and cheapest mode of providing such supply, and that the same may keep pace with the progressive increase of the colonists, regular returns of their numbers, of the articles of provisions and stores in hand, and of such as they stand in need of, must be duly transmitted to Bengal. In the meantime, I am to desire that in freighting a vessel with live stock, agreeably to the above-mentioned letter from Lord Grenville, your Lordship will take that opportunity of sending such a quantity of salted beef or pork, especially of the latter, as the vessel adopted for that service can conveniently carry, without too much interfering with the original purpose for which she is to be taken up. I have more particularly instanced salted pork because I observe that two tons of it have already been sent as a sample by the Atlantic, and from the accounts transmitted I expect that it will succeed and become a regular article of supply. Your Lordship will likewise take into consideration what mode of payment will be most in favor of Government, whether by navy bills or by bills on his Majesty's treasury, either of which, as a channel of remittance to Europe, must, of course, bear a considerable premium. The numbers now in New South Wales and Xorfolk Island, on a rough calculation, may be estimated at about five thousand. I am, &c, Henry Dundas. [Enclosure No. 3. ] Lambert, Boss and Co. to The Bight Hon. Henry Dundas. Sir, Calcutta, 28th March, 1792. His Excellency Governor Phillip having thought proper in conformity to the recommendation of his Majesty's minister- , to send the Atlantic, store-ship, to this place, for a supply of provisions for the colony of New South Wales, under the direc- tion of Lieut. Richd. Howen of his Majesty's navy, as naval pgent, and his Excellency having been pleased to address the said ship to us and Mr. Robert Biddulph, in consequence of our joint fetter and proposals to his Majesty's ministers for the Home Department, dated August, L790, * which we have been given to * Note 225. 408 HISTOKICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA.. 1792. understand had been approved of. We now presume to address 31 Pec- you, sir, upon the subject, tho' we doubt not but Lieut. Bowen Proposed hath fully informed his Majesty's ministers on the steps which stockfrom have been taken for carrying into effect the instructions and India- orders of his Excellency Governor Phillip. We shall beg leave, therefore, briefly to state that on the arrival of Lieut. Bowen in the Atlantic, and being honoured with the commands of his Excellency Governor Phillip, we communicated with Mr. Bid- dulph on the subject (whose connection with us had for some time before ceased) and were concerting measures for carrying them into effect, when we received a letter from Lieut. Bowen informing us that his Majesty's ministers had instructed this Government in what manner the supplies for New South Wales were to be furnished, and that the orders of his Excellency Governor Phillip were, in consequence, superseded. Immediately upon this the Government here advertised for proposals of contract, to be tendered for supplies of the different species of provisions wanted for the colony; but none having been offered that were thought advisable to be accepted, Lieut. Bowen found himself very unpleasantly situated; for, after applying individually to every mercantile house in town, none of them would undertake to furnish the supplies. Chagrined as we had been by the supersession of that confidence, we flattered our- selves it had been the intention of his Majesty's ministers and of Governor Phillip to repose in us we yet felt for the disagreeable predicament in which Lieut. Bowen found himself, and for the necessities of the colony; prompted therefore by our zeal for the public good, we made a proposal to Lieut. Bowen, founded upon the principle of those we had the honour of submitting jointly with Mr. Biddulph to the consideration of his Majesty's ministers; adhering as nearly to the spirit of them as circum- stances would admit, and undertaking to furnish the supply on the same terms we before offered, tho' from the present enhanced price of grain in consequence of a failure of the crop and existing embargo, we could have little hope of benefiting ourselves in any degree adequate to the trouble and risk we must necessarily run, and would, therefore, have fairly warranted a deviation. Our proposals having been approved both by this Government and Lieut. Bowen, an agreement was drawn up betwixt Lieut. Bowen, on behalf of his Majesty, and us, under the sanction of the honourable Company's law officers, an attested copy of which Lieut. Bowen transmits to his Majesty's ministers by this oppor- tunity, and to which we beg leave to refer you for the particulars. The accounts which accompany the agreement will shew that it hath been punctually fulfilled on our part, and we trust in such KING TO PHILLIP. 409 a manner as will prove highly satisfactory to his Majesty's minis- 1792. ters, and also to his Excellency Governor Phillip, having reason 31 Dec- to believe it hath been to Lieut. Bowen, who hath witnessed our Proposed strenuous exertions, in not only compleating the terms of our stockfrom engagements, but also in procuring whatever was thought would Indla- prove useful and beneficial to the colony, and which, we trust, will recommend us to the future favour of his Majesty's minis- ters, to be employed in furnishing such supplies as may be here- after required, and can be supplied from hence. The advantages which are likely to result to the infant colony at Port Jackson and Norfolk Island, by a frequent communica- tion with this country, and the readiness with which supplies can be sent from hence in the proper season, are too obvious to require being pointed out here, and will we presume induce his Majesty's ministers to depend principally for supplies of grain from hence. But, with a view of rendering this intercourse still more bene- ficial, we have turned our thoughts towards curing beef and pork, in which we have no doubt whatever of succeeding, provided we meet with encouragement from Government, and that a contract be entered into for a fixed period, and for specific quantities. And we have the honour to enclose a paper, No. 1, stating the terms we are willing to undertake to furnish the whole supply of the above articles, and also the terms on which we are willing to supply a species of butter made in this country called ghee, and sugar, if it should be thought advisable to substitute that article in lieu, musters of both which we have sent to his Excellency Governor Phillip ; the whole to be delivered at New South Wales, free of expense to Government, at the prices therein mentioned. And should our proposals meet the approbation of his Majesty's ministers, we will give such security for the fulfillment of our engagements, as we doubt not will be satisfactory. We beg leave to add that so strongly was Lieut. Bowen impressed with the expediency and practicability of supplying pork from hence, that he ordered about two tons to be sent on the Atlantic by way of experiment; and altho' the season for curing was past, we have little doubt but it will turn out satisfactory. Observing that if a contract is entered into, as we shall have the advantage of the cold season — from November until March — to feed and cure it, there is every reason to supi. )ose we could furnish it of a still better quality; and we presume to think the low rate at which we propose will induce his Majesty's ministers to countenance the undertaking. The cloathing with which the male and female convicts are supplied, we conceive, might also he furnished from hence ;it ;is cheap, if not a cheaper rate, than they are from home, besides 410 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1792. 31 Dec. Proposed supplies and stock from India. having a decided superiority in point of quality, provided the woolen articles could be dispensed with, and from all the accounts we can learn of the climate, there does not appear to exist a necessity for them. We allude particularly to the outside and under jackets, flannel drawers, and worstead stockings. At present we cannot point out what manufacture of this country would best answer as substitutes for the jackets, but we shall inform ourselves on the subject; and in the meantime we hav3 got made musters of shirts and trousers, of the same size as those supplied the convicts, and have sent them to Governor Phillip, together with three muster pairs of shoes and a blanket, men- tioning to him the prices we can supply them for, and which we have the honour also to state you in a separate paper, number 2, accompanied with patterns of the cloths and blanket. On the subject of grain, we have further to observe that in the event of our being honoured with the commands of his Majesty's ministers, or the Governor of New South Wales for the time- being, to furnish supplies (meaning to adhere to the prices first proposed) we must stipulate that the following proportions of the different species be demanded, vizt. : — Soogee, in lieu of flour § Wheat | Peas or Dh oil | Rice f And at the same time we would beg leave to recommend that flour or soogee should be rejected altogether, and an encreased proportion of wheat substituted in lieu thereof, it being the universal practice throughout India to export the wheat only which is found to be fresher, and always makes better bread than flour that has been long kept. In the present instance (tho' at an expence of nearly 50 p. cent, upon the price) we have furnished soogee in lieu of flour, the latter not having been approved of by Lieut. Bowen. And it is for this reason we are under the neces- sity of stipulating the proportions, for otherwise we cannot pos- sibly afford to supply soogee in the lieu of flour unless the price is advanced to 26s. p. cwt. And this points out more strongly the expediency of sending wheat, and rejecting flour or soogee alto- gether, and the peas and rice to be supplied in the proportions, and at the prices, as before mentioned. But if two-thirds flour or soogee is demanded, and one-third peas (as his Excellency Gov- ernor Phillip wished) , the former cannot be supplied for less than 26s. p. cwt. , nor the latter at less than 16s. And we beg leave further to recommend that we may be fur- nished with orders for the full supply of grain wanted in time to be able to dispatch the same from hence by the beginning of the KING TO PHILLIP. 411 month of December, all grain being in the greatest perfection 1792. about that period, and it being the most favourable season for siDee. ships to make a quick passage down the Bay of Bengal. Proposed For the payment of such supplies as may be furnished by us, and stock we beg leave to propose that we should have a credit upon this from India- Government, to be paid at the exchange of one shilling and eleven-pence per current rupee, or be authorised to draw bills on the Right Honble. the Lords Commissioners of his Majesty's Treasury at the usual date of ninety days' sight, under the sanc- tion of the Governor-General in Council, by way of imprest (when they are satisfied certain proportions of the supplies are actually shipped) and for the balance, when the supplies are completed, accompanied by authenticated accounts of the whole. We must now crave your excuse, sir, for having trespassed so long upon your time, which must necessarily be wholly occupied by the weighty affairs of state, and other momentous concerns; but conceiving it to be of great importance, as well to the interests of the nation as to the infant colony settled in the southern hemisphere, that a competent idea should be formed of the capacity of this country to furnish the necessary supplies that may be required, to foster them until they are in a condition and capable of supporting themselves, we have been induced to enter thus largely into detail upon the subject; and we presume to assure you, sir, that no private individuals in this country have it more in their power, or can better execute the orders of Govern- ment in sending supplies from hence to the new colony. We have, &c, Lambert, Ross, & Co. [Sub-enclosures Xos. 1 and 2. ] [Copies of these terms have not yet been found. ] [Enclosure No. 4. ] Lambert, Ross and Co. to Governor Phillip. Sir, Calcutta, 28th March, 1792. We have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Excellency's letter, dated the 24th October, 1791, addressed to Lambert & Ross and Robt. Riddulph, which was delivered to us by Lieut. Richard Bowen on the 3d. of last month. His Majesty's ministers having done us the honour to acquaint you with the proposals we made to them jointly with Mr. Bid- dulph in October, 1790, for supplying New South Wales from hence with different articles of provision, and in consequence thereof you have been pleased to address us on the subject, we signified to Mr. Bowen our readiness to undertake the providing of the supplies as far as we could, and at the same time 412 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1792. 31 Dec. Proposed supplies and stock from India. acquainted this Government of the application made to us; but Lord Cornwallis, expecting a vessel to arrive here from the colony, having directed that the supplies should be provided by publick contract, an advertisement was issued by Government for pro- posals, but none were offered such as could be accepted. Mr. Biddulph being at that time on the point of departing for Europe, declined having any further concern in the business. We therefore proposed to Mr. Bowen to provide a cargo as nearly as possible on the same terms offered by Lambert & Ross and Mr. Biddulph to his Majesty's ministers to land the different articles at New South Wales, which he submitted to the supreme board, and our proposals having met with their approbation, he deter- mined on accepting them. We have accordingly provided a cargo agreable to an invoice, &c, delivered to Mr. Bowen, who carries with him a copy of an agreement entered into betwixt us, and of a bond executed by us for the due performance of our engagements which have been approved of by the hon'ble Company's Council here, as we trust they will by your Excellency. Mr. Bowen will fully explain to your Excellency the impossi- bility of procuring any considerable quantity of flour or soogee without timely notice, as it has never been an article of exporta- tion from hence, and consequently there is very little to be had in the market; and we regret that it has not been in our power to send a greater proportion of soogee, which we have preferred sending to flour, conceiving that it will keep better, and at the same time better answer the purpose for which it is required. The other articles of wheat, rice dholl, and pease are always to be had in abundance, tho' from the failure of the crops lately the price of them has been very much enhanced. Encouraged with the hopes that these supplies may arrive at New South Wales in good condition, and that the terms on which we have furnished them may be considered reasonable, we flatter ourselves that you may be induced to recommend to his Majesty's ministers that the colony should in future be supplied from hence with all kinds of grain; and with that expectation we have renewed our proposals to his Majesty's ministers, extending them to all kinds of supplies which may be required, and inclosed we take the liberty of sending your Excellency a copy of our letter on the subject to the Secretary of State for the Home Depart- ment, and we presume to hope that you may be inclined to recom- mend it to their attention. We beg leave to observe to your Excellency that we have pro- vided the supplies now sent under every disadvantage, both on GEOSE TO DUXDAS. 413 account of the high price of grain owing to the failure of the 1792. crops, and the consequent embargo, as well as on account of the 31 Pec. season of the year, when no new grain is to be had. Proposed , . . . , , . t supplies and Lnder these circumstances, it will appear evident to your stock from Excellency that if a contract was entered into for any length India' of time, we should have the advantage of providing every article of supply at their proper seasons, and by that means securing everything of the best quality, whereas in the present instance we were obliged to take the best we could get. At the request of Mr. Bo wen, we have sent by way of experi- ment about two tons of pork cured here, which, we doubt not, will prove to be very good, altho' it has been prepared at an unfavourable season, when the weather was getting hot. We have also sent samples of ghee, which we should conceive would be a good substitute for butter, and of sugar and molasses, the prices of which you will see stated in the papers accom- panying our letter to the Secretary of State; as also of the dif- ferent articles of cloathing, musters of which, and of different manufactures of cloth of this country, we have likewise the honour to send to your Excellency. We have, &c, Lambert, Boss, & Co. [Enclosure No. 5. ] [A copy of the second letter of Messrs. Lambert, Ross & Co. to Governor Phillip has not yet been found. '] Lieutenant-Governor Grose to The Right Hon. Henry Dundas. (Per American ship Hope, via China; acknowledged by the Right Hon. Henry Dundas to Governor Hunter, 1st July, 1794. ) Sir, Sydney, Xew South Wales, 9th January, 1793. 9 jan'. I have to acquaint you that on the eleventh of last month Departure of Governor Phillip sailed from this country for Europe, on board pSuJJjJ10* of the Atlantic, transport, under the command of a lieutenant of the Navy, * taking with him the remains of the marine detach- ment. I need not assure you that I shall pay particular attention to Rich unexecuted instructions as have been received and left with me by Governor Phillip. On the twenty-fourth of the same month, the Hope, an Ameri- The America a can ship, employed in collecting skins and carrying them to the lp ope" China market, put into this port for the purpose of procuring wood and water, of which she was represented to be in great want. Her master, Mr. Benjamin Page, having informed me that he had on board a certain quantity of spirits and provisions forisale, I * Note 226. 414