a complete account of the settlement-第1章

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A　Complete　Account　of　the　Settlement

by　Watkin　Tench





PREFACE




When　it　is　recollected　how　much　has　been　written　to　describe　the　Settlement　of　New　South　Wales；　it　seems　necessary　if　not　to　offer　an　apology；　yet　to　assign　a　reason；　for　an　additional　publication。

The　Author　embarked　in　the　fleet　which　sailed　to　found　the　establishment　at　Botany　Bay。　　He　shortly　after　published　a　Narrative　of　the　Proceedings　and　State　of　the　Colony；　brought　up　to　the　beginning　of　July；　1788；　which　was　well　received；　and　passed　through　three　editions。　　This　could　not　but　inspire　both　confidence　and　gratitude；　but　gratitude；　would　be　badly　manifested　were　he　on　the　presumption　of　former　favour　to　lay　claim　to　present　indulgence。　　He　resumes　the　subject　in　the　humble　hope　of　communicating　information；　and　increasing　knowledge；　of　the　country；　which　he　describes。

He　resided　at　Port　Jackson　nearly　four　years：　　from　the　20th　of　January；　1788；　until　the　18th　of　December；　1791。　　To　an　active　and　contemplative　mind；　a　new　country　is　an　inexhaustible　source　of　curiosity　and　speculation。　It　was　the　author's　custom　not　only　to　note　daily　occurrences；　and　to　inspect　and　record　the　progression　of　improvement；　but　also；　when　not　prevented　by　military　duties；　to　penetrate　the　surrounding　country　in　different　directions；　in　order　to　examine　its　nature；　and　ascertain　its　relative　geographical　situations。

The　greatest　part　of　the　work　is　inevitably　composed　of　those　materials　which　a　journal　supplies；　but　wherever　reflections　could　be　introduced　without　fastidiousness　and　parade；　he　has　not　scrupled　to　indulge　them；　in　common　with　every　other　deviation　which　the　strictness　of　narrative　would　allow。

When　this　publication　was　nearly　ready　for　the　press；　and　when　many　of　the　opinions　which　it　records　had　been　declared；　fresh　accounts　from　Port　Jackson　were　received。　　To　the　state　of　a　country；　where　so　many　anxious　trying　hours　of　his　life　have　passed；　the　author　cannot　feel　indifferent。　If　by　any　sudden　revolution　of　the　laws　of　nature；　or　by　any　fortunate　discovery　of　those　on　the　spot；　it　has　really　become　that　fertile　and　prosperous　land；　which　some　represent　it　to　be；　he　begs　permission　to　add　his　voice　to　the　general　congratulation。　　He　rejoices　at　its　success：　but　it　is　only　justice　to　himself　and　those　with　whom　he　acted　to　declare；　that　they　feel　no　cause　of　reproach　that　so　complete　and　happy　an　alteration　did　not　take　place　at　an　earlier　period。





CHAPTER　I。



A　Retrospect　of　the　State　of　the　Colony　of　Port　Jackson；　on　the　Date　of　my　former　Narrative；　in　July；　1788。


Previous　to　commencing　any　farther　account　of　the　subject；　which　I　am　about　to　treat；　such　a　retrospection　of　the　circumstances　and　situation　of　the　settlement；　at　the　conclusion　of　my　former　Narrative；　as　shall　lay　its　state　before　the　reader；　seems　necessary；　in　order　to　connect　the　present　with　the　past。

The　departure　of　the　first　fleet　of　ships　for　Europe；　on　the　14th　of　July；　1788；　had　been　long　impatiently　expected；　and　had　filled　us　with　anxiety；　to　communicate　to　our　friends　an　account　of　our　situation；　describing　the　progress　of　improvement；　and　the　probability　of　success；　or　failure；　in　our　enterprise。　　That　men　should　judge　very　oppositely　on　so　doubtful　and　precarious　an　event；　will　hardly　surprise。

Such　relations　could　contain　little　besides　the　sanguineness　of　hope；　and　the　enumeration　of　hardships　and　difficulties；　which　former　accounts　had　not　led　us　to　expect。　　Since　our　disembarkation　in　the　preceding　January；　the　efforts　of　every　one　had　been　unremittingly　exerted；　to　deposit　the　public　stores　in　a　state　of　shelter　and　security；　and　to　erect　habitations　for　ourselves。　　We　were　eager　to　escape　from　tents；　where　a　fold　of　canvas；　only；　interposed　to　check　the　vertic　beams　of　the　sun　in　summer；　and　the　chilling　blasts　of　the　south　in　winter。　　A　markee　pitched；　in　our　finest　season；　on　an　English　lawn；　or　a　transient　view　of　those　gay　camps；　near　the　metropolis；　which　so　many　remember；　naturally　draws　forth　careless　and　unmeaning　exclamations　of　rapture；　which　attach　ideas　of　pleasure　only；　to　this　part　of　a　soldier's　life。　　But　an　encampment　amidst　the　rocks　and　wilds　of　a　new　country；　aggravated　by　the　miseries　of　bad　diet；　and　incessant　toil；　will　find　few　admirers。

Nor　were　our　exertions　less　unsuccessful　than　they　were　laborious。　Under　wretched　covers　of　thatch　lay　our　provisions　and　stores；　exposed　to　destruction　from　every　flash　of　lightning；　and　every　spark　of　fire。　A　few　of　the　convicts　had　got　into　huts；　but　almost　all　the　officers；　and　the　whole　of　the　soldiery；　were　still　in　tents。

In　such　a　situation；　where　knowledge　of　the　mechanic　arts　afforded　the　surest　recommendation　to　notice；　it　may　be　easily　conceived；　that　attention　to　the　parade　duty　of　the　troops；　gradually　diminished。　Now　were　to　be　seen　officers　and　soldiers　not　〃trailing　the　puissant　pike〃　but　felling　the　ponderous　gum…tree；　or　breaking　the　stubborn　clod。　And　though　〃the　broad　falchion　did　not　in　a　ploughshare　end〃　the　possession　of　a　spade；　a　wheelbarrow；　or　a　dunghill；　was　more　coveted　than　the　most　refulgent　arms　in　which　heroism　ever　dazzled。　　Those　hours；　which　in　other　countries　are　devoted　to　martial　acquirements；　were　here　consumed　in　the　labours　of　the　sawpit；　the　forge　and　the　quarry*。


＇*　〃The　Swedish　prisoners；　taken　at　the　battle　of　Pultowa；　were　transported　by　the　Czar　Peter　to　the　most　remote　parts　of　Siberia；　with　a　view　to　civilize　the　natives　of　the　country；　and　teach　them　the　arts　the　Swedes　possessed。　　In　this　hopeless　situation；　all　traces　of　discipline　and　subordination；　between　the　different　ranks；　were　quickly　obliterated。　　　The　soldiers；　who　were　husbandmen　and　artificers；　found　out　their　superiority；　and　assumed　it：　the　officers　became　their　servants。〃　VOLTAIRE。＇


Of　the　two　ships　of　war；　the　'Sirius'　and　'Supply'；　the　latter　was　incessantly　employed　in　transporting　troops；　convicts；　and　stores；　to　Norfolk　Island；　and　the　'Sirius'　in　preparing　for　a　voyage　to　some　port；　where　provisions　for　our　use　might　be　purchased；　the　expected　supply　from　England　not　having　arrived。　　It　is　but　justice　to　the　officers　and　men　of　both　these　ships　to　add；　that；　on　all　occasions；　they　fully　shared　every　hardship　and　fatigue　with　those　on　shore。

On　the　convicts　the　burden　fell　yet　heavier：　　necessity　compelled　us　to　allot　to　them　the　most　slavish　and　laborious　employments。　　Those　operations；　which　in　other　countries　are　performed　by　the　brute　creation；　were　here　effected　by　the　exertions　of　men：　　but　this　ought　not　to　be　considered　a　grievance；　because　they　had　always　been　taught　to　expect　it；　as　the　inevitable　consequence　of　their　offences　against　society。　Severity　was　rarely　exercised　on　them；　and　justice　was　administered　without　partiality　or　discrimination。　　Their　ration　of　provisions；　except　in　being　debarred　from　an　allowance　of　spirits；　was　equal　to　that　which　the　marines　received。　　Under　these　circumstances　I　record　with　pleasure；　that　they　behaved　better　than　had　been　predicted　of　themto　have　expected　sudden　and　complete　reformation　of　conduct；　were　romantic　and　chimerical。

Our　cultivation　of　the　land　was　yet　in　its　infancy。　　We　had　hitherto　tried　only　the　country　contiguous　to　Sydney。　　Here　the　governor　had　established　a　government…farm；　at　the　head　of　which　a　competent　person　of　his　own　household　was　placed；　with　convicts　to　work　under　him。　　Almost　the　whole　of　the　officers　likewise　accepted　of　small　tracts　of　ground；　for　the　purpose　of　raising　grain　and　vegetables：　　but　experience　proved　to　us；　that　the　soil　would　produce　neither　without　manure；　and　as　this　was　not　to　be　procured；　our　vigour　soon　slackened；　and　most　of　the　farms　（among　which　was　the　one　belonging　to　government）　were　successively　abandoned。

With　the　natives　we　were　very　little　more　acquainted　than　on　our　arrival　in　the　country。　　Our　intercourse　with　them　was　neither　frequent　or　cordial。　They　seemed　studiously　to　avoid　us；　either　from　fear；　jealousy；　or　hatred。　When　they　met　with　unarmed　stragglers；　they　sometimes　killed；　and　sometimes　wounded　them。　　I　confess　that；　in　common　with　many　others；　I　was　inclined　to　attribute　this　conduct；　to　a　s