a complete account of the settlement-第17章

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on　after；　exactly　as　I　find　it　written　in　my　journal。

Cultivation；　on　a　public　scale；　has　for　some　time　past　been　given　up　here；　（Sydney）　the　crop　of　last　year　being　so　miserable；　as　to　deter　from　farther　experiment；　in　consequence　of　which　the　government…farm　is　abandoned；　and　the　people　who　were　fixed　on　it　have　been　removed。　　Necessary　public　buildings　advance　fast；　an　excellent　storehouse　of　large　dimensions；　built　of　bricks　and　covered　with　tiles；　is　just　completed；　and　another　planned　which　will　shortly　be　begun。　　Other　buildings；　among　which　I　heard　the　governor　mention　an　hospital　and　permanent　barracks　for　the　troops；　may　also　be　expected　to　arise　soon。　　Works　of　this　nature　are　more　expeditiously　performed　than　heretofore；　owing；　I　apprehend；　to　the　superintendants　lately　arrived；　who　are　placed　over　the　convicts　and　compel　them　to　labour。　The　first　difficulties　of　a　new　country　being　subdued　may　also　contribute　to　this　comparative　facility。

Vegetables　are　scarce；　although　the　summer　is　so　far　advanced；　owing　to　want　of　rain。　　I　do　not　think　that　all　the　showers　of　the　last　four　months　put　together；　would　make　twenty…four　hours　rain。　　Our　farms；　what　with　this　and　a　poor　soil；　are　in　wretched　condition。　　My　winter　crop　of　potatoes；　which　I　planted　in　days　of　despair　（March　and　April　last）；　turned　out　very　badly　when　I　dug　them　about　two　months　back。　　Wheat　returned　so　poorly　last　harvest；　that　very　little；　besides　Indian　corn；　has　been　sown　this　year。　The　governor's　wound　is　quite　healed；　and　he　feels　no　inconveniency　whatever　from　it。　　With　the　natives　we　are　hand　and　glove。　　They　throng　the　camp　every　day；　and　sometimes　by　their　clamour　and　importunity　for　bread　and　meat　（of　which　they　now　all　eat　greedily）　are　become　very　troublesome。　　God　knows；　we　have　little　enough　for　ourselves！　　Full　allowance　（if　eight　pounds　of　flour　and　either　seven　pounds　of　beef；　or　four　pounds　of　pork；　served　alternately；　per　week；　without　either　pease；　oatmeal；　spirits；　butter；　or　cheese；　can　be　called　so）　is　yet　kept　up；　but　if　the　Dutch　snow　does　not　arrive　soon　it　must　be　shortened；　as　the　casks　in　the　storehouse；　I　observed　yesterday；　are　woefully　decreased。

The　convicts　continue　to　behave　pretty　well；　three　only　have　been　hanged　since　the　arrival　of　the　last　fleet；　in　the　latter　end　of　June；　all　of　whom　were　newcomers。　　The　number　of　convicts　here　diminishes　every　day；　our　principal　efforts　being　wisely　made　at　Rose　Hill；　where　the　land　is　unquestionably　better　than　about　this　place。　　Except　building；　sawing　and　brickmaking；　nothing　of　consequence　is　now　carried　on　here。　　The　account　which　I　received　a　few　days　ago　from　the　brickmakers　of　their　labours；　was　as　follows。　　Wheeler　（one　of　the　master　brick…makers）　with　two　tile　stools　and　one　brick　stool；　was　tasked　to　make　and　burn　ready　for　use　30000　tiles　and　bricks　per　month。　　He　had　twenty…one　hands　to　assist　him；　who　performed　every　thing；　cut　wood；　dug　clay；　etc。　　This　continued　（during　the　days　of　distress　excepted；　when　they　did　what　they　could）　until　June　last。　From　June；　with　one　brick　and　two　tile　stools　he　has　been　tasked　to　make　40000　bricks　and　tiles　monthly　（as　many　of　each　sort　as　may　be）；　having　twenty…two　men　and　two　boys　to　assist　him；　on　the　same　terms　of　procuring　materials　as　before。　　They　fetch　the　clay　of　which　tiles　are　made；　two　hundred　yards；　that　for　bricks　is　close　at　hand。　　He　says　that　the　bricks　are　such　as　would　be　called　in　England；　moderately　good；　and　he　judges　they　would　have　fetched　about　24　shillings　per　thousand　at　Kingston…upon…Thames　（where　he　resided）　in　the　year　1784。　　Their　greatest　fault　is　being　too　brittle。　　The　tiles　he　thinks　not　so　good　as　those　made　about　London。　The　stuff　has　a　rotten　quality；　and　besides　wants　the　advantage　of　being　ground；　in　lieu　of　which　they　tread　it。

King　（another　master　bricklayer）　last　year；　with　the　assistance　of　sixteen　men　and　two　boys；　made　11；000　bricks　weekly；　with　two　stools。　　During　short　allowance　did　what　he　could。　　Resumed　his　old　task　when　put　again　on　full　allowance　and　had　his　number　of　assistants　augmented　to　twenty　men　and　two　boys；　on　account　of　the　increased　distance　of　carrying　wood　for　the　kilns。　　He　worked　at　Hammersmith；　for　Mr。　Scot；　of　that　place。　He　thinks　the　bricks　made　here　as　good　as　those　made　near　London；　and　says　that　in　the　year　1784；　they　would　have　sold　for　a　guinea　per　thousand　and　to　have　picked　the　kiln　at　thirty　shillings。'

Such　is　my　Sydney　detail　dated　the　12th　of　November；　1790。　　Four　days　after　I　went　to　Rose　Hill；　and　wrote　there　the　subjoined　remarks。

November　16th。　　Got　to　Rose　Hill　in　the　evening。　　Next　morning　walked　round　the　whole　of　the　cleared　and　cultivated　land；　with　the　Rev。　Mr。　Johnson；　who　is　the　best　farmer　in　the　country。　　Edward　Dod；　one　of　the　governor's　household；　who　conducts　everything　here　in　the　agricultural　line；　accompanied　us　part　of　the　way；　and　afforded　all　the　information　he　could。　He　estimates　the　quantity　of　cleared　and　cultivated　land　at　200　acres。　Of　these　fifty…five　are　in　wheat；　barley；　and　a　little　oats；　thirty　in　maize；　and　the　remainder　is　either　just　cleared　of　wood；　or　is　occupied　by　buildings；　gardens；　etc。　　Four　enclosures　of　twenty　acres　each；　are　planned　for　the　reception　of　cattle；　which　may　arrive　in　the　colony；　and　two　of　these　are　already　fenced　in。　　In　the　centre　of　them　is　to　be　erected　a　house；　for　a　person　who　will　be　fixed　upon　to　take　care　of　the　cattle。　　All　these　enclosures　are　supplied　with　water；　and　only　a　part　of　the　trees　which　grew　in　them　being　cut　down；　gives　to　them　a　very　park…like　and　beautiful　appearance。

Our　survey　commenced　on　the　north　side　of　the　river。　　Dod　says　he　expects　this　year's　crop　of　wheat　and　barley　from　the　fifty…five　acres　to　yield　full　400　bushels。　　Appearances　hitherto　hardly　indicate　so　much。　　He　says　he　finds　the　beginning　of　May　the　best　time　to　sow　barley；*　but　that　it　may　continue　to　be　sown　until　August。　　That　sown　in　May　is　reaped　in　December；　that　of　August　in　January。　　He　sowed　his　wheat；　part　in　June　and　part　in　July。　He　thinks　June　the　best　time；　and　says　that　he　invariably　finds　that　which　is　deepest　sown；　grows　strongest　and　best；　even　as　deep　as　three　inches　he　has　put　it　in；　and　found　it　to　answer。　　The　wheat　sown　in　June　is　now　turning　yellow；　that　of　July　is　more　backward。　　He　has　used　only　the　broad…cast　husbandry；　and　sowed　two　bushels　per　acre。　　The　plough　has　never　yet　been　tried　here；　all　the　ground　is　hoed；　and　（as　Dod　confesses）　very　incompetently　turned　up。　　Each　convict　labourer　was　obliged　to　hoe　sixteen　rods　a　day；　so　that　in　some　places　the　earth　was　but　just　scratched　over。　　The　ground　was　left　open　for　some　months；　to　receive　benefit　from　the　sun　and　air；　and　on　that　newly　cleared　the　trees　were　burnt；　and　the　ashes　dug　in。　I　do　not　find　that　a　succession　of　crops　has　yet　been　attempted；　surely　it　would　help　to　meliorate　and　improve　the　soil。　　Dod　recommends　strongly　the　culture　of　potatoes；　on　a　large　scale；　and　says　that　were　they　planted　even　as　late　as　January　they　would　answer；　but　this　I　doubt。　He　is　more　than　ever　of　opinion　that　without　a　large　supply　of　cattle　nothing　can　be　done。　　They　have　not　at　this　time　either　horse；　cow；　or　sheep　here。　I　asked　him　how　the　stock　they　had　was　coming　on。　　The　fowls　he　said　multiplied　exceedingly；　but　the　hogs　neither　thrived　or　increased　in　number；　for　want　of　food。　　He　pointed　out　to　us　his　best　wheat；　which　looks　tolerable；　and　may　perhaps　yield　13　or　14　bushels　per　acre**。　　Next　came　the　oats　which　are　in　ear；　though　not　more　than　six　inches　high：　　they　will　not　return　as　much　seed　as　was　sown。　　The　barley；　except　one　patch　in　a　corner　of　a　field；　little　better　than　the　oats。　　Crossed　the　river　and　inspected　the　south　side。　Found　the　little　patch　of　wheat　at　the　bottom　of　the　crescent　very　bad。　Proceeded　and　examined　the　large　field　on　the　ascent　to　the　westward：　here　are　about　twenty…five　acres　of　wheat；　which　from　its　appearance　we　guessed　would　produce　perhaps　seven　bushels　an　acre。　　The　next　patch　to　this　is　in　maize；　which　looks　not　unpromising；　some　of　the　stems　are　stout；　and　beginning　to　throw　out　large　broad　leaves；　the　surest　sign　of　vigour。　The　view　from　the　top　of　the　wheat　fi