a complete account of the settlement-第18章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ng　to　throw　out　large　broad　leaves；　the　surest　sign　of　vigour。　The　view　from　the　top　of　the　wheat　field　takes　in；　except　a　narrow　slip；　the　whole　of　the　cleared　land　at　Rose　Hill。　　From　not　having　before　seen　an　opening　of　such　extent　for　the　last　three　years；　this　struck　us　as　grand　and　capacious。　　The　beautiful　diversity　of　the　ground　（gentle　hill　and　dale）　would　certainly　be　reckoned　pretty　in　any　country。　　Continued　our　walk；　and　crossed　the　old　field；　which　is　intended　to　form　part　of　the　main　street　of　the　projected　town。　　The　wheat　in　this　field　is　rather　better；　but　not　much；　than　in　the　large　field　before　mentioned。　　The　next　field　is　maize；　inferior　to　what　we　have　seen；　but　not　despicable。　　An　acre　of　maize；　at　the　bottom　of　the　marine　garden；　is　equal　in　luxuriancy　of　promise　to　any　I　ever　saw　in　any　country。

＇*The　best　crop　of　barley　ever　produced　in　New　South　Wales；　was　sown　by　a　private　individual；　in　February　1790；　and　reaped　in　the　following　October。＇

＇**As　all　the　trees　on　our　cleared　ground　were　cut　down；　and　not　grubbed　up；　the　roots　and　stumps　remain；　on　which　account　a　tenth　part　of　surface　in　every　acre　must　be　deducted。　　This　is　slovenly　husbandry；　but　in　a　country　where　immediate　subsistence　is　wanted；　it　is　perhaps　necessary。　　None　of　these　stumps；　when　I　left　Port　Jackson；　showed　any　symptoms　of　decay；　though　some　of　the　trees　had　been　cut　down　four　years。　　To　the　different　qualities　of　the　wood　of　Norfolk　Island　and　New　South　Wales；　perhaps　the　difference　of　soil　may　in　some　measure　be　traced。　　That　of　Norfolk　Island　is　light　and　porous：　　it　rots　and　turns　into　mould　in　two　years。　　Besides　its　hardness　that　of　Port　Jackson　abounds　with　red　corrosive　gum；　which　contributes　its　share　of　mischief。＇


The　main　street　of　the　new　town　is　already　begun。　　It　is　to　be　a　mile　long；　and　of　such　breadth　as　will　make　Pall　Mall　and　Portland　Place　〃hide　their　diminished　heads。〃　　It　contains　at　present　thirty…two　houses　completed；　of　twenty…four　feet　by　twelve　each；　on　a　ground　floor　only；　built　of　wattles　plastered　with　clay；　and　thatched。　　Each　house　is　divided　into　two　rooms；　in　one　of　which　is　a　fire　place　and　a　brick　chimney。　　These　houses　are　designed　for　men　only；　and　ten　is　the　number　of　inhabitants　allotted　to　each；　but　some　of　them　now　contain　twelve　or　fourteen；　for　want　of　better　accommodation。　　More　are　building。　　In　a　cross　street　stand　nine　houses　for　unmarried　women；　and　exclusive　of　all　these　are　several　small　huts　where　convict　families　of　good　character　are　allowed　to　reside。　Of　public　buildings；　besides　the　old　wooden　barrack　and　store；　there　is　a　house　of　lath　and　plaster；　forty…four　feet　long　by　sixteen　wide；　for　the　governor；　on　a　ground　floor　only；　with　excellent　out…houses　and　appurtenances　attached　to　it。　　A　new　brick　store　house；　covered　with　tiles；　100　feet　long　by　twenty…four　wide；　is　nearly　completed；　and　a　house　for　the　store…keeper。　　The　first　stone　of　a　barrack；　100　feet　long　by　twenty…four　wide；　to　which　are　intended　to　be　added　wings　for　the　officers；　was　laid　to…day。　　The　situation　of　the　barrack　is　judicious；　being　close　to　the　store…house；　and　within　a　hundred　and　fifty　yards　of　the　wharf；　where　all　boats　from　Sydney　unload。　　To　what　I　have　already　enumerated；　must　be　added　an　excellent　barn；　a　granary；　an　inclosed　yard　to　rear　stock　in；　a　commodious　blacksmith's　shop；　and　a　most　wretched　hospital；　totally　destitute　of　every　conveniency。　　Luckily　for　the　gentleman　who　superintends　this　hospital；　and　still　more　luckily　for　those　who　are　doomed　in　case　of　sickness　to　enter　it；　the　air　of　Rose　Hill　has　hitherto　been　generally　healthy。　　A　tendency　to　produce　slight　inflammatory　disorders；　from　the　rapid　changes*　of　the　temperature　of　the　air；　is　most　to　be　dreaded。

＇*In　the　close　of　the　year　1788；　when　this　settlement　was　established；　the　thermometer　has　been　known　to　stand　at　50　degrees　a　little　before　sunrise；　and　between　one　and　two　o'　clock　in　the　afternoon　at　above　100　degrees。＇


'The　hours　of　labour　for　the　convicts　are　the　same　here　as　at　Sydney。　On　Saturdays　after　ten　o'clock　in　the　morning　they　are　allowed　to　work　in　their　own　gardens。　　These　gardens　are　at　present；　from　the　long　drought　and　other　causes；　in　a　most　deplorable　state。　　Potatoes；　I　think；　thrive　better　than　any　other　vegetable　in　them。　　For　the　public　conveniency　a　baker　is　established　here　in　a　good　bakehouse；　who　exchanges　with　every　person　bread　for　flour；　on　stipulated　terms；　but　no　compulsion　exists　for　any　one　to　take　his　bread；　it　is　left　entirely　to　every　body's　own　option　to　consume　his　flour　as　he　pleases。　　Divine　service　is　performed　here；　morning　and　afternoon；　one　Sunday　in　every　month；　when　all　the　convicts　are　obliged　to　attend　church；　under　penalty　of　having　a　part　of　their　allowance　of　provisions　stopped；　which　is　done　by　the　chaplain；　who　is　a　justice　of　the　peace。

'For　the　punishment　of　offenders；　where　a　criminal　court　is　not　judged　necessary；　two　or　more　justices；　occasionally　assemble；　and　order　the　infliction　of　slight　corporal　punishment；　or　short　confinement　in　a　strong　room　built　for　this　purpose。　　The　military　present　here　consists　of　two　subalterns；　two　sergeants；　three　corporals；　a　drummer；　and　twenty…one　privates。　　These　have　been　occasionally　augmented　and　reduced；　as　circumstances　have　been　thought　to　render　it　necessary。

Brick…kilns　are　now　erected　here；　and　bricks　manufactured　by　a　convict　of　the　name　of　Becket；　who　came　out　in　the　last　fleet；　and　has　fifty…two　people　to　work　under　him。　　He　makes　25；000　bricks　weekly。　　He　says　that　they　are　very　good；　and　would　sell　at　Birmingham；　where　he　worked　about　eighteen　months　ago；　at　more　than　30　shillings　per　thousand。

Nothing　farther　of　public　nature　remaining　to　examine；　I　next　visited　a　humble　adventurer；　who　is　trying　his　fortune　here。　　James　Ruse；　convict；　was　cast　for　seven　years　at　Bodmin　assizes；　in　August　1782。　　He　lay　five　years　in　prison　and　on　board　the　'Dunkirk'　hulk　at　Plymouth；　and　then　was　sent　to　this　country。　　When　his　term　of　punishment　expired；　in　August　1789；　he　claimed　his　freedom；　and　was　permitted　by　the　governor；　on　promising　to　settle　in　the　country；　to　take　in　December　following；　an　uncleaned　piece　of　ground；　with　an　assurance　that　if　he　would　cultivate　it；　it　should　not　be　taken　from　him。　　Some　assistance　was　given　him；　to　fell　the　timber；　and　he　accordingly　began。　　His　present　account　to　me　was　as　follows。


I　was　bred　a　husbandman；　near　Launcester　in　Cornwall。　I　cleared　my　land　as　well　as　I　could；　with　the　help　afforded　me。　　The　exact　limit　of　what　ground　I　am　to　have；　I　do　not　yet　know；　but　a　certain　direction　has　been　pointed　out　to　me；　in　which　I　may　proceed　as　fast　as　I　can　cultivate。　　I　have　now　an　acre　and　a　half　in　bearded　wheat；　half　an　acre　in　maize；　and　a　small　kitchen　garden。　On　my　wheat　land　I　sowed　three　bushels　of　seed；　the　produce　of　this　country；　broad　cast。　　I　expect　to　reap　about　twelve　or　thirteen　bushels。　　　I　know　nothing　of　the　cultivation　of　maize；　and　cannot　therefore　guess　so　well　at　what　I　am　likely　to　gather。　　I　sowed　part　of　my　wheat　in　May；　and　part　in　June。　　That　sown　in　May　has　thrived　best。　　My　maize　I　planted　in　the　latter　end　of　August；　and　the　beginning　of　September。　　My　land　I　prepared　thus：　　having　burnt　the　fallen　timber　off　the　ground；　I　dug　in　the　ashes；　and　then　hoed　it　up；　never　doing　more　than　eight；　or　perhaps　nine；　rods　in　a　day；　by　which　means；　it　was　not　like　the　government　farm；　just　scratched　over；　but　properly　done。　　Then　I　clod…moulded　it；　and　dug　in　the　grass　and　weeds。　　This　I　think　almost　equal　to　ploughing。　　I　then　let　it　lie　as　long　as　I　could；　exposed　to　air　and　sun；　and　just　before　I　sowed　my　seed；　turned　it　all　up　afresh。　　When　I　shall　have　reaped　my　crop；　I　purpose　to　hoe　it　again；　and　harrow　it　fine；　and　then　sow　it　with　turnip…seed；　which　will　mellow　and　prepare　it　for　next　year。　　My　straw；　I　mean　to　bury　in　pits；　and　throw　in　with　it　every　thing　which　I　think　will　rot　and　turn　to　manure。　I　have　no　person　to　help　me；　at　present；　but　my　wife；　whom　I　married　in　this　country；　　she　is　industrious。　The　governor；　for　some　time；　gave　me　the　help　of　a　convict　man；　but　he　is　taken　away。　　Both　my　wife　and　myself　receive　our　provision