a complete account of the settlement-第32章

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The　'Supply'；　ever　the　harbinger　of　welcome　and　glad　tidings；　proclaimed　by　her　own　departure；　that　ours　was　at　hand。　　On　the　26th　of　November　she　sailed　for　England。　　It　was　impossible　to　view　our　separation　with　insensibility：　　the　little　ship　which　had　so　often　agitated　our　hopes　and　fears；　which　from　long　acquaintance　we　had　learned　to　regard　as　part　of　ourselves；　whose　doors　of　hospitality　had　been　ever　thrown　open　to　relieve　our　accumulated　wants；　and　chase　our　solitary　gloom！

In　consequence　of　the　offers　made　to　the　non…commissioned　officers　and　privates　of　the　marine　battalion　to　remain　in　the　country　as　settlers　or　to　enter　into　the　New　South　Wales　corps；　three　corporals；　one　drummer　and　59　privates　accepted　of　grants　of　land；　to　settle　at　Norfolk　Island　and　Rose　Hill。　　Of　these　men；　several　were　undoubtedly　possessed　of　sufficient　skill　and　industry；　by　the　assistance　of　the　pay　which　was　due　to　them　from　the　date　of　their　embarkation；　in　the　beginning　of　the　year　1787；　to　the　day　on　which　they　were　discharged；　to　set　out　with　reasonable　hopes　of　being　able　to　procure　a　maintenance。　　But　the　only　apparent　reason　to　which　the　behaviour　of　a　majority　of　them　could　be　ascribed　was　from　infatuated　affection　to　female　convicts；　whose　characters　and　habits　of　life；　I　am　sorry　to　say；　promise　from　a　connection　neither　honour　nor　tranquillity。

The　narrative　part　of　this　work　will；　I　conceive；　be　best　brought　to　a　termination　by　a　description　of　the　existing　state　of　the　colony；　as　taken　by　myself　a　few　days　previous　to　my　embarkation　in　the　Gorgon；　to　sail　for　England。

December　2nd；　1791。　　Went　up　to　Rose　Hill。　　Public　buildings　here　have　not　greatly　multiplied　since　my　last　survey。　　The　storehouse　and　barrack　have　been　long　completed；　also　apartments　for　the　chaplain　of　the　regiment；　and　for　the　judge…advocate；　in　which　last；　criminal　courts；　when　necessary；　are　held；　but　these　are　petty　erections。　In　a　colony　which　contains　only　a　few　hundred　hovels　built　of　twigs　and　mud；　we　feel　consequential　enough　already　to　talk　of　a　treasury；　an　admiralty；　a　public　library　and　many　other　similar　edifices；　which　are　to　form　part　of　a　magnificent　square。　　The　great　road　from　near　the　landing　place　to　the　governor's　house　is　finished；　and　a　very　noble　one　it　is；　being　of　great　breadth；　and　a　mile　long；　in　a　strait　line。　　In　many　places　it　is　carried　over　gullies　of　considerable　depth；　which　have　been　filled　up　with　trunks　of　trees　covered　with　earth。　　All　the　sawyers；　carpenters　and　blacksmiths　will　soon　be　concentred　under　the　direction　of　a　very　adequate　person　of　the　governor's　household。　　This　plan　is　already　so　far　advanced　as　to　contain　nine　covered　sawpits；　which　change　of　weather　cannot　disturb　the　operations　of；　an　excellent　workshed　for　the　carpenters　and　a　large　new　shop　for　the　blacksmiths。　　It　certainly　promises　to　be　of　great　public　benefit。　　A　new　hospital　has　been　talked　of　for　the　last　two　years；　but　is　not　yet　begun。　　Two　long　sheds；　built　in　the　form　of　a　tent　and　thatched；　are　however　finished；　and　capable　of　holding　200　patients。　The　sick　list　of　today　contains　382　names。　　Rose　Hill　is　less　healthy　than　it　used　to　be。　　The　prevailing　disorder　is　a　dysentery；　which　often　terminates　fatally。　　There　was　lately　one　very　violent　putrid　fever　which；　by　timely　removal　of　the　patient；　was　prevented　from　spreading。　Twenty…five　men　and　two　children　died　here　in　the　month　of　November。

When　at　the　hospital　I　saw　and　conversed　with　some　of　the　'Chinese　travellers'；　four　of　them　lay　here；　wounded　by　the　natives。　　I　asked　these　men　if　they　really　supposed　it　possible　to　reach　China。　　They　answered　that　they　were　certainly　made　to　believe　（they　knew　not　how）　that　at　a　considerable　distance　to　northward　existed　a　large　river；　which　separated　this　country　from　the　back　part　of　China；　and　that　when　it　should　be　crossed　（which　was　practicable）　they　would　find　themselves　among　a　copper…coloured　people；　who　would　receive　and　treat　them　kindly。　They　added；　that　on　the　third　day　of　their　elopement；　one　of　the　party　died　of　fatigue；　another　they　saw　butchered　by　the　natives　who；　finding　them　unarmed；　attacked　them　and　put　them　to　flight。　　This　happened　near　Broken　Bay；　which　harbour　stopped　their　progress　to　the　northward　and　forced　them　to　turn　to　the　right　hand；　by　which　means　they　soon　after　found　themselves　on　the　sea　shore；　where　they　wandered　about　in　a　destitute　condition；　picking　up　shellfish　to　allay　hunger。　　Deeming　the　farther　prosecution　of　their　scheme　impracticable；　several　of　them　agreed　to　return　to　Rose　Hill；　which　with　difficulty　they　accomplished；　arriving　almost　famished。　　On　their　road　back　they　met　six　fresh　adventurers　sallying　forth　to　join　them；　to　whom　they　related　what　had　passed　and　persuaded　them　to　relinquish　their　intention。　　There　are　at　this　time　not　less　than　thirty…eight　convict　men　missing；　who　live　in　the　woods　by　day；　and　at　night　enter　the　different　farms　and　plunder　for　subsistence。

December　3rd；　1791。　　Began　my　survey　of　the　cultivated　land　belonging　to　the　public。　　The　harvest　has　commenced。　　They　are　reaping　both　wheat　and　barley。　　The　field　between　the　barrack　and　the　governor's　house　contains　wheat　and　maize；　both　very　bad；　but　the　former　particularly　so。　In　passing　through　the　main　street　I　was　pleased　to　observe　the　gardens　of　the　convicts　look　better　than　I　had　expected　to　find　them。　The　vegetables　in　general　are　but　mean；　but　the　stalks　of　maize；　with　which　they　are　interspersed；　appear　green　and　flourishing。　The　semicircular　hill；　which　sweeps　from　the　overseer　of　the　cattle's　house　to　the　governor's　house；　is　planted　with　maize；　which；　I　am　told；　is　the　best　here。　　It　certainly　looks　in　most　parts　very　good　stout　thick　stalks　with　large　spreading　leavesbut　I　am　surprised　to　find　it　so　backward。　　It　is　at　least　a　month　later　than　that　in　the　gardens　at　Sydney。　　Behind　the　maize　is　a　field　of　wheat；　which　looks　tolerably　for　this　part　of　the　world。　　It　will；　I　reckon；　yield　about　twelve　bushels　an　acre。　　Continued　my　walk　and　looked　at　a　little　patch　of　wheat　in　the　governor's　garden；　which　was　sown　in　drills；　the　ground　being　first　mixed　with　a　clay　which　its　discoverers　pretended　was　marle。　Whatever　it　be；　this　experiment　bespeaks　not　much　in　favour　of　its　enriching　qualities；　for　the　corn　looks　miserably；　and　is　far　exceeded　by　some　neighbouring　spots　on　which　no　such　advantage　has　been　bestowed。　Went　round　the　crescent　at　the　bottom　of　the　garden；　which　certainly　in　beauty　of　form　and　situation　is　unrivalled　in　New　South　Wales。　Here　are　eight　thousand　vines　planted；　all　of　which　in　another　season　are　expected　to　bear　grapes。　　Besides　the　vines　are　several　small　fruit　trees；　which　were　brought　in　the　Gorgon　from　the　Cape；　and　look　lively；　on　one　of　them　are　half　a　dozen　apples　as　big　as　nutmegs。　　Although　the　soil　of　the　crescent　be　poor；　its　aspect　and　circular　figure；　so　advantageous　for　receiving　and　retaining　the　rays　of　the　sun；　eminently　fit　it　for　a　vineyard。　　Passed　the　rivulet　and　looked　at　the　corn　land　on　its　northern　side。　　On　the　western　side　of　Clarke's*　house　the　wheat　and　maize　are　bad；　but　on　the　eastern　side　is　a　field　supposed　to　be　the　best　in　the　colony。　　I　thought　it　of　good　height；　and　the　ears　well　filled；　but　it　is　far　from　thick。

＇*Dod；　who　is　mentioned　in　my　former　journal　of　this　place；　had　died　some　months　ago。　　And　Mr。　Clarke；　who　was　put　in　his　room；　is　one　of　the　superintendants；　sent　out　by　government；　on　a　salary　of　forty　pounds　per　annum。　　He　was　bred　to　husbandry；　under　his　father　at　Lewes　in　Sussex；　and　is；　I　conceive；　competent　to　his　office　of　principal　conductor　of　the　agriculture　of　Rose　Hill。＇

While　I　was　looking　at　it；　Clarke　came　up。　　I　told　him　I　thought　he　would　reap　fifteen　or　sixteen　bushels　an　acre；　he　seemed　to　think　seventeen　or　eighteen。　　I　have　now　inspected　all　the　European　corn。　A　man　of　so　little　experience　of　these　matters　as　myself　cannot　speak　with　much　confidence。　　Perhaps　the　produce　may　average　ten　bushels　an　acre；　or　twelve　at　the　outside。　　Allowance　should；　however；　be　made　in　estimating　the　quality　of　the　soil；　for　the　space　occupied　by　roots　of　trees；　for　inadequate　culture；　and　in　some　measure　to　want　of　rain