The governor visits Richmond-Hill
His transactions there
A stack of wheat burnt
Sawyers punished
Price of labour regulated
General character of the settlers
The clergyman's attention to the children
Criminal court assembled
Lawrence Davoran
The governor goes to Botany Bay
George's river
Public works
Lightning and its effects
1797.]
January.] The governor, always anxious to promote the good of the
settlement by every means in his power, having determined to visit at this
season that part of it which was situated on the banks of the Hawkesbury,
set off at the latter end of the last month, with a party of officers, by
land to Broken Bay, where they got on board the Colonial schooner, and
continued in her for two days, sailing up that pleasant river; but,
finding her progress too slow, they quitted her for some boats which had
accompanied them; and, by the first of this month, had reached as high up
as some farms which had lately been evacuated in consequence of the
depredations that the owners of them had been exposed to from numerous
parties of natives. The ground hereabout was carefully examined, to see if
it would admit such a number of settlers as might be sufficient for the
purpose of mutual protection; but it was found inadequate to that end,
the limits of it on the banks of the river, where the soil was excellent,
being much too narrow.
On the first of the month the governor had reached the principal
settlement, having occasionally landed to examine into the state of the
different farms, as well as to settle disputes relative to property, and
differences between the settlers and their hired servants.
Having had previous notice, a general muster of these people now took
place; which being compared with one taken some time since, many
impositions were detected and rectified. After the muster, they were
reminded that several of them were considerably indebted to government
for the seed from which their present abundant crops had been produced,
and directed forthwith to return into the store a quantity equal to that
which they had borrowed for the purpose. This it was absolutely necessary
to point out and insist upon, as there were but few among them who would
have been found with principle enough to have returned it of themselves.
While they were here, the governor and his party went up the river, and
ascended Richmond-hill, on the summit of which a large smoke was made at
noon, at which time a similar smoke was made on Prospect-hill, that was
very distinctly seen, and its bearings taken, to ascertain the relative
situation of the two hills. This bearing, which was S 35 degrees 00
minutes E by compass, gave, with the latitude observed on each, the
distance between the two hills about eighteen miles in a direct line.
By this bearing, should there be occasion hereafter, a road through the
woods, from the head of the Hawkesbury, might be cut in the shortest and
most direct way to Parramatta.
At the head of this river, and upon the banks of that named the Nepean,
there was known to be a tract of excellent land, as rich as any on the
banks of the Hawkesbury which was then under cultivation, and where, at
some future period, a settlement might be advantageously established.
The governor, on his return from this excursion, had the mortification of
seeing a stack, containing about eight hundred bushels of wheat, burnt to
the ground. This happened at Toongabbie, near which place the country was
every where in flames, and where, unfortunately, much wheat belonging to
government was stacked. The fire broke out about eight o'clock in the
evening; the wind was high, the night extremely dark, and the flames had
mounted to the very tops of the lofty woods which surrounded a field
called the ninety acres, in which were several stacks of wheat. The
appearance was alarming, and the noise occasioned by the high wind, and
the crackling of the flames among the trees, contributed to render the
scene truly awful.
It became necessary to make every effort to save this field and its
contents. The gaol-gang, who worked in irons, were called out, and told,
that if the wheat was saved by their exertion, their chains should be
knocked off. By providing every man with a large bush, to beat off the
fire as it approached the grain over the stubble, keeping up this
attention during the night, and the wind becoming moderate towards
morning, the fire was fortunately kept off, and the promise to the
gaol-gang was not forfeited.*
[* In the month of December 1792, two days after the wheat
had been reaped and got off the ground at Toongabbie, the whole of the
stubble was burnt, the country being then, as at this time, every where
on fire. See Vol I. Ch. XIX, viz: 'At Parramatta and Toongabbie also the
heat was extreme; the country there too was every where in flames. Mr.
Arndell was a great sufferer by it. The fire had spread to his farm; but
by the efforts of his own people and the neighbouring settlers it was got
under, and its progress supposed to be effectually checked, when an
unlucky spark from a tree, which had been on fire to the topmost branch,
flying upon the thatch of the hut where his people lived, it blazed out;
the hut with all the out-buildings, and thirty bushels of wheat just got
into a stack, were in a few minutes destroyed. The erecting of the hut
and out-houses had cost £15 a short time before.']
Although at this season of the year there were days when, from the
extreme heat of the atmosphere, the leaves of many culinary plants
growing in the gardens have been reduced to a powder, yet there was some
ground for supposing that this accident did not arise from either the
heat of the weather, or the fire in the woods. The grain that was burnt
was the property of government, and the destruction of eight hundred
bushels of wheat made room for that quantity to be received into the
stores from the settlers who had wheat to sell to the commissary; there
were, moreover, at this time, some ill-designing people in the country,
who were known not to have much regard for the concerns of the public. An
enquiry was set on foot to discover, if possible, the perpetrators of
this mischief, but nothing could be made of it.
Several people who had been hired to saw timber on the public account
having been detected in giving a false statement, and receiving payment
for what they had not cut, were examined before two justices of the
peace; when, the fraud being proved, they were sentenced to make up the
deficiency, and to work for government, without being paid, for six
months. One, the man who measured the work, and who of course had a
confidence reposed in him, received the additional punishment of 200
lashes, which he amply merited.
Some representations having been made to the governor from the settlers
in different parts of the colony, purporting that the wages demanded by
the free labouring people, whom they had occasion to hire, was so
exorbitant as to run away with the greatest part of the profit of their
farms, it was recommended to them to appoint quarterly meetings among
themselves, to be held in each district, for the purpose of settling the
rate of wages to labourers in every different kind of work; that, to this
end, a written agreement should be entered into and subscribed by each
settler, a breach of which should be punished by a penalty, to be fixed
by the general opinion, and made recoverable in a court of civil
judicature. It was recommended to them to apply this forfeiture to the
common benefit; and they were to transmit to the head-quarters a copy of
their agreement with the rate of wages which they should from time to
time establish, for the governor's information; holding their first
meeting as early as possible.
It must appear from this, that every necessary and useful regulation was
suggested that could promote the convenience and advantage of these
people, who being in possession of land that yielded the most ample
returns, nothing but the greatest worthlessness on their part could have
prevented their getting forward, and becoming men of property. That too
many of them were of this description will appear evident, from its being
notorious that their crops were no sooner gathered, than they were
instantly disposed of for spirits, which they purchased at the rate of
three, nay, even four pounds per gallon, and of a spirit often lowered
one fourth or more of its strength with water. It was also equally
notorious, that some of them, when too idle and dissipated to hoe and
properly prepare their ground for seed, have carelessly thrown the grain
over the old stubble, and afterwards chipped it in, as they termed it,
going lightly over the ground with a hoe, and barely covering the seed.
Yet, with no greater assistance than this, the lands thus slovenly
prepared have been known to yield abundant crops.
On the 11th arrived the _Mercury_, an American brig, from Manilla,
bound to the NW coast of America. Being extremely weak and leaky, the
master put in here to refit, which he requested he might be allowed to
do. He brought no other news than the detention of several English ships
at Manilla, which seemed strongly to indicate the approach of hostilities
between the two nations, the effect, no doubt, of French fraternity with
the Spaniards.
The infant part of the settlement having at this period become very
numerous, with a view to save them, if possible, from that ruin in which
the infamous examples of their abandoned parents were but too likely to
plunge them, the clergyman, the Reverend Mr. Johnson, began to examine
them publicly every Sunday in their catechism, and other points of
religious duty, at the conclusion of the afternoon service. Some building
that might serve as a school whereto children at a certain age might be
removed from their parents, and receive education, was now become
absolutely necessary; but many other works equally necessary were still
in hand; and the labourers employed to erect them were comparatively so
inefficient, that it was impossible to think of any other work until they
were completed, though both the clergymen offered their services to
superintend the erection of a building for this purpose.
Such was the weakness of the public gangs, that it often became necessary
to require the assistance of the officers and other persons who were
allowed servants from government. In this way, by calling on each officer
and settler to send in a certain number of men for three days in the
week, the public roads between the different districts were put into good
order. This, besides very much facilitating the carriage of goods by
land, conduced very essentially to the detecting of thieves and vagrants,
who in general were found to be very quick in their motions.
Among other crimes which had been committed in this colony, that of
forgery was by no means neglected. To this, the currency of the
settlement, consisting almost entirely of paper, had opened a door. On
the 20th one man was found guilty of uttering a bill, knowing it to be
forged, and condemned to suffer death. The prisoner, whose name was
Lawrence Davoran, had been sent from Ireland, with other convicts from
that kingdom, where he had practised as an attorney, and had, it was
said (unfortunately for them, if true) respectable connections by
marriage. He was very far from being a good character. The governor,
however, after ordering the execution to take place on a certain day,
spared his life, on condition of his being transported to Norfolk Island
during the remainder of his wretched existence.
After celebrating the day on which her majesty's birth was observed with
every demonstration of attachment and respect in his power, the governor
set off on an excursion to Botany Bay, in order to explore George's river
as far up as was practicable, and to examine the soil upon its banks,
which he found to be of good quality, and considerable extent. This
river, which was observed to run in a westerly direction about
twenty-five miles up from Botany Bay, was, in many parts of its branches,
exceedingly picturesque; and navigable, for small craft, for at least
twenty miles up. Some of its creeks or branches reached within a small
distance of Prospect Hill. Between this river and Parramatta, the
governor, on his return, travelled through a thick bushy wood, covering
an excellent soil.
Erecting the granary, completing the wind-mill, and repairing the public
roads, formed the principal works in hand during this month, in which the
weather had been most uncomfortably hot, accompanied with some severe
thunder storms; in one of which both the flagstaff at the South Head, and
that at the entrance of the Cove, on Point Maskelyne, were shivered to
pieces by the lightning. The vast blazes of fire which were seen in every
direction, and which were freshened by every blast of wind, added much to
the suffocating heat that prevailed.