The _Semiramis_ arrives from Rhode Island
The church at Sydney burnt
Reflections
Some vessels sail; the _Norfolk_ for Van Dieman's Land;
The _Francis_ for Norfolk Island
Another fire in the town
A ship arrives from the Cape with cattle
Works in hand
Bennillong
The governor's steward destroys himself
An order respecting the women
A battery erected
Weather
State of the harvest
Irish
The _Francis_ returns; and the _Nautilus_
The _Eliza_ from Sea
Information
Three deaths
One good character recorded
Disorders
Public works
Great heat
Returns of stock, and land in cultivation
October.] Another adventurer entered the port on the 1st of this month,
viz the _Semiramis_ from Rhode Island, bound to China. She made her
passage in three months and nine days. The master reported, that when he
left the States, they were thought to be on the eve of a rupture with
France.
Between seven and eight o'clock in the evening of this day, the church on
the east side of the cove was discovered to be on fire. Every assistance,
as far as numbers could be useful, was given, but ineffectually; for the
building being covered with thatch, which was at this time exceedingly
dry and combustible, it was completely consumed in an hour.
This was a great loss, for during the working days of the week the
building was used as a school, in which from 150 to 200 children were
educated, under the immediate inspection of Mr. Johnson, the clergyman.
As it stood entirely alone, and no person was suffered to remain in it
after the school hours, there was not any doubt that this atrocious act
was the effect of design, and the consequence of the late order which had
been given out and had been rigidly executed, enforcing attendance on
divine service; and in the view of rendering, by the destruction of the
building, the Sabbath a day of as little decency and sobriety as any
other in the week. The perpetrators of this mischief were, however,
disappointed in their expectation; for the governor, justly deeming this
to have been the motive, and highly irritated at such a shameful act,
resolved, if no convenient place could immediately be found for the
performance of public worship, that, instead of Sunday being employed as
each should propose to himself, the whole of the labouring gangs should
be employed on that day in erecting another building for the purpose; it
happened, however, that a large storehouse was just at that time
finished; and, not being immediately wanted, it was fitted up as a
church; and thus not a single Sunday was lost by this wicked design.
For the discovery of the offender a reward of £30 was offered, together
with absolute emancipation to the informer if a convict, and a
recommendation to the master of any ship to take him or her from the
colony. But it was seen with concern, that rewards and punishments alike
failed in their effect.
This circumstance must impress upon the mind of every one who may read
this account, to what a dreadful state of profligacy the colony had
arrived, which, alarming as it was, must have been still worse, had it
not been for the civil police which fortunately had been established; for
a more wicked, abandoned, and irreligious set of people had never been
brought together before in any part of the colony. The hope of their
amendment seemed every day to lessen. The spirit of trade (not that
liberal spirit which characterises the British trader, but a mean,
selfish, avaricious passion, that hesitated not at any means to be
gratified) proved the source of every evil under which the settlers
laboured.
Notwithstanding this picture of their vices, the colony was at this time,
generally speaking, in perfect health. For want of slop clothing and
bedding, indeed, they were much distressed; but on this or any other
account they were little deserving of any commiseration.
Since the last failure of those ill-considered attempts of the Irish to
escape from the colony, no further schemes of that nature had been
planned; but, as a matter of common justice to them, it was much wished
that regular accounts of the dates of their conviction, and their several
terms of transportation, might be sent out. They had been informed, that
a promise to this effect had been made by government.
On the 7th, the two Americans, the _Semiramis_, and _Argo_ schooner,
sailed for China. At the same time the _Nautilus_ brig, and
_Norfolk_ long-boat, sailed for Van Diemen's land. The _Nautilus_,
which had been in extreme distress for every kind of repair, was
completely put in order here; and, as the two young men who
had the care and direction of the speculation on which she was fitted out
from India, had been very unfortunate through the infirmities of their
vessel, and other causes, they were determined to try, during this
season, what the seal-fishing among the islands to the southward might
produce.
On the day following, the _Francis_ sailed for Norfolk Island, with
a few women and some stores for that settlement. As it was intended, that
on her return she should examine the shoal said to have been discovered
to the northward of Lord Howe Island, and make, if possible, and
ascertain the situation of, the island discovered in 1788 by Lieutenant
Shortland in the _Alexander_ transport, and named by him Sir Charles
Middleton island, Lieutenant John Shortland, of the _Reliance_, a
son of the above officer, was sent in the _Francis_, and was charged
with the sole direction of the vessel upon that service.
In the _Norfolk_ were Lieutenant Flinders and Mr. Bass, who were
instructed to examine the existence of the strait supposed to divide Van
Diemen's land from the continent.
The rage for trade already spoken of, which prevailed so universally in
the colony, occasioned such a continued scene of contention and
litigation among the people, that much public inconvenience was
experienced in the liberties which were taken of imprisoning the public
servants of the crown for debts contracted with many of the petty
dealers; notwithstanding an order which was given out in the year 1788,
by the late Governor Phillip, in which the colony was informed, that the
convicts (by whom were meant the public servants of the crown) had no
property of their own, their clothing, their time, and their labour,
being the property of government, and not at their own disposal. This
order having worn out of their recollection, it became necessary to renew
it, to prevent that loss of labour on the public works which imprisoning
their persons so improperly must occasion. Notice was therefore given,
that the public servants of the crown were not to be detained from their
duty by imprisoning their persons in this way; and if any person should
be desirous of accommodating them with credit, it must be wholly and
absolutely upon the strength of their own good faith in the integrity of
such people, and not under the idea that they could arrest and imprison
them according to the forms of law; and it was to be generally
understood, that government would by no means dispense with the labour of
its servants for the partial accommodation of any private dealings
whatever.
On the evening of the 11th, another fire happened in the town of Sydney,
which, but for a great deal of care and activity, might have burnt all
the houses on the east side. A row of buildings which had been lately
erected for the nurses and other persons employed about the hospital, was
set on fire, and totally consumed. The flames very nearly reached the
boat-yard, in which were many concerns of value.
On the 20th, an American ship, the _Ann and Hope_, anchored in
Botany Bay, unfavourable winds having prevented her getting up so far as
Port Jackson. As the master only wanted a little wood and water, three
days were sufficient to procure them; and at the end of that period he
sailed for China. He certainly was either pressed for time, or had
nothing on board that he could part with, as the ships of his country had
always found it worth their while to refresh at Port Jackson.
Toward the latter end of the month the governor visited the settlers at
the Hawkesbury; and while he was there made some useful regulations among
the sawyers, who had fixed their own portion of public labour. He gave
notice, that a session should be held quarterly for settling all civil
concerns; and made some other local arrangements, which, if attended to,
would have conduced essentially to the welfare of the settlers, whose
farms he found promising plenty, but whose houses and persons wore the
appearance of poverty and beggary, they converting all the produce of
their farms to the unworthy purpose of purchasing a pernicious spirit
that must ever keep them poor.
In the evening of the 27th, the ship _Marquis Cornwallis_ arrived
from the Cape of Good Hope, with a cargo of cattle on government account,
consisting of 158 cows and 20 bulls, exclusive of a few on private
account. When they were landed, a few appeared weakly; but, in general,
they were in as good health as any that had been before landed, after a
voyage of such extent; and would certainly prove a vast acquisition to
the colony; part of the cows being a mixed breed between the Cape and
English cattle, and the whole appearing to be under the age of two years
and a half.
With the _Marquis Cornwallis_ arrived the _Indispensable_, a
southern whaler, commanded by Mr. Wilkinson, who had twice before visited
the settlement; but he sailed again immediately.
In this month the foundation of a stone building intended for a church
was laid at Sydney. It was to be 150 feet in length, and 52 in breadth.
Preparations were making for a similar building at Parramatta, which was
to be of smaller dimensions than this at Sydney.
The weather proved much too dry and sultry for the harvest. Some rain
fell toward the latter end of the month; but it was greatly feared that
it came too late to be of much benefit to the wheat or maize.
November.] Twice had the criminal court of judicature lately met for the
trial of various offenders; one of whom, being clearly convicted of
wilful perjury, stood in the pillory pursuant to his sentence.
Instead of living peaceably and pleasantly at the governor's house, as he
certainly might always have done, Bennillong preferred the rude and
dangerous society of his own countrymen, visiting the settlement only
when induced by the recollection of the comforts which he could no where
else obtain. Word was now brought in, of his having been again severely
wounded in a contest with some of the natives. This man had lately
received and recovered of several wounds, any one of which would have
been sufficient to have destroyed a European. But these people in general
owed their existence more to their good habit of body (living free from
the use of spirituous liquors and the luxuries of the table) than to any
other cause. Unless this be admitted, it will be difficult to account for
their surviving the desperate wounds which they have been often known to
receive.
An instance of the fatal effects of misguided conduct, and a too late
sense of criminality, occurred in the tragical end of Nathaniel Franklyn,
the governor's steward. This man, whom he brought from England, had the
whole care and management of the governor's domestic concerns entrusted
to him. He had been repeatedly cautioned by his master against the many
artful and designing acquaintances which he had formed in the town, and
was pointedly desired to be aware of not suffering himself to be
influenced by their opinions. It was proved that he had not had fortitude
enough to withstand their solicitations, but had consented to rob the
governor to a very considerable amount, abusing the confidence he had
placed in him, and making use of his name in a most iniquitous manner.
Of the infamy of his conduct he was at last sensible, and, retiring into
the shrubbery in the garden of the governor's house, shot himself through
the head.
The wretched state of the settlement appeared but too plainly from this
melancholy circumstance.
The complaints which were daily made of the refractory and disobedient
conduct of the convict women rendered it absolutely necessary that some
steps should be instantly taken to make them more clearly understand the
nature of their situation in this country, and the duties that they were
liable to perform. The governor, therefore, judged it proper to desire
that every officer or other housekeeper in the settlement, who might have
female servants in their families, would immediately forward to the
judge-advocate's office the names of such as they employed. He also
forbade them to protect from public labour any but those whom they were
permitted to retain; and when at any time they were desirous of
discharging from their employment any servant of this description, they
were to send an intimation thereof, together with a character of the
person, to the same office. As they had never been limited in the number
of women servants which they considered requisite to their domestic
concerns, it was hoped that they would afford every assistance in their
power, which might lead to the detection of imposition, and serve to
correct any abuse of such indulgence.
To the list of public buildings, which, young as was the settlement, time
had overthrown, was now added the government-house at Parramatta; the
roof of which falling-in in some bad weather, the building was surveyed,
and found so weak and decayed as not to admit of repairs. It was
therefore determined to take this entirely down, and erect a new one; for
which purpose a gang of brickmakers was shortly after sent up there.
At this place and at Toongabbie additional stock-yards were preparing for
the cattle lately arrived; and materials were collecting for building a
church and water-mill at Parramatta.
At Sydney the ship's company of the _Supply_ were actively and
usefully employed in constructing a half-moon battery on the east point
of the cove, where stood the house built by Governor Phillip for
Bennillong, in those days when it was thought an object of some moment to
soothe and conciliate the friendship of that savage.
There was but little variation in the weather, except that on the 25th
there was a violent burst of thunder, attended with partial whirlwinds,
by which several buildings were much damaged.
December.] At the departure of the ship _Marquis Cornwallis_ for
Bengal, which was on the 3rd of this month, several convicts were taken
from the settlement without permission. This evil could alone be checked
by severe prosecutions and penalties.
The harvest which was begun in the last, was completed in this month. In
the abundance that was expected, every one was disappointed; for, owing
to a most tedious and unfortunate drought during ten months, the wheat
did not turn out more than one-third of what, from the quantity of ground
sown with that grain, there was a reasonable expectation of its
producing, had the season been moderately favourable. This was the more
seriously felt, as at one time a hope was entertained of reaping grain
sufficient to supply the colony with bread for two years.
The conclusion of the harvest was productive of a slight disturbance
among the Irish convicts at Toongabbie. Having, each man and woman who
had been employed, received a small quantity of spirits and water, which
had been ordered them, it produced at first cheerfulness and play, but
terminated in riot and ill-humour; a circumstance not uncommon with that
class of people. They were, however, easily separated and sent to their
respective huts.
On the 19th, the _Francis_ schooner arrived from Norfolk Island,
where all were in good health. Lieutenant Shortland, who had received
directions to search for Sir Charles Middleton Island and shoal, on his
return produced his journal and a chart of the various traverses which he
had made in quest of the island, and compared them with those made
formerly by Lieutenant (now Captain) Ball in his Majesty's armed brig
_Supply_, who had been sent by Governor Phillip expressly on the
same pursuit. The extensive range taken by those two officers in the
search, and their not having met with even any indications of land near
that situation, left little reason to believe in the existence of the
island. That of the shoal was not so doubtful; and, although Mr.
Shortland did not fall in with it, yet, as a shoal had been seen by two
or three different persons near the spot in which that reef was laid
down, there was much reason to believe that a dangerous bank or shoal did
somewhere thereabout exist; but its exact situation in point of latitude
and longitude had not yet been correctly fixed, nor was its extent
supposed to be so great as was at first believed.
On the evening of the 25th, which had been duly observed as Christmas
Day, the _Nautilus_ arrived from the southward. She had been at
Preservation Island, where, and among the neighbouring islands, she had
been tolerably successful in seal-catching. The master left 14 of his
people on the island of Cape Barren, to provide as many skins and as much
oil as they could against his return. Those with which he now arrived
were in a few days sold by auction.
The two whalers, the _Indispensable_ and _Britannia_, which had
been fishing on the coast, returned on the 29th for a few days to repair
some defects and refresh their crews. They had cruised chiefly from the
latitude of 32 degrees 00 minutes to 35 degrees 00 minutes, and not
farther from the coast than from 20 to 30 leagues, and thought themselves
rather successful for the time (only two months), the one having got 54,
and the other 60 tons of spermaceti oil.
The _Eliza_ (more wisely) put into Botany Bay, to wood and water.
She, although much longer at seal had not been so successful, having got
only 45 tons of oil. The master of this ship stated, that he saw off the
NE part of New Caledonia a ship on shore upon a reef, the lower masts of
which were above water, and one of the tops was on the mast. The weather
was thick and hazy, and blew too fresh to allow him to send to examine
her; but a piece of a boat, which he took to be part of a whale boat,
floating near him, he judged the wreck to be that of a whaler. He also
fell in with a very dangerous and extensive shoal, lying NNW about 40
leagues from Sandy Cape, upon the coast of New South Wales. It was so
large, that, finding himself entered upon it, and unable to get back, it
took him from nine in the morning until six in the evening, going at the
rate of six knots (or miles) an hour, before he ran through it.
Thus already did the settlement and the public at large derive some
advantage from the fishing on the coast, by the discovery of this shoal.
There happened three deaths in this month which were out of the common
way: a woman at the Hawkesbury died of the bite of a snake; another woman
was drowned in attempting to land at Norfolk island; and on the 19th
died, very suddenly, Mr. Stephenson, the store-keeper at Sydney. As his
death was not exactly in the common way, so neither had been the latter
part of his life; indeed, all that part of it which he had passed in this
country; for, by an upright conduct, and a faithful discharge of the
duties of the office with which he had been entrusted, he secured to
himself the approbation of his superiors while living, and their good
name at his death.
Stephenson had been emancipated for his orderly behaviour, and to enable
him to execute the office of store-keeper.
The annual election of constables recurring about this time, the
magistrates were desired to be very particular in their selection of the
persons returned to them for that purpose; as there was reason to fear,
from the frequent escapes of prisoners from the different gaols, that the
constables had been tampered with, so shamefully to neglect their duty.
The wheat harvest being over, and the country, as happened generally at
this season of the year, every where on fire, those who were engaged in
farming were reminded of the necessity of their exerting themselves by
every practicable means to secure their crops, when stacked, against
accident by fire. As yet, none had been heard of. In the early part of
the month Farenheit's thermometer at the Hawkesbury stood at 107 degrees
in the shade.
Many people were at this time much afflicted with inflammations of the
eyes*, attended with extreme pain, and supposed by the medical gentlemen
to be occasioned by the excessive dry and sultry weather which had
prevailed for a considerable time. Dysenteric complaints were also very
common, which were attributed to the water, most of the runs and springs
having been nearly dried up. The tanks which were cut in the rocks below
the stream by order of Governor Phillip had proved of infinite utility.
[* In the month of April 1794 and 1796, several adults and
children were troubled with an inflammation of the eyes, which was then
attributed to the variable and unsettled weather that had for some time
prevailed. It must be remarked, that the present appearance of this
complaint was in the summer, the former in the winter season.]
The seamen belonging to the _Supply_ completed their half-moon
battery in this month, and part of that ship's guns were mounted in it.
In addition to other public works, some people were employed in
white-washing the houses in the town of Sydney, and repairing such of the
buildings as required it; an attention highly necessary at least once in
every year, for the preservation of works, the re-construction of which,
when suffered to fall to decay, was attended with a great expense.
The live stock and the ground in cultivation had been considerably
increased in this year, as will be seen by comparing the following
account of each with the return of the preceding year.
LIVE STOCK
Horses 44
Mares 73
Horned Cattle
Bulls and Oxen 163
Cows 258
Hogs 2867
Sheep
Male 1459
Female 2443
Goats
Male 787
Female 1880
LAND IN CULTIVATION
Acres in Wheat 4659
Acres in Maize 1453
Acres in Barley 57½
It will appear from this account, which is brought down to the month of
August, and taken up from that month in the preceding year, that the
goats had not increased so much as the sheep. Many had of course been
slaughtered; but they were found to be afflicted with diseases which
carried them off in numbers, while the sheep were seen to thrive better.