The _Reliance_ sails for Norfolk Island
The _Walker_ arrives with Lieutenant-Colonel Paterson from England
Dispatches received
Orders respecting bread
Transactions
Regulations
Storm of wind
December
The _Britannia_ whaler sails for England
Settlers dissatisfied
A Spanish prize arrives
The _Martha_ from Cape Barren Island
A criminal court held
Wheat continued at the former Price
Gaol burnt at Parramatta
Harvest begun
Live stock
November.] On the 2nd of the month, his Majesty's ship the _Reliance_
sailed with the relief of the military on duty at Norfolk Island;
and in the afternoon of the following day the ship _Walker_ anchored
in the Cove from England. On board of this ship were Lieutenant-Colonel
Paterson, and Captain Abbot, of the New South Wales corps.
Dispatches were at this time received, whereby the governor, being
directed to cause a register to be kept of all ships entering inwards and
clearing outwards of the harbour, he appointed Richard Atkins, esq to the
service; and it became an article in the port orders which were
delivered to the masters of ships upon their arrival, that they were not
upon any account to break bulk, or attempt to land any article whatever,
until such time as an account of the ship, her commander, cargo, etc. had
been laid before the governor. It was at the same time signified, that no
boat, or any person whomsoever, except the pilot, such officer as might
be sent by the governor, and the person appointed to fill up the
register, should ever board strange ships entering the port, until the
above information had been regularly and fully obtained. It was
conjectured, that this measure of registering ships was preparatory to
the establishment of duties and a custom-house.
By the _Walker_ four iron twelve pounders were received, and
information that copper coinage to the amount of £550 was in the
_Porpoise_, whose arrival might be daily looked for. The circulation
of this money would be attended with the most comfortable accommodation
to the people in their various dealings with each other; and it might be
so marked, as to prevent any inducement to take it out of the colony, if
it should ever be found convenient by government to order a silver
coinage for the use of the settlement, if it was fixed at not more than
half or two thirds of the intrinsic value of what it might pass for, so
as to render the loss considerable to any one attempting to carry it
away, it would be felt as a considerable advantage, and would effectually
prevent the forgeries to which a paper currency was liable.
With the _Walker_ came in the _Britannia_ from her last successful
cruise, having now completed her cargo of oil. The _Walker_ was designed
for the whale fishery.
A complaint having been made by some of the inhabitants of the town of
Sydney respecting the quality of that very necessary article, the bread
that was delivered to them, the governor directed a meeting of officers
to assemble for the purpose of investigating it; when it appeared, that
the bakers received the wheat as it was issued, engaging to give in lieu
a certain quantity of bread; but, not having stipulated as to the
quality, returned a loaf in which there was so much more chaff and bran
than flour, that the convicts feelingly, and not unaptly, termed them
scrubbing brushes. The bakers were heard, and such directions given as
were necessary to remove the evil complained of.
The arrival of Lieutenant-Colonel Paterson had introduced some
alterations and regulations in the corps of which he had now taken the
command. Among others, his Majesty having been graciously pleased to
augment the pay of the non-commissioned officers, drummers, and privates
of the army, since the 25th day of May 1797, under certain regulations
with respect to stoppages, the regiment was now to receive the benefit of
such increase of pay. From this, three pence halfpenny per diem was to be
deducted, as a payment for the ration which was issued to them, and which
the commissary was now directed to serve, agreeable to the ration
established by his Majesty's command for such of his troops as were
serving in Jamaica, Gibraltar, and New South Wales.
Colonel Paterson having also been instructed to complete the different
companies of the corps, if he could obtain a sufficient number of proper
characters, a public notice was given, informing such free people as
could bring with them recommendations that would satisfy the colonel they
were deserving of being taken into his Majesty's service, that they would
be received, and attested for the regiment.
The very little attention which had long been, and continued to be shown
to the duties of religion, and the want of that decency and respect which
were due to the return of the Sabbath, were now so glaringly conspicuous,
that it became necessary to repeat the orders which had indeed often been
given upon that subject, and again to call upon every person possessed of
authority to use that authority in compelling the due attendance of the
convicts at church, and other proper observance of the Sabbath. The women
were also directed to be more punctual in their appearance; for these
still availed themselves of the indulgence which as women they had been
treated with, seldom thinking themselves included in the restrictions
that were laid upon others.
The wheat crops, at this time nearly ready for the reaper, wore the most
promising appearance, the stalks every where, particularly at the
Hawkesbury, bending beneath the weight of the richest ears of corn ever
beheld in this or indeed any other country. But, like other countries, a
crop was never to be reckoned in this, until it was gathered into the
barn. About the middle of the month there fell a very heavy storm of
thunder, lightning, and rain, attended also with a shower of hall from
the SE that beat all the fruit off the trees, and destroyed the gardens
in and about the town of Sydney, though it was not felt more than two
miles from that place. A heavy gale of wind and rain took place at the
Hawkesbury the day preceding the storm at Sydney, which laid much of the
wheat, and beat down one end of the public store. This destructive
weather, having subsided for a day, recommenced on the 20th, and
continued without intermission until the 25th, when it again cleared up;
and, to increase the vexation, myriads of caterpillars were found
destroying the young maize.
That it might be exactly known what was the produce of this year's
harvest, proper people were appointed, by order of the governor, to visit
each district; and, from the respective owners, to collect an account of
what each farm had produced.
The building of the public gaol at Sydney was not yet completed; nor,
although a meeting of the officers had been lately held to consider of
the means, was any mode devised of defraying the still heavy expense
thereof. It had been suggested to raise a fund on the importation of
merchandise; but nothing conclusive was yet determined upon.
December.] The _Britannia_ whaler having, as was before stated,
arrived a full ship, and being again ready for sea, on the 2nd of this
month sailed for England. In her, Mr. Raven, who brought out the
_Buffalo_, and some of his officers took their passage; and agreement
having been made with Mr. Turnbull, the master, to furnish them, six
in number, with a passage for the sum of two hundred and fifty pounds.*
The _Walker _sailed at the same time on her fishing voyage.
[* Mr. Raven was charged with dispatches; which, from his earnest
desire not to lose any time in delivering, he unfortunately lost.
When the ship was within sight of the Isle of Wight, he got into a boat,
which was captured by a small privateer, and was carried into France with
his dispatches, not having had time to sink them. He was soon liberated
himself, but was not able to obtain even the private letters that he had
with him.]
The settlers, being dissatisfied with the reduction in the price of grain
which had been ordered, presented petitions to the governor, in which
they stated the various hardships that for a considerable time past they
had laboured under, in the hope that he might be induced to receive the
crops of the present season at the usual price. Having taken their
petitions into consideration, he desired them to recollect, that near
four years since he had given them notice, that the high price of grain
could not be continued longer than that season; and though he had not any
doubt of their having sustained the losses which they represented, and
they must be sensible he had used every means in his power to remove and
relieve their misfortunes; yet his duty to government compelled him to
adhere to the reduction of which they complained. At the same time he
could not avoid observing, that some of these misfortunes had in many
instances proceeded from a want of that attention to their own interest,
which every man possessing common discretion would have shown; many of
them having parted with their last bushel for the gratification of the
moment, thereby reducing their families to distress and nakedness.
He likewise informed them, that he had much pleasure in finding that
government had a serious intention, as early as the public concerns of
the nation would admit, of administering every possible relief, by
supplying the inhabitants with such necessaries and comforts as they
might require at a moderate price. He was, however, obliged to direct the
commissary to receive the grain of this season at the prices ordered by
him in the month of October.
In the evening of the day on which the _Britannia_ sailed, the
_Plumier_, a Spanish ship, anchored in the cove. She was a prize to
three whalers, who had taken her near Cape Corientes, on the coast of
Peru. Her cargo consisted chiefly of bad spirits and wine, which, on her
being condemned by the Court of Vice-admiralty as a lawful prize, were
removed into the _Supply_, and an order was given out, strictly
forbidding the landing of any spirits, wine, or even malt liquor, until
a regular permit had been first obtained. This restriction upon wine and
malt liquor was occasioned by spirituous liquors having been landed under
that description.
At length the commissary was enabled to issue some slop-clothing to the
convicts, a quantity having been received by the _Walker_; but,
unfortunately, much of what had been put on board arrived in a very
damaged state, as appeared by a survey which was immediately taken.
On the 14th the _Martha_ schooner anchored in the cove from Bass
Strait, whence she had brought with her one thousand seal skins and
thirty barrels of oil, which had been procured there among the islands.
The court of criminal judicature being assembled on the 16th, two mates
of the _Walker_ were brought before it, and tried for using menaces
to a person who had stopped their boat when attempting to land spirits
without a permit; but as he had not any special authority for making the
seizure, or detaining the boat, they were acquitted.
One man, John Chapman Morris, was found guilty of forgery by the the same
court, and received sentence of death; but as this had been determined by
the majority of one voice only, whereas the letters patent for
establishing the court expressly say that five of the members are to
concur in a capital case, this business must, as provided also by the
patent, be referred to the King in council. It was hoped that this
circumstance would but seldom occur, as the object of it must, during the
reference, remain a prisoner, with all the miserable sensations that a
person would experience under sentence of death. The time that he must
linger in this uncomfortable situation could not well be less than
fifteen or eighteen months; and, admitting that the length of it might
have deadened the acuteness of his first sensations, and rendered him
thoughtless as to the event, yet how would that acuteness be aggravated,
should, unhappily for him, the sentence be at last confirmed by the royal
approbation!*
[* It may be pleasing to the reader to learn, that both Isaac
Nichols (see Chapter XVII viz: "The criminal court was only once
assembled during this month; when one man was condemned to death for a
burglary, and another transported for fourteen years to Norfolk Island.
This man, Isaac Nichols, an overseer, had been accused of receiving
stolen goods; but from some circumstances which occurred on the trial,
the sentence was respited until his Majesty's pleasure could be taken.")
and this man, have recently received his Majesty's pardon.]
The body of the settlers having again represented their total inability
to bear any reduction in the price of the wheat of this season, on
account, not only of their former heavy losses, but of the exorbitant
price of all those necessaries of life which they required for paying
their labourers, the governor at length consented to receive the wheat
only at the former price of ten shillings per bushel, and they were at
the same time told to prepare for the reduction that would certainly take
place in the next season. He also permitted a certain quantity of wine
and spirits from the prize to be landed, for the immediate accommodation
of those who had their crops to secure, and to prevent the impositions to
which they were subject in being obliged to procure them from a second or
third hand.
On the 24th the _Reliance_ and _Francis_ schooner returned from
Norfolk Island, with the relief of the military, having been absent on
that service between seven and eight weeks.
About ten o'clock of the night of the same day, the log gaol at
Parramatta was wilfully and maliciously set on fire, and totally
consumed. The prisoners who were confined were with difficulty snatched
from the flames, but so miserably scorched, that one of them died in a
few days. This building was a hundred feet in length, remarkably strong,
and had been constructed with much labour and expense.
The rewards which had been formerly held out upon similar occasions were
now offered to any man or woman who would come forward with evidence
sufficient to convict such diabolical incendiaries before the court of
criminal judicature; and the inhabitants were called upon by that duty
which every man owed to society, as well as to his own individual
interest, to use every means in their power to discover the perpetrators
of such horrid mischief, which in its extent, involved the lives of their
fellow-creatures.
This was the second time such a circumstance had happened in the
settlement, a circumstance that even staggers credulity. What interest,
what motive could drive these wretches to such an action? The destruction
of the building, they must know, would be instantly followed by the
erection of another, at which they themselves must labour! Could it be
for the purpose of throwing obstacles in the way of government: that
government, which had ever been mild and not coercive, which had ever
stood forward to alleviate their miseries, and often extended the arm of
mercy, when their crimes cried aloud for that of punishment? and yet on
no other principle can it be accounted for.*
[* May the annalist whose business it may be to record in future
the transactions of the colony find a pleasanter field to travel
in, where his steps will not be every moment beset with murderers,
robbers, and incendiaries.]
The harvest was now begun, and constables were sent to the Hawkesbury
with directions to secure every vagrant they could meet, and bring them
to Sydney, unless they chose to work for the settlers, who were willing
to pay them a dollar each day and their provisions: for at this time,
there were a great number of persons in that district, styling themselves
free people, who refused to labour unless they were paid the most
exorbitant wages.
The following was the state of the live stock and ground in cultivation
in the different districts, as appeared from reports collected at the
latter end of the month of August last: viz
LIVE STOCK
Horses 39
Mares 72
Horned Cattle
Bulls and Oxen 188
Cows 512
Hogs 3139
Sheep
Male 1846
Female 2875
Goats
Male 842
Female 1746
LAND IN CULTIVATION
Acres of Wheat 5465
Acres of Maize 2302
Acres of Barley 82
Acres of Oats 8
By this account it will appear, that there was a considerable increase of
live stock, except in the article of horses, and female goats. A great
addition had been also made to the ground in cultivation, the whole
amounting at the above period (August) to 7857 acres; making an increase
of 1745 acres, in twelve months.