第28章

The arrival of the 'Supply'from Batavia;

the State of the Colony in November,1790.

Joy sparkled in every countenance to see our old friend the 'Supply'(I hope no reader will be so captious as to quarrel with the phrase)enter the harbour from Batavia on the 19th of October.We had witnessed her departure with tears;we hailed her return with transport.

Captain Ball was rather more than six months in making this voyage,and is the first person who ever circumnavigated the continent of New Holland.

On his passage to Batavia,he had discovered several islands,which he gave names to and,after fighting his way against adverse elements and through unexplored dangers,safely reached his destined port.He had well stored his little bark with every necessary and conveniency which he judged we should first want,leaving a cargo of rice and salt provisions to be brought on by a Dutch snow,which he had hired and freighted for the use of the settlement.While at Batavia,the 'Supply'had lost many of her people by sickness,and left several others in the general hospital at that place.

As the arrival of the 'Supply'naturally leads the attention from other subjects to the state of the colony,I shall here take a review of it by transcribing a statement drawn from actual observation soon after,exactly as I find it written in my journal.

Cultivation,on a public scale,has for some time past been given up here,(Sydney)the crop of last year being so miserable,as to deter from farther experiment,in consequence of which the government-farm is abandoned,and the people who were fixed on it have been removed.Necessary public buildings advance fast;an excellent storehouse of large dimensions,built of bricks and covered with tiles,is just completed;and another planned which will shortly be begun.Other buildings,among which I heard the governor mention an hospital and permanent barracks for the troops,may also be expected to arise soon.Works of this nature are more expeditiously performed than heretofore,owing,I apprehend,to the superintendants lately arrived,who are placed over the convicts and compel them to labour.

The first difficulties of a new country being subdued may also contribute to this comparative facility.

Vegetables are scarce,although the summer is so far advanced,owing to want of rain.I do not think that all the showers of the last four months put together,would make twenty-four hours rain.Our farms,what with this and a poor soil,are in wretched condition.My winter crop of potatoes,which I planted in days of despair (March and April last),turned out very badly when I dug them about two months back.Wheat returned so poorly last harvest,that very little,besides Indian corn,has been sown this year.

The governor's wound is quite healed,and he feels no inconveniency whatever from it.With the natives we are hand and glove.They throng the camp every day,and sometimes by their clamour and importunity for bread and meat (of which they now all eat greedily)are become very troublesome.God knows,we have little enough for ourselves!Full allowance (if eight pounds of flour and either seven pounds of beef,or four pounds of pork,served alternately,per week,without either pease,oatmeal,spirits,butter,or cheese,can be called so)is yet kept up;but if the Dutch snow does not arrive soon it must be shortened,as the casks in the storehouse,I observed yesterday,are woefully decreased.

The convicts continue to behave pretty well;three only have been hanged since the arrival of the last fleet,in the latter end of June,all of whom were newcomers.The number of convicts here diminishes every day;

Our principal efforts being wisely made at Rose Hill,where the land is unquestionably better than about this place.Except building,sawing and brickmaking,nothing of consequence is now carried on here.The account which I received a few days ago from the brickmakers of their labours,was as follows.Wheeler (one of the master brick-makers)with two tile stools and one brick stool,was tasked to make and burn ready for use 30000tiles and bricks per month.He had twenty-one hands to assist him,who performed every thing;cut wood,dug clay,etc.This continued (during the days of distress excepted,when they did what they could)until June last.

From June,with one brick and two tile stools he has been tasked to make 40000bricks and tiles monthly (as many of each sort as may be),having twenty-two men and two boys to assist him,on the same terms of procuring materials as before.They fetch the clay of which tiles are made,two hundred yards;that for bricks is close at hand.He says that the bricks are such as would be called in England,moderately good,and he judges they would have fetched about 24shillings per thousand at Kingston-upon-Thames (where he resided)in the year 1784.Their greatest fault is being too brittle.The tiles he thinks not so good as those made about London.

The stuff has a rotten quality,and besides wants the advantage of being ground,in lieu of which they tread it.

King (another master bricklayer)last year,with the assistance of sixteen men and two boys,made 11,000bricks weekly,with two stools.During short allowance did what he could.Resumed his old task when put again on full allowance and had his number of assistants augmented to twenty men and two boys,on account of the increased distance of carrying wood for the kilns.He worked at Hammersmith,for Mr.Scot,of that place.

He thinks the bricks made here as good as those made near London,and says that in the year 1784,they would have sold for a guinea per thousand and to have picked the kiln at thirty shillings.'

Such is my Sydney detail dated the 12th of November,1790.Four days after I went to Rose Hill,and wrote there the subjoined remarks.