J the Sirius, was lefs than I expected; four months flour only for the fetle, ment, and a year's provifions for the hip's company and it was necef fary to give the fhip a very confiderable repair before the could be fent to fea again, which was not completed before the middle of January; when I had reafon to expect fhips from England in the courfe of a few weeks. The fending to the iflands would have anfwered, as far as procuring live flock to breed froin, but which was not immediately wanted; and what the Sirius could have brought for the confumption of fuch a number of people, would have been at beft but a 1mall relief. Lord Howe Ifland has been tried feveral times, and only a very few turtle procured. The goodness of the foil in Norfolk Island, and the industry of thofe employed there, rendered that ifland a refource, and the only one that offered, when, from the time which had paffed fince my letters might be fuppofed to have been received in England, there was reafon to fuppofe fome accident had happened to the fore-fhips fent out. afift thofe who remained, and the fifh which might be caught in the winter would go the further. At the fame time, thofe fent to Norfolk Island would have refources in the great abundance of vegetables raised there, and in fish and birds, which this fettlement could not af ford them; and it was my intention to have fent more convicts to that ifland, if there had not been this neceffity, ri1: g The provifions fent, with what was on the ifland, and the wheat and Indian corn raifed there, more than would be neceffary for feed, was calculated to laft full as long as the provifions in this place; and at Norfolk Island, from the richness of the foil, a man may supply himielt with little affiftance from the store, after the timber is cleared away.. I therefore ordered two companies of marines to be ready to embark with a number of convicts by the fifth of March, if no fhip arrived before that time; and a proportion.. of what provifions and ftores remained put As wifhed to fend an officer to England, who could give fuch inform ation as cannot be conveyed by letters, and the detachment was now divided, I replaced the officer who was fuperintendant and commandant at Norfolk Island, by major Rofs. The officer I have recalled having been thefe two years on the island, is very capable of pointing out the advantages which may be expected from it; and I think it promifes to fwer very fully the end proposed by making the fettlement. It will be a place of fecurity for the convicts, where they will on board the Supply and Sirius, felves, and woon fupport them fixty-five officers and men, with five women and children, from the detachment and civil department, one hundred and fixteen male, and fixtyfeven female convicts, with twentyfeven children, embarked, and failed the fixth of March. The advantage Lexpected by fend ing away fuch a number of people, was from the little garden ground they would leave, and which would they be advantageoufly employed in cultivating the flax plant, i ITS Extract from instructions given by ... 11 governor Phillip to the HeuTenant-governor, during his command at Norfolk Ifland, dated March 2, 1790.1 to vijo You will caufe the convicts to be employed in the cultivation of the land, in fuch manner as fhall appear Norfolk Iffand is fituated in the latitude of 29 degrees, o min. south, and in the longitude of 168 degrees, min. caft. Its form is nearly ob long, and contains from twelve to fourteen thoufand acres. to you the best calculated to render 16 As, from the great increase of corn, and other vegetable food, which may be expected from a common induftry, and in fo fertile a foil, after a certain quantity of ground is Cleared and in cultivation, as well as from the natural increase of swine and other animals, it cannot be expedient that all the convicts fhould be employed in attending only to the object of provifions; you are to caufe the greateft poffible number of thefe people to be employed in cultivating and dreffing the flax plant, as a means of acquiring cloathing for themfelves, and other perfons, who may become fettlers, as well as for a variety of maritime purpofes, and for which its fuperior excellence renders it a desirable object • in Europe You will, at every opportunity, tranfmit to me all fuch remarks, or obfervations, as you may make, refpecting the nature of the foil on the ifland; and point out fuch means as may appear to you the most likely to answer the views of government, in the cultivation of the flax plant, and in rendering that ifland independent for the neceffaries of life, and for the order and government of the fettlers thereon, that fuch information may from me be tranf -mitted to his majesty's minifters. tted to his majesty Copy of a paper delivered by lieutenant-governor King, dated the 10th of January 179, containing a defcription of Norfolk Island. The face of the country is hilly, and fome of the vallies are tolerably large for the size of the ifland; many of the hills are very steep, and fome few fo very perpendicular that they cannot be cultivated; but where fuch fituations are, they will do very well for fuel; on the tops of the hills are fome very extenfive flats. Mount Pitt is the only remarkable high hill in the ifland, and is about one hundred and fifty fathoms high. The cliffs which furround. the island are about forty fathoms high, and perpendicular; the basis of the island is a hard firm clay. The whole ifland is covered with a thick wood, choaked up with a thick underwood. The inland is well fupplied with many ftreams of very fine water; many of which are fufficient to turn any number of mills. These springs are full of very large eels. From the coaft to the fummit of Mount Pitt, is a continuation of the richest and deepest foil in the world, which varies from a rich black mould to a fat red earth. We have dug down forty feet, and found the fame foil. The air is very wholefome, and the climate may be called a very healthy one; there has been no fickness fince I first landed on the island. There are five kinds of trees on the island which are good timber, viz. the pine, live oak, or yellow wood, a hard black wood, and a kind of beech. The pine trees are of a large fize, many of which are from one hundred and eighty to two hundred and twenty feet in height, height, and from fix to nine feet in diameter Thofe trees which are from one hundred to one hundred and eighty feet in height, are, in ge neral, found: from the root to the lower branches, there are from eighty to ninety feet of found timber: the reft is too hard and knotty for ufe. It sometimes happens, that, after cutting off twenty feet from the butt, it becomes rotten or thaky; for which reafon no dependence can be put in it for large mafts or yards. The timber of the pine is very ufefut in buildings, and is plea tiful along the coafts. Its difperfed fituation in the interior parts of the ifland, is well calculated for erect ing fuch buildings as may be neceffary. From what I have feen of this wood, I think it is very durable; two boats have been built of it, and have answered the purpofe fully. The live oak, yellow wood, black wood, and beech, are all of a clofe grain, and are a durable wood. The fx plant of New Zealand grows fpontaneously in many parts of the ifland, but moftly abounds on the fea-coaft, where there is a very great quantity of it. The leaves of the flax, when fully grown, are fix feet long, and fix inches wide. Each plant contains feven of thofe leaves, A ftrong woody ftalk arifes from the center, which bears the flowers. It feeds annually; and the old leaves are forced out by young ones every year. Every method has been tried to work it; but I much fear, that, until a native of New Zealand can be carried to Norfolk Island, the method of dreffing that valuable commodity will not be known; and, could that be obtained, I have no doubt but Norfolk Island would very foon cloath the inhabitants of New South Wales. There are a great quantity of pigeons, parrots, hawks, and other fimaller birds, which are now in s wild state. The ground is much infefted with different kinds of the grub worm, which are very deftructive to the growth of vegetables. They are moftly troublefome about the fpring. It is to be hoped, that, when more ground is cleared away, this evil will cease. There is no quadruped on the, ifland, except the rat, which is much fmaller than the Norway rat. Thele vermin were very troublesome when firft we landed; but at present there are but very few. The coafts of the island abound with very fine fifh. No opportunities were ever loft of fending the boat out, which enabled us to make a faving of two pounds of meat each man a week. The coafts of the island are in ge neral steep; and, excepting at Sydney, Anfon, Ball, and Cascade Bays, they are inacceffible, being fur rounded by fteep perpendicular cliffs, arifing from the fea. Some rocks are scattered about close to the fhore. Sydney Bay, on the fouth fide of the ifland, is where the fettlement is made. Landing at this place entire ly depends on the wind and the weather. I have seen as good landing as in the Thames for a fortnight or three weeks together; and I have often feen it impracticable to land for ten or twelve days fucceffively; but it is much oftener good landing than bad. Anfon's Bay is a small bay, with a fandy beach, where landing is in general good, with an off-shore wind, and moderate weather; but, as the interior parts of the ifland are fo difficult of access from thence, no fhips boats have ever landed there, Bal! Bay is on the fouth-eaft fide of the ifland; the beech is of large loofe loofe ftone. When landing is bad in Sydney Bay, it is very good here; as it alfo is in Cafcade Bay, on the north fide of the island. During the winter months, viz. from April to Auguft, the general winds are the fouth and fouth-weft, with heavy gales at times. In the fummer, the fouth-eaft wind blows almoft conftantly.. The fpring is vifible in Auguft; biit the native trees, and many plants in the inland, are in a conftant state of flowering. The fummer is warm, and fometimes the droughts are very, great. All the grain and European plants feeded in December. From February to Auguft may be called the rainy feafon; not that I think there are any stated times for rains in these months, as it is fometimes very fine weather for a fortnight together; but when the rain does fall, it is in torrents. I do not remember above three claps of thunder during the time I was on the ifland. The winter is very pleafant, and it never freezes. The proper time for fowing wheat and barley is from May to Auguft, and is got in in December. That 1 SUP ARMY. Expences of the late armament Provifions for the troops in the E. and W. Indies; } confequence thereof FEB. 8, 1791. For 17,013 men, as guards and garrifons Forces in the plantations Chelsea penfioners Scotch roads and bridges Heffian fubfidy Extraordinaries MAY 16. Augmentation of a corps of foot in New South Wales £957,237 15. 14 ORD. +2.754 5 81 |