since Mr. King's departure, I am clearly of opinion that he never will do any good for himself or anybody else. However, I have still left him upon the same ground on which I found him. 1791 11 Feb. I shall likewise herewith enclose for your Excellency's information the surgeon's report of the sick and hurt on this island from my arrival until this date, as well as his opinion respecting the Public state of the people's health*. And altho' I do not expect that health. there will be many objects here who may require an hospital, yet Hospital. I have ordered one to be built and which is now in very great forwardness, and will be ready for the reception of patients by the return of the Supply. The Supply will not have room at this time for more than fifty boards. She will likewise have a few oars out of twelve dozen which I had ordered to be made on purpose to be sent to your Excellency, together with a thousand axe-helves which are of a superior quality to any wood you can have for that purpose at Useful wood. Port Jackson, which will be delivered by Mr. Blackbourn on his arrival at Sydney. And the things that he has not now had an opportunity of taking together with as much plank as two pairs of sawyers can cut by the time she returns from here again shall be sent with the remainder of the oars. I feel myself very much obliged to your Excellency for having been pleased to communicate the information you received respect- War with ing a war with Spain, and am very much of your opinion respecting Spain. it. the natives. maintenance I understand that the natives about you have lately been very Phillip and troublesome, particularly in a most savage attack upon your Excellency, who, I understand, has been dangerously wounded by them; and am happy that the same information gives me an opportunity of congratulating you upon your recovery from the wound. And should your Excellency think fit to adopt that (or some other) plan which 1 herewith enclose, for the convicts maintaining themselves at a certain period independent of the store, that if Selfit can be spared from Sydney this island should be compleated of convicts. to, at least, one year's beef and pork; but should you think fit to annul the plan altogether, I think we can manage very well with what we have; and by curtailing the present ration to twothirds, that we shall by no means feel any distress. But at the same time I must observe that the present plan is so very much approved by almost all the convicts here, and has created such a Industry spirit of industry and emulation among them as was scarcely emulation. possible to expect. and I have settled the superintendant of the flax-dressers, together Flaxwith all the people which he had fixed upon, at Cascade, as the dressing. *Not recorded. + Phillip was speared by a native, at Manly, on the 7th September, 1790. Collins, Vol. I., p. 134. The occurrence is not mentioned in the despatches. Post, pp. 445-448. 1791 11 Feb. Charlottefield. Unacknowledged despatches. at Norfolk Island. fittest place in his opinion on this island for the business on which he is employed. There is a small town growing up there, and at this time about seven or eight acres of clear ground. At Charlottefield there is a very pretty little town building, but as that, nor the town at Cascade, is not named by me, I shall wait your Excellency's commands and directions on that head. Your Excellency, I hope, will excuse me when I inform you how much I feel myself at a loss with respect to my public letters to you sent by Mr. King, for you have not yet done me the honour of giving me the least intimation of their having been received, nor can I suppose it scarce possible that Mr. King could withhold them, or else copies of them should accompany this.* R. Ross. LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR ROSS TO GOVERNOR PHILLIP. Sir, Government House, Norfolk, 11 February, 1791. I have not lost any time in getting the officers and people who accompanied me quartered in the best manner I possibly could; altho' very much crowded by having the officers and company of his Majesty's ship Sirius to provide for. When the convicts had done attending the wreck of the Sirius, Cultivation I immediately employed them in clearing and cultivating the land in such manner as appeared to me the best calculated, in the first place, to prevent our being starved for want of sustenance, and in the next to answer the purpose of soon rendering this island independent as far as respects the articles of provisions; but I could not pay any attention to the flax, because there was not any person on the island who knew anything of it, until the middle of August, when a Mr. Hume, one of the superintendants sent out by the Government, arrived here, and as your Excellency pointed him out as a person acquainted with the management of Flax manu- the flax, he was immediately employed thereon with such a number of the people under him as he chose, and provided with everything he wanted, and that could possibly be procured or made in the settlement, in order to get some of it manufactured, to send to England. facture. The live stock, stores, and cloathing at my arrival here were so very little, that from absolute necessity I was obliged to observe Economy of the most rigid economy in the distribution of them. stores. Accounts. Whenever I have found that any part of what has been acquired by the labour of the convicts could be taken into store on account of the Crown, I have in that case ordered it to be done. And I shall be particularly careful that the storekeeper, or deputycommissary, do transmit to the Commissary at New South Wales an account from time to time of the issues of provisions and expence of stores at this settlement, together with an account of such provision and stores as he may receive, and from whence, &c. * Phillip received the despatches, 5th April, 1790. 1791 11 Feb. With respect to the employing as many convicts as possible in cultivating and dressing the flax-plant, is answered in the second paragraph. And with respect to the expectations from so fertile Plan for a soil, I shall beg leave to refer your Excellency to a plan which rendering I have ordered to be carried into execution for the purpose of rendering the island independent, as far as respects the necessaries dent. of life, and of which the papers herewith enclosed, Nos. and 2, are copies.* the island indepen From my arrival to the time the first ships arrived we had scarcely anything to give the stock, and therefore were obliged to kill many of them for want of food to give them; what were left I hoped would have done well; but in this I have been very much disappointed, for since the middle of December a very considerable number of swine as well belonging to the public as to the officers and inhabitants in general died; however, I shall hope Loss of to be able to leave some swine of my own, in addition to what belongs to Government, and, as poultry thrive well, I shall leave some geese, turkies, ducks, and fowls, as a beginning for a stock for Government. stock. wanted. A supply of provisions we have had, but cloathing not a rag, Clothing notwithstanding a great part of the slops sent in the Sirius for the use of the convicts were never put into store, particularly the linsey wolsey jackets and blue breeches which were all put into the seamen's store upon a supposition that they were navy board slops for the use of the ship. In consequence of the very distressed situation in which we were left for such a length of time, I found it necessary to make a considerable deduction from the customary ration, even so much ration. as to stop the salt provisions entirely. There having been no clergyman on the island, I had it not in my power to take any steps for the celebration of public worship, Reduced but a due obedience to good order among the convicts has been Good order. kept, even to a degree that could scarce be expected among a set of the most abandoned people in the universe who were not subject, let their crimes be what they may, to any law or punishment whatever, except such as any justice of the peace may inflict. The names of such officers, soldiers, and others, who may be desirous of becoming settlers, &c., shall be forwarded by every Settlers. ship or vessel going to Port Jackson, as well as the names and particulars respecting such convicts as I shall think deserving of favour. If any settlers are established on the island during my command, they shall, as far as the situation of the live stock, stores, provisions, &c., in the settlement will admit, be supplied therewith, and with everything ordered. I shall be particularly careful that no craft of any sort shall ever be built here which may enable the inhabitants of this island Post, p. 445-448. 1791 11 Feb. No boats to be built without special to effect an intercourse with any of the settlements of the East India Company, the coasts of China, or any island to which an intercourse has been established by any European nation; and should any ships or vessels arrive at this settlement from any of the places before mentioned, I shall prevent any communication permission. being carried on between them and the inhabitants residing here without first receiving your permission for that purpose; nor will I permit the building of any deck'd vessel, or boat, or any boat whatever whose length of keel exceed the dimensions given in my instructions. Salvage from the Sirius. valley. And as the officers and company of his Majesty's late ship Sirius are employed in getting the iron ordnance, as well as everything else that can possibly be got from the wreck which may be of use, and which business a few weeks' fine weather may effect, after which time the wreck will be rendered unserviceable for any purpose whatever. It having been made known to me that a year before my arrival on this island some people who had lost their way in coming from Anextensive Anson Bay to this place had fell in with an extensive valley without any timber upon it, and as I found that there never had been any person sent to examine if it was fit for cultivation, on the first of June I sent some people in search of it, who made such a favourable report that on the 12th of the same month I went myself, accompanied by some officers, to view and examine it ; and from its appearance I judged that it could be cleared with much less trouble than any place I had seen here, and therefore determined to clear, cultivate, and make a settlement upon it. New settlement. Charlottefield. And as our then situation required every exertion to be made for the purpose of clearing land for the reception of corn, and it appearing to me to be by far the most beautiful as well as the most grateful soil I had seen on the island, I have done the place the honour of naming it after her Majesty,* Charlottefield, and I appointed Captain Lieutenant Johnston, with his companytogether with a few emaciated convicts, which were all we could then spare from the work carrying on here-to take post there, and not only keep the convicts at work, but the marines should likewise be employed on this very necessary work of clearing land, and for which I have promised them payment in the like manner that all others of his Majesty's troops are paid when employed on public works. The above I hope will be looked upon by your Excellency as having on my part complied with your instructions up to the present time, and shall have great satisfaction in continuing to do the same, and complying with all other orders and commands with which you may please to honour me. Queen Charlotte, consort of George III. R. Ross. [Enclosure No. 1.] NORFOLK ISLAND-GENERAL ORDER. * 1791 8 Jan. plan. By his Honour, Robert Ross, Esquire, Lieutenant-Governor of his Majesty's territory of New South Wales and its dependencies, commandant of a corps of marines serving in the said territory, and commander at the Island Norfolk. WHEREAS it is necessary and fitting that every endeavour should Major Ross's be used to render the settlement on this island independent as far as possible with respect to the necessaries of life, and as during the course of the last winter and spring it was strongly recommended to the convicts to clear and cultivate some ground for gardens for themselves, and an assurance made them of being supplied with Indian corn, potatoes, caravanseras [caravances], and all other vegetable seeds for their gardens. And as many of the most industrious among them have availed themselves of his offer, and are now in possession of very comfortable lots of clear ground, which supplies them very comfortably with many vegetables, which are a mest excellent succedanium for flour. And being of opinion that if one day in each week is allowed them in addition to the time they now have, for the purpose of clearing and cultivating land that most of the convicts on this island may, in the course of the present year, be able to supply themselves with all necessaries (cloathing and animal food excepted). And whenever they can be supplied with at the rate of one sow with pig for every three convicts, that they will in one year from the time such sow shall farrow stop from drawing any article of provision from the King's store. regu And whereas, I judge it fitting and expedient for the benefit of Rules and his Majesty's service, to order that the following rules and regulations. lations take place until such time as his Excellency the Governorin-Chief shall signify his pleasure thereupon. It is therefore ordered, that every convict who, from a disposition to industry, may be permitted to clear and cultivate a certain proportion of land for their own maintenance, will observe the following orders and regulations on that head. That every convict so permitted, shall from the date hereof be allowed to work every Friday and Saturday to themselves in order Free work. to clear and cultivate as much land as may be necessary for the purposes, not exceeding one acre per head. Reduction of flour above At the expiration of the first three months after this date, the ration of flour shall be reduced to six pounds, being the three- ration. fourths of the present allowance. At the expiration of six months from the same date, the ration of flour shall be reduced to four pounds, being one-half of the present allowance. And on the first day of March, 1792, the ration of flour, or any Allowance part thereof, shall not after that period, be issued out of the to cease. stores to any such convict or convicts. * See despatch, ante, p. 441. |