Payment as follows:-£10 p. head on all being ready and the vessells leaving their moorings. £10 p. head on leaving Ireland. 1792 16 Oct. Payment. The remainder on final settlement.* WM. RICHARDS, junr. MEMORANDUM OF CONTRACT. Heads of a contract to be made with Mr. Richards for transport ing convicts from Ireland to New South Wales: To transport, victual, and clothe two hundred and seventy Terms of convicts and stores. To put on board eight months' provisions, a proportion of necessaries for preserving their health, and a surgeon to attend them. To supply them with beds and bedding. Two tons allowed each convict and soldier, in which is includ'd their lodging room, provisions for the passage, and provisions and clothing for nine months after their arrival. Convicts to be supplied with fresh provisions in foreign ports four days in a week. Soldiers to be victualled according to the establishment of the navy for one shilling per day for each soldier. £17 to be paid for each convict embark'd. contract. £5 in addition for every convict land'd in New South Wales. Payment. To be paid in the following manner, viz. : £7 per head when the cabins and bulk heads are built. £10 per head when all the provisions, water cask, stores and necessaries are on board and the ship's complete and ready to receive the convicts, being certified by the naval agent at Deptford. £20 per day demurage for 1,000 tons, and 6d. per day for each convict victualled. Demurage to commence after the usual lying allowed for embarking and disembarking the convicts. Bulk heads, cabins, gratings, air scuttles, windsails, &c., &c., to be found by the contractor. The convicts to be cloth'd and victualled by the contractor in the same manner as the convicts sent in the Royal Admiral. The ships to go to Norfolk Island, if the Governor requires it. CONDITION OF NORFOLK ISLAND. Extract from a letter from Mr. C. Grimes† to Mr. Grimes, dated on board the Gorgon, Sydney Cove, Port Jackson, New South Wales, October 21st, 1792. "It is a happy circumstance I got those necessaries there (at the Cape) or I should have been in a very disagreeable situation, for *The proposals contained in this letter were not accepted, but terms were agreed upon as shown by a memorandum in the Home Office papers, which follows. Engineer and Surveyor at Norfolk Island, 21 Oct. 1792 16 Oct. No comforts. Contentment. Whaling. Grapes. Settlers. A good harvest. 22 Oct. Soldiers' you can have no conception how wretchedly they are off here for the little comforts of life. I am now awkwardly situated for kitchen utensils, and I cannot get a plate here. I am in hopes now the worst is over in this colony, indeed, I make no doubt of it, but they have been dreadfully in want. "Norfolk is represented as a paradise almost, at least everything that is sown produces abundantly. I do not know what I shall do for stock, as it is dear, and it's impossible to live on the scanty allowance allowed; we have no spirits served. For my own part I have not the most distant idea but of spending my time extremely happy, and of coming home much benefitted by the trip; you may almost insure yourself good health. I have been very ill on the voyage here, and some time prior to my leaving the Cape, but I am now much better and fatter than when I left England. There is every expectation of a whale fishery being established on this coast; if so it may in time become a valuable settlement, for those ships to wood and water, and by throwing cattle on the island make it very fruitful, which at present it is not, for want of manure. Grapes grow extremely well, that in the course of five years we shall not want for wine. There are near forty men, belonging to the marine corps, who are to stay behind as settlers for Norfolk. They are to have a certain number of acres of clear ground, and provisions for eighteen months from their landing, then they are to be entirely on their own bottom; the last letter from Major Ross, who is there, which arrived three or four days since, says that they will have two thousand bushels of corn to dispose of to Government, so great has been the last produce; every settler will have two hundred bushels. It is a pleasing prospect to go to so fine a country; the island is so small, or it would be a valuable settlement." MAJOR GROSE TO UNDER SECRETARY Lewis. Sir, Sydney, 22 October, 1792. I think it requisite to request your interference in behalf of the officers and soldiers who are doing duty at this place. Unwilling as I always shall be to complain, I, but with little reluctance, set about the subject of this letter, being confident that the Secretary of State will be better pleased to remove the grievance than to grievances. hear it has happened. I need not inform you that the necessaries of life are not often to be purchased, and that the ratio allowed by Government is the soldiers' chief and almost only support. Now whenever it happens that a short allowance is issued to the felons the soldiers' ration is also reduced, and that without the smallest difference or distinction-the captain of a company, and the convict transported for life, divide and share and share alike whatever is served out. Our numbers are too much reduced by unwholesome food and bad quarters to make the saving a matter Reduced ration. 1792 22 Oct. and bad of much moment, even in the greatest scarcity-nor can I imagine it was intended we should so equally partake of whatever miseries assail the colony; and what makes our situation the more unpleasant Unwholeis that the Governor does not feel himself authorized to indulge some food with grants such as would wish either for comfort or amusement quarters. to cultivate a small quantity of ground. I have frequently applied to Governor Phillip on this business, who, in answer to my No land. representations, assures me he has more than once written to the Secretary of State, that unfortunately he has never received any reply whatever. One-half the ground allotted a convict, who becomes a settler, would be a matter of more accomodation to the officers than may be supposed; but until some further directions are communicated to the Governor we shall be precluded this advantage, The only which is absolutely the only chance of comfort that I know of. chance of comfort The great necessity of making the soldiers as respectable and as comfortable as the nature of the service will admit of, is too obvious to make any commentaries from myself at all necessary. I rather hope the Governor has not forgotten by this packet to make some representations in our favour,* for I am convinced he both perceives and laments the difficulties that perplex the officers as much as I Perplexing can, but for fear of accidents, I have ventured to sollicit your protection, in hopes of which I have, &c., FRANS. GROSE. J. BOWEN TO UNDER SECRETARY NEPEAN. difficulties. 14 Nov. difficulties. Dear Sir, Deptford, November 14th, 1792. I am inclined to think your information respecting the difficulty of Mr. Richards getting ships is too true; the owners of the Mary has postively refused to hire her to him, and the owners of the William has done the same, but have told him if he will purchase her, they will sell. This, I am told, he is about doing, Transport but am afraid he will not accomplish it. The people who appear active in this business (by-the-bye he is himself in the background) don't seem to be very responsible; if you allow him time he will name half the ships in the river, and I may dance attendance after him until he has found somebody that will go, and if he does we will shall have a vast deal of trouble to get him to do it properly, and I am afraid, in the end, gain but little credit. A business of this sort cannot be done well but by people who have great concern in shipping, and in good credit with the principal tradesmen along shore, neither can there be any dispatch without it.† I have wrote to him to meet me to-morrow at the Navy office, and have told him the service will not admit of any longer delay. After I have seen him, I will let you know what he says. I am, &c., J. BOWEN. I have been all this morning on the river looking for his agent, but could not find either of them. *See Phillip's despatches to Dundas, ante, pp. 651, 654. The arrangements referred to were completed in due course. 1792 14 Nov. A volunteer. 4 Dec. Lieut. Ball. Ready for service. 5 Dec. Collins applies for leave. MR. JOHN THOMSON TO THE Right Hon. HENRY DUNDAS. [London] November 22nd, 1792. Hearing that superintendants of the agriculture at Botany Bay were needed, and having had a good deal of experience in various parts of S. and N. Britain, I offer myself for that service, if in other respects it can be made agreeable; if the state needs such a servant, one of your secretaries or clerks may find me at Burford, Oxfordshire, where any letter directed to me by name, will find me. I am, &c., JOHN THOMSON, A.M., ED. LIEUTENANT BALL TO SECRETARY STEPHENS. Sir, Tenderden, December 4th, 1792. The state of my health on my arrival in England from my late long voyage from New South Wales being much impaired, and having a great deal of private business to transact, has made me trespas on their Lordships' patience so long in not soliciting to be employed. I therefore am to request you will pleas to lay my letter of this day's date before the Board [Navy Board] and hope the above signification will meet their Lordships' aprobation. That being greatly reinstated in my health, I beg to offer my services for employment, and that on any service their Lordships may think proper to order me. I am, &c., H. L. BALI.. JUDGE-ADVOCATE COLLINS TO THE RIGHT HON. HENRY DUNDAS. I have the honour of assuring you, sir, that this application JUDGE-ADVOCATE COLLINS TO GOVERNOR PHILLIP. Sir, Sydney, 5 December, 1792. Your Excellency having assured me that the public service does not admit of my returning by this opportunity to England, as I have always considered it my duty to devote myself to the good of his Majesty's service, by rendering every possible aid that was within my power or ability, I submit to the necessity and propriety of remaining, notwithstanding the urgency of the reasons which *Owing to the exigencies of the service this application could not be granted. Collins did not return to England until Sept., 1796. 1792 5 Dec. have induced a wish to quit this settlement; I have, therefore, to hope and request of your Excellency, that you will, on your arrival in England be pleased to lay my solicitation for leave to return on Asks Phillip account of my private affairs before the Secretary of State; and to help him. that your Excellency will at the same time point out, that until the present hour I have enjoyed the benefit of two appointments under the Crown, one of which, by the departure this day of the last of the marine detachment serving in this country, I no longer possess*; and that I sustain this diminution of the pecuniary emoluments of my situation at a time when, from the increasing numbers of the Loss of colony, the business of it is considerably augmented, and every income. article of comfort or convenience which arrives here for sale, bears a price most disadvantageously adapted by the seller to our necessities. I have not my own ill-health to offer as a further reason for my wishing to return; but the letters which I have lately received from my connexions have advised me of the extreme ill state of health and expected dissolution of my father, General Collins, who is much His father dying. too far advanced in life to support a long struggle with disease. Permit me, sir, to hope that you will add to the weight of these reasons your voice in favour of my application to return; and suffer me to subscribe myself, with every mark of respect, &c., DAVID COLLINS. 11 Dec. absence. CHIEF-SURGEON WHITE TO SIR A. S. HAMOND.† Sir, Sydney, New South Wales, 11th December, 1792. Thro' Governor Phillip, who returns to Europe for the recovery of his health, I have made application for leave of absence; Leave of or if that cannot granted me, permission to return to England on my half-pay, in order to adjust the deranged state of my affairs, which are made so by the failure of my agent, who had large money transactions with Mr. Jellicoe, the late deputy-paymaster of the Navy, whose misfortunes are too well known. Fearful that his Excellency's bad health or business might make him forget to lay my letter before his Majesty's Principal Secretary of State, I am constrained thus to urge my pretentions to an indulgence, which I trust the length of time I have been in this colony and my services will give me some claim to. I might with great propriety claim the indulgence I now solicit on account of bad health, but would rather ground Grounds of my pretensions on my services and the justice which always actuate those in so exalted a situation as you have the honour to fill. Should my prayer be complied with, I trust and hope Government will order me a passage home, as paying for it by the circuitous route of China, which, from the convicts being sent out in Indiamen, is the most likely made, would ill suit my circumstances. I have, &c., JOHN WHITE, *Collins was Captain in the Marines as well as Judge-Advocate. † One of the Commissioners of the Navy. application. |