SUPPL

SUPPL. VOL. II. Part II.

By a return of the number of persons in New South Wales and Norfolk Island in April 1794, it appeared that there were in all 4414, including women and children; the annual expence of whom, to the mother-country, Mr Collins estimates at L.161,101. Rapid strides, however, were at that time making towards independence, if not towards an ability of repaying to England a part of what the settlement had cost her. Already the colony lived on grain of its own growth, and an increase of live stock was become almost certain. There were now 4665 acres of ground cleared for cultivation; more than half of which had been effected by those who had become settlers in the course of fifteen months.

To this spirit of improvement such a check was given in September 1794, that not more than a third of government ground, and a fifth of ground belonging to individuals, was in cultivation 1795. As this event has been misrepresented, we suspect purposely, by some of our journalists, we shall give the true account of it in the words of Mr Collins himself.

"The Francis schooner (says he) returned from Norfolk, having been absent about eight weeks and three days. From Mr King, who commanded in that island, we learned that his harvest had been prodigiously productive. He had purchased from the first crops, which the settlers had brought to market, upwards of 15,000 bushels of maize; and bills for the amount were drawn by him in favour of the respective settlers; but requiring the sanction of the Lieutenant governor, they were now sent to Port Jackson. Mr King had been partly induced to make this provisional kind of purchase, under an idea, that the corn would be acceptable at Port Jackson, and also in compliance with the conditions on which the settlers had received their respective allotments under the regulations of Governor Phillip; that is to say, that their overplus grain should be purchased at a fair market-price. Being, however, well stocked with that article already, the Lieutenant governor did not think himself justifiable in putting the crown to so great an expence (nearly L.3000 Sterling), and declined accepting the bills." This naturally excited some discontents in Norfolk Island, and one or two settlers gave up their farms; but immediately on the arrival of Governor Hunter, he paid for the corn, and tranquillity was restored to the island.

Though several quarrels had occurred between the natives and individuals among the colonists, yet it was supposed that our people were in general the aggressors. The governor had taken much pains to inspire the natives with confidence, and had in a great measure succeeded. To theft they were naturally and irresistibly inclined: but, like other savages, they seemed unconscious of the crime, and were seldom deterred by detection from mixing with the colonists. At a settlement which had early been formed at a river called the Hawkesbury (and at which, cultivation having gone on well, there was, in course, much grain to stimulate to depredation), the natives assumed a more formidable appearance.

"At that settlement (says Mr Collins) an open war seemed

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seemed about this time to have commenced between the natives and the settlers; and word was received over-land, that two people were killed by them; one a settler of the name of Wilson, and the other a freeman, one William Thorp, who had hired himself to this Wilson as a labourer. The natives appeared in large bodies, men, women, and children, provided with blankets and nets to carry off the corn, of which they appeared as fond as the natives who lived among us, and seemed determined to take it whenever and wherever they could meet with opportunities. In their attacks they conducted themselves with much art; but where that failed they had recourse to force; and on the least appearance of resistance made use of their spears or clubs. To check at once, if possible, these dangerous depredators, Captain Paterson directed a party of the corps to be sent from Paramatta, with instructions to destroy as many as they could meet with of the wood tribe (Bè-digal); and, in the hope of striking terror, to erect gibbets in different places, whereon the bodies of all they might kill were to be hung. It was reported that several of these people were killed in consequence of this order; but none of their bodies being found (perhaps if any were killed they were carried off by their companions), the number could not be ascertained. Some prisoners, however, were taken, and sent to Sydney; one man (apparently a cripple), five women, and some children. One of the women, with a child at her breast, had been shot through the shoulder, and the same shot had wounded the babe. They were immediately placed in a hut near our hospital, and every care taken of them that humanity suggested. The man was said, instead of being a cripple, to have been very active about the farms, and instrumental in some of the murders which had been committed. In a short time he found means to escape, and by swimming reached the north shore in safety; whence, no doubt, he got back to his friends. Captain Paterson hoped, by detaining the prisoners and treating them well, that some good effect might result; but finding, after some time, that coercion, not attention, was more likely to answer his ends, he sent the women back. While they were with us, the wounded child died, and one of the women was delivered of a boy, which died immediately. On our withdrawing the party, the natives attacked a farm nearly opposite Richmond Hill, belonging to one William Rowe, and put him and a very fine child to death; the wife, after receiving several wounds, crawled down the bank, and concealed herself among some reeds half immersed in the river, where she remained a considerable time without assistance: being at length found, this poor creature, after having seen her husband and her child slaughtered before her eyes, was brought into the hospital at Paramatta, where she recovered, though slowly, of her wounds."

By the vigorous measures which were adopted, the colony, towards the close of 1796, had acquired a degree of strength which seemed to ensure its future prosperity. Not only the necessary edifices were raised for the habitations of its people, but some for the purposes of religion, amusement, &c. A playhouse had been erected at the expense of some persons who performed in it for their own emolument, and who admitted auditors at one shilling each. A convenient church had been built, a printing-press had been set up, the civil

court was open for the recovery of debts by action and for proving wills, licences had been issued to regulate the sale of spirits, and passage-boats were established for the convenience of communication between the different settlements. In the houses of individuals were to be found most of the comforts, and not a few of the luxuries, of life; and, in a word, the former years of famine, toil, and difficulty, were now exchanged for those of plenty, ease, and pleasure.

The quantity of ground at this time in cultivation was 5419 acres; of which 2547 were occupied by settlers. The number of persons in New South Wales and its dependencies amounted to 4848. The price of labour, however, compared with the prices of provisions (as given in Mr Collins's Tables), does not appear so high as to enable the workman to live very comfortably. He who receives but three shillings for his day's work, and gives two shillings for a pound of mutton, fifteen pence for a pound of pork, and half of that sum for a pound of flour, will scarcely derive from his mere labour the support necessary for a family.

That many things are yet wanted to give full effect to the advantages which the colony now enjoys, Mr Collins declares in the following paragraph, with which he concludes his account:

"The want at this time of several public buildings in the settlement has already been mentioned. To this want must be added, as absolutely necessary to the well-being and comfort of the settlers, and the prosperity of the colony in general, that of a public store, to be opened on a plan, though not exactly the same, yet as liberal as that of the Island of St Helena, where the East India Company issue to their own servants European and Indian goods at 10 per cent. advance on the prime cost. Considering our immense distance from England, a greater advance would be necessary; and the settlers and others would be well satisfied, and think it equally liberal, to pay 50 per cent. on the prime cost of all goods brought from England; for at present they pay never less than 100, and frequently 1000, per cent. on what they have occasion to purchase. It may be supposed that government would not choose to open an account, and be concerned in the retail of goods; but any individual would find it to his interest to do this, particularly if assisted by government in the freight; and the inhabitants would gladly prefer the manufactures of their own country to the sweepings of the Indian bazars.

"The great want of men in the colony must be supplied as soon as a peace shall take place; but the want of respectable settlers may, perhaps, be longer felt; by these are meant men of property, with whom the gentlemen of the colony could associate, and who should be thoroughly experienced in the business of agriculture. Should such men ever arrive, the administration of justice might assume a less military appearance, and the trial by jury, ever dear and most congenial to Englishmen, be seen in New South Wales."

There is, however, one serious difficulty which the colony has not yet overcome, and which, until it be overcome, will certainly prevent such men from settling in New South Wales. Till some staple commodity can be raised for exportation, industrious free settlers will never be tempted to emigrate from Europe to a country where their industry cannot procure the comforts as well

Wales, Walpole, well as the necessaries of life. The American colonies, in their infancy, did not labour under this disadvantage. Tobacco soon became, and still continues to be, an article of such importance, that its cultivation afforded the trans-atlantic farmer a ready exchange for European commodities; whilst in New South Wales there seems to be no vegetable production of much value, except New Zealand hemp, which is produced indeed in great abundance in Norfolk Island, and which Captain Cook long ago pointed out as an article of great importance to the British navy. This is indeed a valuable plant, and grows in all the cliffs of the island, where nothing else will grow, in sufficient abundance to give constant employment to 500 people; yet when Mr Collins left the settlement, there was no more than one loom on the island, and the flax or reed was designed for coarse canvas; nor did they possess a single tool required by flax-dressers or weavers beyond the poor substitutes which they were obliged to fabricate for themselves. In this defect of necessaries for the manufacture, only 18 people could be employed in it; and of these the united labour in a week produced 16 yards of canvas, of the size called N^o 7.

Besides a useful manufactory of this plant, which certainly might be established, the colony appears to possess several important advantages. From Mr Collins's narrative, it appears probable that a seal and perhaps a whale fishery might be established with a fair prospect of success; good rich earth is found near Sydney Cove; there are immense strata of coal in the southern part of New Holland; Norfolk Island abounds with lime; and vast quantities of shells, which answer the same purpose, have been found on the main-land. Though the wood in general be not of a durable kind, it appears that there is some good timber near the Hawkesbury river; and at Norfolk Island and New Zealand it is remarkably fine.