With us the provisions,served on board,were laid in by a contractor,who sent a deputy to serve them out;and it became a part of duty for the officers of the troops to inspect their quality,and to order that every one received his just proportion.Whereas,in the fleet now arrived,the distribution of provisions rested entirely with the masters of the merchantmen,and the officers were expressly forbidden to interfere in any shape farther about the convicts than to prevent their escape.
Seventeen pounds,in full of all expense,was the sum paid by the public for the passage of each person.And this sum was certainly competent to afford fair profit to the merchant who contracted.But there is reason to believe,that some of those who were employed to act for him,violated every principle of justice,and rioted on the spoils of misery,for want of a controlling power to check their enormities.No doubt can be entertained,that a humane and liberal government will interpose its authority,to prevent the repetition of such flagitious conduct.
Although the convicts had landed from these ships with every mark of meagre misery,yet it was soon seen,that a want of room,in which more conveniences might have been stowed for their use,had not caused it.Several of the masters of the transports immediately opened stores,and exposed large quantities of goods to sale,which,though at most extortionate prices,were eagerly bought up.
Such was the weakly state of the new corners,that for several weeks little real benefit to the colony was derived from so great a nominal addition to our number.However,as fast as they recovered,employment was immediately assigned to them.The old hours of labour,which had been reduced in our distress,were re-established,and the most vigorous measures adopted to give prosperity to the settlement.New buildings were immediately planned,and large tracts of ground,at Rose-hill,ordered to be cleared,and prepared for cultivation.Some superintendents who had arrived in the fleet,and were hired by government for the purpose of overlooking and directing the convicts,were found extremely serviceable in accelerating the progress of improvement.
July,1790.This month was marked by nothing worth communication,except a melancholy accident which befell a young gentleman of amiable character (one of the midshipmen lately belonging to the 'Sirius')and two marines.He was in a small boat,with three marines,in the harbour,when a whale was seen near them.Sensible of their danger,they used every effort to avoid the cause of it,by rowing in a contrary direction from that which the fish seemed to take,but the monster suddenly arose close to them,and nearly filled the boat with water.By exerting themselves,they baled her out,and again steered from it.For some time it was not seen,and they conceived themselves safe,when,rising immediately under the boat,it lifted her to the height of many yards on its back,whence slipping off,she dropped as from a precipice,and immediately filled and sunk.
The midshipman and one of the marines were sucked into the vortex which the whale had made,and disappeared at once.The two other marines swam for the nearest shore,but one only reached it,to recount the fate of his companions.
August,1790.In the beginning of this month,in company with Mr.Dawes and Mr.Worgan,late surgeon of the 'Sirius',I undertook an expedition to the southward and westward of Rose Hill,where the country had never been explored.We remained out seven days,and penetrated to a considerable distance in a S.S.W.direction,bounding our course at a remarkable hill,to which,from its conical shape,we gave the name of Pyramid-hill.
Except the discovery of a river (which is unquestionably the Nepean near its source)to which we gave the name of the Worgan,in honour of one of our party,nothing very interesting was remarked.
Towards the end of the month,we made a second excursion to the north-west of Rose Hill,when we again fell in with the Nepean,and traced it to the spot where it had been first discovered by the party of which I was a member,fourteen months before,examining the country as we went along.
Little doubt now subsisted that the Hawkesbury and Nepean were one river.
We undertook a third expedition soon after to Broken Bay,which place we found had not been exaggerated in deion,whether its capacious harbour,or its desolate incultivable shores,be considered.On all these excursions we brought away,in small bags,as many specimens of the soil of the country we had passed through,as could be conveniently carried,in order that by analysis its qualities might be ascertained.
