It does not appear, that this passage of theLady Nelsonthrough the Strait added any thing new to the discoveries which had been previously made by Captain Flinders and Mr. Bass, in the little sloopNorfolk, except that of having made the land about four degrees further to the westward than had been seen by those gentlemen.
By means of a few such vessels as theLady Nelson, well commanded, and furnished with instruments requisite for carrying on a maritime survey, the necessary knowledge of the coast of that extensive country would soon be obtained. Governor Hunter, who is well known to be thoroughly qualified in this essential part of maritime education, has been frequently heard to say, that with a few small vessels, perhaps three or four, if he could have obtained them, or if his instructions would have permitted his building them, he would in the course of a short period have gained some acquaintance with all that part of the coast which Captain Cook had not an opportunity of examining minutely.
Large vessels, in his opinion, were not wanted for such a survey, nor were they fit for the purpose. A deposit of the stores necessary for this service could be made at the principal settlement, where such vessels, whenever requisite, might refit or repair. Large ships are proper to be employed only when they are to survey an unknown coast, where supplies are not to be had; this rendering it expedient that they should be sufficiently capacious to carry a considerable stock of provisions and stores for all their purposes. The small vessel, if caught upon a lee shore, and unable to work off, has a chance of finding security for anchorage where a large ship cannot; and if no such shelter offer, she has in her favour a greater probability of saving her crew by running on shore; her light draught of water admitting her to approach the land much nearer than could the large vessel.
Dispatches have been recently received at Lord Hobart's office from New South Wales, dated in August 1801, by which it appears, that the quantity of salt provisions remaining in store in the beginning of the year, being very inconsiderable, and it being possible that accidents might happen to ships sent from England with meat, the governor had judged it necessary to send thePorpoiseto the island of Otaheite, for the purpose of salting pork for the use of the colony: and as it was absolutely necessary to send thither a quantity of salt for this purpose (an article which the colony could not furnish), he fortunately was enabled to purchase about fifteen tons of salt from the master of a whaler which put in there from one of the Cape de Verd islands. On this voyage thePorpoisesailed in the month of May 1801, and her commander, Lieutenant Scott, was furnished, in addition to very ample instructions for his guidance, with a letter from the governor to Pornarre, the king of Otaheite, urging him to give Mr. Scott every protection and assistance in the execution of the business on which he was sent to the island, and recommending particularly to his care such of the missionaries as resided in the place. It was pointed out to him how much this conduct would ensure his majesty the favourable opinion of King George; and Mr. Scott was provided with a quantity of such articles for barter as were likely to please the eye as well as be useful to the people whom he might have to deal with; among which were some red and yellow cloth, some tomahawks, axes, knives, scissors, shirts, jackets, etc.: and, as nothing was more likely to ensure success than a handsome present to his Majesty, a mantle and some other articles of dress decorated with red feathers, together with six muskets and some ammunition, were given to Mr. Scott to be presented to the king.
Directions were also sent to the lieutenant-governor at Norfolk Island, to salt a quantity of pork for the use of the principal settlement.
The governor had likewise entered into a contract with a merchant in India, to freight a ship with cattle and rice, after the arrival of which he was of opinion that further supplies of cattle might be unnecessary, the stock in the country. Independent of the wild herd, being very considerable. That herd was grown very furious, and, having got among the mountains to the westward, rendered any attempts to take them dangerous and useless.
TheLady Nelsonbrig had been in Bass Strait, and surveyed Western port, where she found a very good harbour. She had also been, in company with theFrancis(colonial schooner), to Hunter river, where they took in between them 45 tons of coal, which were exchanged with the master of theCornwallis, for a quantity of nails and iron, articles that were much wanted; thus, for the first time, making the natural produce of the country contribute to its wants.
TheFrancisbeing nearly worn out, the governor had purchased a vessel called theHarbinger, to be employed in going to and from Norfolk Island, the service of thePorpoisebeing required for longer voyages. TheSupply, which had been long since condemned, was fitting up as a hulk to receive such convicts as were incorrigible, in which capacity she might still be very useful. It was intended that theLady Nelsonshould, at the proper season, be employed in an accurate survey of Bass Strait.
Accounts having been received of the Union between the Two Kingdoms, that event was celebrated on the 4th of June 1801, and on that occasion the new union flag was for the first time displayed in New South Wales." The governor took that opportunity of releasing several of the Irish insurgents who had been in confinement.
It appeared, on examining the registers of the several terms of transportation of the convicts, that the clerks, who necessarily had had access to them, had altered the sentences of about two hundred prisoners, receiving a gratuity from each equal to ten or twelve pounds. This was a very serious evil; and proper steps to guard against it in future have been taken both at home and in the colony.
That necessary institution, the Orphan School, had been carried into effect, and the house which had been purchased for the reception of the children was occupied by them.
It appeared, upon collecting the accounts of the expenses attending the erecting of the county gaol, that that building had cost the sum of £3954 the greatest part of which had been paid by assessments upon individuals.
Every encouragement was given to promote the growth of wool fit for the purpose of manufacturing, and three hundred and six yards of blanketing had been made from what had been produced in the year preceding the date of the dispatches, from the flocks belonging to government and to individuals. In five months four hundred and seventy-two yards of flax had been manufactured into linen.
The colony continued healthy. In July 1801 there were one hundred and eighteen persons on the surgeon's list.
The spirit of adventure, which still manifested itself in the arrival of ships upon speculation, received some check in the governor's sending back three vessels that had arrived from Bengal, on board of which were not less than fifty-four thousand gallons of spirits and wine.
A quantity of copper coin having been received, the governor published a table of all the specie legally in circulation within the colony, affixing the following rates to each, at which they should be considered and be a legal tender in all payments or transactions within the territory, viz.
TABLE OF SPECIE
A guinea £1 2 0 A rupee £0 2 6A johannes 4 0 0 A Dutch guilder 0 2 0A half ditto 2 0 0 An English shilling 0 1 1A ducat 0 9 6 A copper coin of 1 oz 0 0 2A gold mohur 1 17 6 A ditto of ½ oz 0 0 1A pagoda 0 8 0 A ditto of ¼ oz 0 0 0½A Spanish dollar 0 5 0
And as the supply of copper was sent to relieve the inconvenience under which persons who wanted to make small payments laboured, no sum exceeding £5 was to be deemed a legal tender in this money. It was also declared, that the exporting or importing (except from the treasury) of any sum of the copper coin exceeding £5 should be punished by a forfeiture and fine of treble the value of the sum so exported or imported.
Several ships had arrived from India, England, and America, most of which had brought, upon speculation, cargoes consisting of wine, spirits, tobacco, teas, sugar, hardware, wearing apparel, etc, etc. the sale of which was, with the governor's approbation, advertised by the commissary, and publicly sold to all descriptions of people.
It appears, that from these ships
59,294 gallons of spirits ) had been imported.30,896 gallons of wines )26,974 gallons of spirits ) had been landed.8,896 gallons of wines )And,32,320 gallons of spirits ) had been sent away.22,000 gallons of wines )
Three ships had arrived with convicts, viz.TheRoyal Admiral, on the 22nd of November 1800.Luz. St. Anne, on the 21st of February 1801.Earl Cornwallis, on the 12th of June following.
On the 30th of June 1801, there were in the settlement, five thousand five hundred and forty-seven persons of all descriptions, of whom seven hundred and seventy-six were children. At Norfolk Island the whole number of persons was nine hundred and sixty-one, making a total of six thousand five hundred and eight persons under the authority of the governor.
At Norfolk Island it was fortunately discovered, on the 14th of December 1800, that a plot had been formed by some of the convicts to murder the officers, and, getting possession of the island, to liberate themselves. Two of the ringleaders were immediately executed.
Major Foveaux, the lieutenant-governor, had found, what had been so much wanted and hitherto unknown, a good landing-place for boats and small craft, in Anson's Bay, where there were four and five fathoms of water within a few yards of the shore, which was a fine sandy beach, and the passage free from rocks or shoals.
The following was the state of the live stock, and ground in cultivation, in New South Wales:
LIVE STOCK BELONGING TO INDIVIDUALSIn June 1801 Sheep Cattle Horses Goats Hogs6269 362 211 1259 4766BELONGING TO GOVERNMENTIn August 1801 Sheep Cattle Horses488 931 32GROUND IN CULTIVATIONAcres of Wheat Acres for MaizeGovernment 467 300Individuals 4857¼ 3564Total 5333¼ 3864
A stack, containing 1000 bushels of grain, the property of an individual, had been unfortunately destroyed by fire.
The Hawkesbury had again inundated the adjacent country; and many of the settlers, who had farms on its banks, had in despair totally abandoned them.
With this information I must here conclude my labours; and, as the annalist of the English Colony in New South Wales, probably take my leave for ever of that country, in whose service I spent the first nine years of its infancy, during all the difficulties and hardships with which, in that rude state, it had to contend: a country which has eventually proved the destruction of my brightest prospects; having, by my services there, been precluded from succeeding to my proper situation in the professional line to which I was bred; without any other reward as yet to boast of, than the consciousness of having ever been a faithful and zealous servant to my employers, and knowing that the peculiar hardship of my case has been acknowledged by every gentleman, in and out of office, to whom it has been communicated.