While At Batavia, The 'Supply' Had Lost Many Of Her People
By Sickness, And Left Several Others In The General Hospital At That Place.
As the arrival of the 'Supply' naturally leads the attention from other subjects
to the state of the colony, I shall here take a review of it by transcribing
a statement drawn from actual observation soon after, exactly as I find it
written in my journal.
Cultivation, on a public scale, has for some time past been given up here,
(Sydney) the crop of last year being so miserable, as to deter from
farther experiment, in consequence of which the government-farm is abandoned,
and the people who were fixed on it have been removed. Necessary public
buildings advance fast; an excellent storehouse of large dimensions,
built of bricks and covered with tiles, is just completed; and another planned
which will shortly be begun. Other buildings, among which I heard the governor
mention an hospital and permanent barracks for the troops, may also be
expected to arise soon. Works of this nature are more expeditiously performed
than heretofore, owing, I apprehend, to the superintendants lately arrived,
who are placed over the convicts and compel them to labour.
The first difficulties of a new country being subdued may also contribute
to this comparative facility.
Vegetables are scarce, although the summer is so far advanced, owing to
want of rain. I do not think that all the showers of the last four months
put together, would make twenty-four hours rain. Our farms, what with this
and a poor soil, are in wretched condition. My winter crop of potatoes,
which I planted in days of despair (March and April last), turned out
very badly when I dug them about two months back. Wheat returned so poorly
last harvest, that very little, besides Indian corn, has been sown this year.
The governor's wound is quite healed, and he feels no inconveniency whatever
from it. With the natives we are hand and glove. They throng the camp
every day, and sometimes by their clamour and importunity for bread and meat
(of which they now all eat greedily) are become very troublesome. God knows,
we have little enough for ourselves! Full allowance (if eight pounds of flour
and either seven pounds of beef, or four pounds of pork, served alternately,
per week, without either pease, oatmeal, spirits, butter, or cheese,
can be called so) is yet kept up; but if the Dutch snow does not arrive soon
it must be shortened, as the casks in the storehouse, I observed yesterday,
are woefully decreased.
The convicts continue to behave pretty well; three only have been hanged
since the arrival of the last fleet, in the latter end of June, all of whom
were newcomers. The number of convicts here diminishes every day;
our principal efforts being wisely made at Rose Hill, where the land
is unquestionably better than about this place. Except building, sawing
and brickmaking, nothing of consequence is now carried on here. The account
which I received a few days ago from the brickmakers of their labours,
was as follows. Wheeler (one of the master brick-makers) with two tile stools
and one brick stool, was tasked to make and burn ready for use 30000 tiles
and bricks per month. He had twenty-one hands to assist him, who performed
every thing; cut wood, dug clay, etc. This continued (during the days
of distress excepted, when they did what they could) until June last.
From June, with one brick and two tile stools he has been tasked to make
40000 bricks and tiles monthly (as many of each sort as may be), having
twenty-two men and two boys to assist him, on the same terms of procuring
materials as before. They fetch the clay of which tiles are made,
two hundred yards; that for bricks is close at hand. He says that the bricks
are such as would be called in England, moderately good, and he judges
they would have fetched about 24 shillings per thousand at Kingston-upon-Thames
(where he resided) in the year 1784. Their greatest fault is being
too brittle. The tiles he thinks not so good as those made about London.
The stuff has a rotten quality, and besides wants the advantage
of being ground, in lieu of which they tread it.
King (another master bricklayer) last year, with the assistance of sixteen men
and two boys, made 11,000 bricks weekly, with two stools. During short
allowance did what he could. Resumed his old task when put again
on full allowance and had his number of assistants augmented to twenty men
and two boys, on account of the increased distance of carrying wood
for the kilns. He worked at Hammersmith, for Mr. Scot, of that place.
He thinks the bricks made here as good as those made near London, and says that
in the year 1784, they would have sold for a guinea per thousand and to have
picked the kiln at thirty shillings.'
Such is my Sydney detail dated the 12th of November, 1790. Four days
after I went to Rose Hill, and wrote there the subjoined remarks.
November 16th. Got to Rose Hill in the evening. Next morning walked round
the whole of the cleared and cultivated land, with the Rev. Mr. Johnson,
who is the best farmer in the country. Edward Dod, one of the governor's
household, who conducts everything here in the agricultural line,
accompanied us part of the way, and afforded all the information he could.
He estimates the quantity of cleared and cultivated land at 200 acres.
Of these fifty-five are in wheat, barley, and a little oats, thirty in maize,
and the remainder is either just cleared of wood, or is occupied by buildings,
gardens, etc. Four enclosures of twenty acres each, are planned for
the reception of cattle, which may arrive in the colony, and two of these
are already fenced in. In the centre of them is to be erected a house,
for a person who will be fixed upon to take care of the cattle.
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