An Historical Journal of the Transactions at Port Jackson and Norfolk Island Part 18

April 1788 to October 1788

-Regular employment of the convicts.--Meet with an unlucky accident.--Thefts detected.--The robbers punished.--Pestered with rats.--Method of destroying them.--Live stock on the settlement.--Trees discovered which afford food for hogs.--Some of the settlers poisoned.--Cured with sweet oil.--A convict punished for using seditious language.--Birds on the island. Description of Arthur's Vale.--His Majesty's birth-day kept.--Flouris.h.i.+ng state of the gardens.--Arrival of the Supply.--Four persons drowned.--Provisions and stores received.--Queries from Governor Phillip, and the answers.--Ball-Bay described.--The landing-place cleared.--Arrival of the Golden Grove transport.--Marines and convicts brought in the Golden Grove.--Provisions and stores.-

The settlement being now brought to some degree of order, I distributed the people into regular working parties, in order to facilitate the different operations which I was anxious to get forward as fast possible. Five men were sent to clear away ground on the north-east side of Mount George; two were employed in clearing a road from the ground where we had pitched the tents, to the fresh-water rivulet; two sawyers were sawing timber to build me a house; two men were employed in building huts; and I sent Mr. Altree, (the surgeon's a.s.sistant) to the valley which has already been mentioned, in order to make a commencement there, but as he had only a boy to a.s.sist him, his progress was of course very flow.

For some time, the people were thus invariably employed; but the work was often r.e.t.a.r.ded by colds, which was the only sickness we had as yet experienced: the workmen, indeed, had been often blinded for four or five days together, by the white sap of a tree, which getting into their eyes, occasioned a most excruciating pain for several days. The best remedy we could apply, was Florence oil; which, dropped into the eye, destroyed the acrimony of the sap. One man was totally blinded with it, for want of making timely application to the surgeon.

On the 17th, I detected John Batchelor, one of the marines, in my tent, stealing rum out of a small vessel, which contained what was drawn off to serve the officers and men belonging to the Sirius; and was kept in my tent, as I had not a more secure place to put it in. In the afternoon, I a.s.sembled the settlement, and punished the thief with three dozen lashes; causing him to be led by a halter to the place of punishment: I also stopped the deficiency of rum out of his allowance.

Though there was reason to hope that this example would deter others from committing crimes of the like nature, yet it had not the desired effect; for on the 20th, a convict boy was detected stealing the surgeon's allowance of rum, out of his tent. This boy was only fifteen years old, and was transported for seven years. I ordered him to be punished with an hundred lashes, which I hoped would have a good effect.

We now had two formidable enemies to encounter in the rat and grub-worm, both which were very numerous and destructive: some wheat had been sown in the garden ground on the 11th, and the next morning there was not a grain of it left, being all eat up by the rats; and the few potatoes and other vegetables, which escaped the bad effects of the southerly wind, were all eat up by the grub-worm. I have before observed, that on our first discovering the rats to be numerous, I ordered the empty casks to be converted into traps, and for some time they were very successful, thirty or forty rats being caught for several nights together: these were killed, and scattered about the garden, to deter the rest from coming to the place; but they soon grew too cunning to be caught in the traps, and too bold to be intimidated by their dead companions. I next caused some gla.s.s to be pounded very fine, and mixed with oatmeal, which being distributed about the garden, killed vast numbers of them.

To prevent the bad effects of the grub-worm, I tried ashes, lye of ashes, and urine, but to no purpose, so that the women were kept constantly employed in picking them off the few plants we had left.

Out of six ewes which I brought to the island, five died with the scab, notwithstanding every possible care was taken of them; and one of my sows was poisoned, by eating something noxious in the woods. The remainder of my small stock was likely to do very well: it consisted of two ewes, three sows, two boars, four hens, one c.o.c.k, three ducks, one drake, and one goat.

The sugar-cane, two Rio Janeiro banana trees, and two orange trees, which I brought with me, were kept in tubs, until I should find a sheltered situation to plant them in. The wind seemed now to be set in from the southward, and the weather was very raw and cold, so that I called this the beginning of winter. Another of my sows was poisoned on the 24th, so that I found it necessary to confine them in a hog-pen, which, in regard to feeding them, was a great inconvenience, as they used to provide very well for themselves in the woods; fortunately, however, a tree was found which afforded them very good food: this tree grows to the height of eighty feet, and the branches, which resemble those of the palm-tree in their growth, fall off every year, leaving an indentation in the trunk. The leaves of these branches, which are twelve in number, are much like the heath-fern, from whence this tree obtained the name of the fern-tree. The middle of the tree, from the root to the apex, consists of a white substance resembling a yam, and when boiled, it tastes like a bad turnip; this the hogs fed on very eagerly: the outside of the trunk is hard wood, and full of regular indentations from the top to the bottom. The tree is found in great plenty in all parts of the island.

At the end of this month, I sent some of the people to a.s.sist Mr. Altree, at the plantation in Arthur's Vale, which was the name I gave to the valley he had begun to clear; the rest were employed in clearing the ground at Mount George, except three men, whom I set to dig a cellar under my house.

On the 8th of May, the two sawyers, the carpenter, and three convicts were poisoned, by eating some beans, which had a very tempting appearance, and much resembled the Windsor bean: they had gathered a quant.i.ty, which were boiled, and afterwards fried with b.u.t.ter: in two hours time, they were seized with violent gripings, retchings, and cold sweats; fortunately, I had a gallon of sweet oil, which, with other medicines administered by the surgeon, happily gave them relief; but they were so much weakened and exhausted that they were not able to work for a week afterwards.

For some time past, we had seen no turtle, and it was probable that the cold weather had driven them to a warmer climate.

As we could catch no fish from the sh.o.r.e, I launched the boat on the 9th, and sent her into the roads to fish; they returned with the boat in two hours, and brought thirty-six very fine fish, weighing from six to eight pounds each: these I caused to be issued out in lieu of salt provisions, at the rate of six pounds of fish for one pound of beef. The boats grapnel was left in the road, and being hooked in the rocks, we never could clear it.

This ample supply of fish was a most fortunate event; yet they could not be depended on as a constant resource; for sometimes it would happen, that a boat could not go without the reef for a fortnight together, on account of the very violent surf; but when a boat could be sent out, there was no danger of catching a vast quant.i.ty.

On the 10th, I was obliged to inflict a punishment of forty lashes on one of the convicts, for making use of very threatening and seditious language. I had received orders from Governor Phillip, to make a saving of the salt provisions, whenever fish or turtle could be obtained, in order that they might last as long as possible: the putting this order in execution when the turtle were caught, produced murmuring; but, when the fish was issued on the 9th, the convict who was punished, said, "the people (meaning those in the settlement) were fools for suffering their salt provisions to be stopped," and "that the convicts would soon be the strongest, and then it would be seen who were masters." As I thought this language deserved punishment, I a.s.sembled the people, and pointed out to them, that, independent of the orders I had received, I saw the greatest necessity for making every possible saving of the provisions: I represented to them that misfortunes might happen to vessels, provisions might get spoiled, and many other accidents might happen, which would render it necessary for us to go to a short allowance; and, that the greater quant.i.ty of provisions which could be saved would be so much the better for the whole settlement: I concluded with a.s.suring them, that I should invariably attend to my orders, and put them in execution; and that a very severe punishment would be inflicted on any who presumed to excite sedition, or behaved improperly on that, or any other pretext.

On our first landing, we found a great number of pigeons, which were so tame, that we knocked them down with sticks; but latterly they quitted the low boughs, and generally harboured about the tops of the pines: when plucked and drawn, they weighed from three-quarters, to one pound each. The parrots are numerous, and the ugliest bird of the kind I ever heard of; this, added to the harshness of their note, makes them a very disagreeable bird.

The parroquets are entirely green, except a red tuft on their head. Hawks are numerous and of two different kinds, the grey and blue: they were great enemies to the young chickens, and it was no unusual sight to see them take up the rats. Quails and curlews are plentiful, but very shy. The owls, which have very handsome plumage, make a noise like one man calling to another, and they p.r.o.nounce the word "yaho" very distinctly. Many of the smaller birds have a most melodious note, and their plumage is very beautiful.

There are also a species of birds which burrow in the ground like rabbits, where they hatch their eggs, and rear their young: they are web-footed; which is rather extraordinary, and their bill is like that of other sea-fowl; but they have not the least fishy taste, and their flesh is very fine. These birds never quit their holes till sun-set; from which time, until midnight, the air is full of them: they afforded us many fresh meals.

I now set the two sawyers and two carpenters to work in building houses; one man was employed in making a crab to heave the boat by, another attended the live-stock, and the remainder were busied in clearing ground at Mount George, and Arthur's Vale.

By the 17th, the rain was almost incessant, and, as I had every reason to suppose it would continue so three or four months longer, which would endanger the health of those who lived in tents; I caused the provisions to be removed from the store-house to a cellar under my house, which was dry, and the stores I put into a loft; and, as five men and three women lived at present in tents, I put them into the store-house, until they could build huts for themselves. The whole settlement were now well sheltered, except the surgeon and the mids.h.i.+pman; for whom I proposed to begin a house immediately.

On the 18th, the sh.e.l.l of my house was finished: its dimensions were twenty-four feet long by twelve feet wide, and eight feet under the eaves: the sides and roof were weather-boarded.

I sent the boat out this afternoon, and she returned with fifty very fine fish, which were issued out as usual.

I set out on the 19th, with an intention of tracing the rivulet which runs through Arthur's Vale, to its source, and likewise to examine the extent of the valley; but, after wandering about the greatest part of the day, I returned back, much fatigued, and all the cloaths torn off my back by the briars and the entangled state of the woods.

Arthur's Vale is situated between the north side of Mount George and the opposite hills: its direction is about north-north-west into the interior part of the island. The bottom of this valley, in some places, is not more than thirty yards wide; in others, at least three hundred. The hills on each side are cloathed with a thick forest; their ascent is not too steep for cultivation, and the soil is excellent, being a fat brown earth.

A very fine rivulet runs through this vale, sufficiently large to turn any number of mills. As the bank of the sea-sh.o.r.e is considerably above the level of the rivulet, it sinks into the earth; and, after pa.s.sing under the bank, it forces a pa.s.sage for itself through a fissure of the rock, on Stony Beach and Turtle Bay, between high and low water marks, where it boils up with great force, and is excellent water. As the whole of this water is not carried off by the pa.s.sage just mentioned, sufficient to keep the low ground clear, what does not pa.s.s under the bank, overflows the lower part of the valley, for the s.p.a.ce of half a mile: this swamp might be drained by cutting a channel for the rivulet to empty itself on the sea-sh.o.r.e; but the operation would require time and a number of hands, and, when finished, it is not clear but that the force of the sea would soon fill the channel up again.

I cannot ascertain the length of this vale, but I think it runs as far as Mount Pitt, where, most probably, the rivulet takes its rise. That part of the vale which I have already said Mr. Altree was clearing, is half a mile from the settlement, near a large cl.u.s.ter of plantain trees; he transplanted some of the young suckers, an operation which was likely to improve them much: a garden, which measured ninety rods was planted, and most of the plants were up and likely to do very well. The sugar-cane, orange trees, and Rio Janeiro plantains, which had hitherto been kept in tubs, were now planted in the vale, and I had hopes they would thrive, as the situation was well sheltered: I also planted a quant.i.ty of cotton seeds, as some which were sown when we first came on sh.o.r.e, rotted in the ground.

The 1st of June, being Sunday, I performed divine service as usual. In the afternoon, I went in the boat, and attempted to land on Nepean Isle, on the south-west side of which is a small creek that goes in a considerable way, with a small sandy beach at the end of it; but as there was a number of rocks in the creek, and a surf beating on the sh.o.r.e, I did not land. This island is covered with pines, which grow at a distance from each other: there is a reef off the south-east side, which stretches near a mile; within a s.h.i.+p's length of it, there is fourteen fathoms water, and nine fathoms all round the east side, within half a mile of the sh.o.r.e. The pa.s.sage between Point Hunter and Nepean Island is a very good one, there being three fathoms close to Nepean Isle, and eight fathoms in mid-channel. I sounded close along the back of the reef which runs along Sydney-Bay, and found four fathoms within a s.h.i.+p's length of the reef. I returned at sun-set, having caught thirty-six very fine fish, which were issued out as usual.

I brought only five months bread and flour to the island, and it being now expended to three casks of each, which was two months bread at full allowance, and as I had near six months salt provisions, I put myself and every person on the island to two-thirds allowance of flour and bread on the 2d, until the arrival of more provisions.

The 4th, being the anniversary of his Majesty's birth-day, I caused it to be observed as a holiday. The colours were hoisted at sun-rise; every person had a good dinner, of the produce of the island, and I gave the convicts some liquor to drink their sovereign's health: the evening concluded with bonfires, which, exclusive of the joy we felt at the return of his Majesty's birth-day, and the celebrating it in this distant part of the globe, we with pleasure saw some large piles of wood burnt that had been along time collecting, and which were a great inc.u.mbrance to us.

At day-light in the morning of the 15th, the mids.h.i.+pman and four men went out in the boat to fish: they were returning at nine o'clock, and in pa.s.sing the point of the reef, the fine weather, and the absence of surf, threw them so much off their guard, that the boat s.h.i.+pped a sea which filled her, and washed John Batchelor, a marine, overboard: the boat, with the rest of the men, drove in among the rocks to the westward of the landing-place, where they were saved with great difficulty, having received violent contusions. The boat was got round to the crab and hove up; she was much damaged, and her repairs were likely to take up a considerable time, as I had only two men who could a.s.sist in this business.

The wheat which was sown on the north-east side of Mount George, the 15th of June, being all rotten in the ground, except 260 blades, which I transplanted and put together, that patch of ground was sown with barley on the 1st of July. The wheat had a very bad appearance when put into the ground, being much heated and destroyed by the weevil.

The labourers were employed the greatest part of this month in clearing away and turning up some ground near my house, for a garden; its size about thirty rods. The barley which was sown on the 1st came up on the 10th, and every thing at the plantation had a promising aspect. On the 15th, the last cask of beef and pork were opened, which would serve forty-four days at full allowance; it therefore was my intention to put every person to half allowance on the 28th, should no provisions arise before that period.

On the 17th, we had a most tremendous gale of wind from the northward, accompanied by a deluge of rain. The gales of wind were now very frequent from the south-west and north-west, but it seldom blew hard from the eastward. These gales generally happen about the full and change of the moon, and continue three or four days.

We planted upwards of one thousand cabbages on the 23d, and every vegetable at the plantation was in a thriving state: we had turneps, carrots, lettuces of three sorts, onions, leeks, parsley, cellery, five sorts of cabbages, corn sallad, artichokes, and beet in great forwardness; but there was reason to fear that the potatoes and yams were quite destroyed by the grub-worm.

At five in the evening of the 26th, his Majesty's armed tender the Supply hove in sight, coming round Point Ross: she ran to leeward of this island, between Nepean and Phillip Isles, to ride out the gale, which blew very strong at west-south-west. Mr.

Waterhouse, and a mids.h.i.+pman belonging to the Supply, arrived at the settlement on the 27th, with my dispatches from the governor; they were sent by Lieutenant Ball, who landed them in Ball's Bay.

I found the Supply had brought provisions, tools, and seeds of various kinds for the settlement. I was informed by Governor Phillip, that as the Sirius would go to the northward in the month of September, he had deferred sending any more convicts until he heard my account of the island; and that if he thought it adviseable to send more settlers, they would be brought in the Sirius, which s.h.i.+p he intended sending among the islands, to procure stock for breeding. At day-light on the 28th, the mids.h.i.+pman returned to Ball Bay, in order to go on board the Supply. The labourers were employed in removing some large stones from the landing-place, and making a road to roll up the casks.

I received a message from Lieutenant Ball on the 29th, intimating, that as the wind was southerly and blew strong, he meant to anchor under the north-east part of the island; and as I expected he would anchor in Cascade Bay, I sent a man across the island on the 30th with a letter for him.

At ten in the morning of the 31st, the Supply's boat landed with some light articles; Lieutenant Ball sent a carpenter in her to offer his a.s.sistance in building a convenient boat for the use of the settlement: I directed him to begin his work immediately, and set the sawyers to work in sawing plank for his use. The other workmen were employed in turning up a piece of ground to sow two pecks of good seed wheat on, which came in the Supply.

From the 1st to the 4th of August, the wind blew very strong from the southward, which prevented the Supply from coming on that side of the island; but at sun-set on the 4th, the wind veering to north-east, she came round Point Ross, and anch.o.r.ed in the roads. The man whom I sent on the 30th of July across the island to find the Supply, returned this day at noon, much exhausted and fatigued: he had lost his way, and had been without food for three days; fortunately, the Supply was standing in for the sh.o.r.e and saw him, otherwise he must have perished.

Landing was very safe in the afternoon of the 5th, and we received on sh.o.r.e a part of the provisions and stores.

At day-light in the morning of the 6th, we hoisted the colours as a signal that the landing was safe, and at seven o'clock the colours were struck half staff, this being the signal that landing was dangerous, the surf having considerably increased with the flowing tide. At half past seven the Supply weighed, and soon afterwards she hove to and hoisted her boats out, and sent them towards the sh.o.r.e. I perceived her small boat was determined to come in, and being apprehensive that some accident might happen, I ordered Mr. Cunningham (the mate) into our boat, with four men, to lie within the point of the reef, in order to a.s.sist the Supply's boat, should any misfortune happen to her.

Unfortunately, our boat was swept away to the westward by the tide, and whilst they were endeavouring to get under the point of the reef again a heavy surf broke on her broad side and overset her. The anguish I felt at this shocking accident may be more easily conceived than described: small as our numbers were before, they were now decreased by the loss of Mr. Cunningham, (whom I sincerely cherished as a good young man) the sawyer, and one of the best of the convicts; a seaman belonging to the Supply was also drowned, and another convict narrowly escaped the same sate. Immediately after this dreadful misfortune the Supply's jolly-boat landed with three casks of flour, and as the large boat was coming near the sh.o.r.e, I ordered some musquets to be fired, on which she returned on board: the Supply bore up, and ran to leeward of the island. At one o'clock, there being scarcely any surf, the jolly-boat went off, and ran to leeward of the island, to get on board the brig.

On the 7th, I was obliged to punish one of the convicts with thirty-six lashes, for stealing a hatch of eggs from under a hen which was sitting on them.

At day-light on the 8th, the Supply anch.o.r.ed in the road, and the landing being good, we received part of the provisions and stores; the remainder were landed on the 10th.

Our new boat being finished, I sent the carpenter and Mr.

Waterhouse on board the Supply, in the morning of the 11th, with my letters for the Governor; and soon afterwards she hoisted her colours, and set sail for Port Jackson.

I received from Governor Phillip seventeen queries, which, with my answers to them, are as follow:

Query 1. In what time do you think the island will be able to support the people you have with you, independent of supplies from this settlement?

Answer. From the excellence of the soil, and the present appearances, the island will produce more than a sufficiency of grain in two years: animal food depends on the supply and breeding of stock; and cloathing on the flax-plant being brought to work.

Q. 2. Do you wish to have more people sent you, and what number of men and women do you wish to have in addition to those you have already.