ed swine from being turned out, as was intended.

If this plan, of distributing amongst the settlers those convicts who are not immediately necessary for carrying on the public works, is approved of, and which I propose, as appearing to me the most likely to render this settlement independent for the necessaries of life, in the shortest time possible, there are many regulations which will of course take place.

Extract of a letter from Governor Phillip to Lord Sydney, dated Government-House, Sydney-Cove, April 11, 1790.

TH

HE quantity of flour brought from the Cape of Good Hope by the Sirius, was less than I expected-four months flour only for the settlement, and a year's provisions for the ship's company; and it was necessary to give the ship a very considerable repair before she could be sent to sea again, which was not completed before the middle of January, when I had reason to expect ships from England in the course of a few weeks. The sending to the islands would have answered as far as procuring live stock to breed from, but which was not immediately wanted; and what the Sirius could have brought for the consumption of such a number of people, would have been but a very small relief. Howe Island had been tried several times, and only a very few turtle procured.

The goodness of the soil on Norfolk Island, and the industry of those employed there, rendered that island a resource, and the only one that offered, when, from the time which had passed since my

letters might be supposed to have been received in England, there was reason to suppose some accident had happened to the store ships sent out.

I therefore ordered two companies of marines to be ready to embark with a number of convicts, by the 5th of March, if no ship arrived before that time; and a proportion of what provisions and stores remained in this settlement being put on board the Sirius and Supply, sixty-five officers and men, the detachment and civil departwith five women and children from male and sixty-seven female conment, one hundred and sixteen victs, with twenty-seven children, embarked and sailed the 6th of March.

The advantage I expected by sending away such a number of people, was from the little garden ground they would leave, and which would assist those who remained, and the fish which might be caught in the winter would go the farther; at the same time, those sent to Norfolk Island would have resources in the great abundance of vegetables raised there, and in fish and birds, which this settlement could not afford them; and it was my intention to have sent more convicts to that island, if there had not been this necessity.

The provisions sent, with what was on the island, and the wheat and Indian corn raised there, more than would be necessary for seed, was calculated to last full as long as the provisions in this place; and at Norfolk Island, from the richness of the soil, a man may support himself, with little assistance from the store, after the timber is cleared away.

As

As I wished to send an officer to England who could give such information as cannot be conveyed by letters, and the detachment was now divided, I replaced the officer who was superintendant and commandant at Norfolk Island, by major Ross: the officer I have recalled having been two years on the island, is very capable of pointing out the advantages which may be expected from it, and I think it promises to answer very fully the end proposed by making the settlement; it will be a place of security for the convicts where they will soon support themselves, and where they may be advantageously employed in cultivating the flax plant.

Extract from instructions given by Governor Phillip to the Lieutenant Governor, during his command at Norfolk Island, dated 2nd March, 1790.

OU will cause the convicts to

YOU

be employed in the cultivation of the land, in such manner as shall appear to you the best cal. culated to render that settlement independent, as far as respects the necessaries of life, paying such attention to the cultivation of the flax plant as your situation will adit of, and which is to be the principal object, when the necessaries of life are secured to the settlers.

As from the great increase of corn and other vegetable food, which may be expected from a common industry, and in so fertile a soil, after a certain quantity of ground is cleared and in cultivation, as well as from the natural increase

of swine and other animals, it cannot be expedient that all the convicts should be employed in attend. ing only to the object of provisions, you are to cause the greatest possible number of these people to be employed in cultivating and dressing the flax plant, as a means of ac quiring cloathing for themselves and other persons, who may be come settlers, as well as for a variety of maritime purposes, and for which its superior excellence renders it a desirable object in Europe.

You will, at every opportunity, transmit to me all such remarks or observations as you may make respecting the nature of the soil on the island, and point out such means as may appear to you the most likely to answer the views of government in the cultivation of the flax plant, and in rendering that island independent for the necessaries of life, and for the order and government of the settlers thereon, that such information may from me be transmitted to his ma jesty's ministers.

Description of Norfolk Island.

N

TORFOLK Island is situated in the latitude 29° 00′, and in the longitude of 168° 00′ east: its form is nearly an oblong, and contains from twelve to fourteen thousand acres.

The face of the country is hilly, and some of the valleys are tolerably large for the size of the island; many of the hills are very steep, and some few so very perpendicu. lar, that they cannot be cultivated; but where such situations are, they will do very well for fuel; on the

topa

tops of the hills are some extensive flats.

Mount Pitt is the only remarkable high hill in the island, and is about 150 fathoms high. The cliffs which surround the island are about 40 fathoms high, and perpendicular; the basis of the island is a hard firm clay. The whole island is covered with a thick wood, choaked up with underwood.

The island is well supplied with many streams of very fine water; many of which are sufficiently large to turn any number of mills. These springs are full of very large eels.

From the coast to the summit of mount Pitt is a continuation of the richest and deepest soil in the world, which varies from a rich black mould to a fat red earth; we have dug down forty feet, and found the same soil; the air is very wholesome, and the climate may be called a very healthy one; there has been no sickness since I first landed on the island.

There are five kinds of trees on the island, which are good timber, viz. the pine, live oak, a yellow wood, a hard black wood, and a wood not unlike the English beech. The pine trees are of a great size, many of which are from 180 to 220 feet in height, and from six to nine feet in diameter. Those trees, which are from 100 to 180 feet in height, are in general sound; from the root to the lower branches, there is from 80 to 90 feet of sound timber, the rest is too hard and knotty for use; it sometimes happens, that after cutting off 20 feet from the butt, it becomes rotten or shakey, for which reason no dependance can be put in it for large masts or yards. The timber of the

pine is very useful in building, and is very plentiful along the coast; its dispersed situation in the interior parts of the island, is well calculated for erecting such buildings as may be necessary. From what I have seen of this wood, I think it is very durable. Two boats have been built of it, and have answered the purpose fully.

The live oak, yellow wood, black wood, and beech, are all of a close grain, and are a durable wood.

The flax plant of New Zealand grows spontaneously in many parts of the island, but mostly abounds on the sea coast, where there is a very great quantity of it; the leaves of which the flax is made are, when full grown, six feet long and six inches wide; each plant contains seven of those leaves; a strong woody stalk rises from the centre, which bears the flowers; it seeds annually, and the old leaves are forced out by young ones every year. Every method has been tried to work it, but I much fear that until a native of New Zealand can be carried to Norfolk Island, that the method of dressing that valua ble commodity will not be known; and, could that be obtained, I have no doubt but Norfolk Island would very soon clothe the inhabitants of New South Wales.

There are a great quantity of pigeons, parrots, hawks, and other smaller birds, which are now in a wild state.

The ground is much infested with different kinds of the grubworm, which are very destructive to the growth of vegetables; they are mostly troublesome about the spring. It is to be hoped that when more ground is cleared away, that this evil will cease.

There

There is no quadruped on the island, except the rat, which is much smaller than the Norway rat: these vermin were very troublesome when first we landed, but at present there are but very few.

The coasts of the island abound with very fine fish. No opportunities were ever lost of sending the boat out, which enabled us to make a saving of two pounds of meat, each man, a week.

The coasts of the island are in general steep to, and, excepting at Sydney, Anson, Ball, and Cascade Bays, they are inaccessible, being surrounded by steep perpendicular cliffs rising from the sea. Some rocks are scattered about close to the shore.

Sydney Bay, on the south side of the island, is where the settle ment is made. Landing at this place entirely depends on the wind and the weather; I have seen as good landing as in the Thames, for a fortnight or three weeks together, and I have often seen it impracticable to land for ten or twelve days successively; but it is much oftener good landing than bad.

Anson Bay is a small bay with a sandy beach, where landing is in general good, with an off-shore wind and moderate weather; but as the interior parts of the island are so difficult of access from thence, no ship's boats have ever landed there.

Ball Bay is on the south-east side of the island; the beach is a large loose stone; when landing is bad in Sydney Bay, it is very good here, as it also is in Cascade Bay, on the north side of the island.

During the winter months, viz.

from April to August, the general winds are the south and south-west, with heavy gales at times. In the summer, the south-east wind blows almost constant.

The spring is visible in August, but the native trees, and many plants in the island, are in a constant state of flowering: the summer is warm, and sometimes the droughts are very great; all the grain and European plants seeded in December: from February to August may be called the rainy season, not that I think there is any stated times for rains in these months, as it is sometimes very fine weather for a fortnight together, but when the rain does fall, it is in torrents. I do not remember above three claps of thunder during the time I was on the island. The winter is very pleasant, and it never freezes.

The proper time for sowing wheat and barley is from May to August, and is got in in December; that which has been sowed has produced twenty-five fold, and I think the increase may be greater. Two bushels of barley, sowed in 1789, produced 24 bushels of a sound full grain.

The Indian corn produces well, and is, in my opinion, the best grain to cultivate in any quantity, on account of the little trouble attending its growth, and manufacturing for eating.

The Rio Janeiro sugar-cane grows very well, and is thriving.

Vines and oranges are very thriving; of the former there will be a great quantity in a few years.

Potatoes thrive remarkably well and yield a very great increase; I think two crops a year of that article may be got with great ease.