a complete account of the settlement-第9节

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　morsel；　and　toast　it　on　a　fork　before　the　fire；　catching　the　drops　which　fell　on　a　slice　of　bread；　or　in　a　saucer　of　rice。　　Our　flour　was　the　remnant　of　what　was　brought　from　the　Cape；　by　the　'Sirius'；　and　was　good。　　Instead　of　baking　it；　the　soldiers　and　convicts　used　to　boil　it　up　with　greens。＇

The　immediate　departure　of　the　'Supply'；　for　Batavia；　was　also　determined。

Nor　did　our　zeal　stop　here。　　The　governor　being　resolved　to　employ　all　the　boats；　public　and　private；　m　procuring　fishwhich　was　intended　to　be　served　in　lieu　of　salt　meatall　the　officers；　civil　and　military；　including　the　clergyman；　and　the　surgeons　of　the　hospital；　made　the　voluntary　offer；　in　addition　to　their　other　duties；　to　go　alternately　every　night　in　these　boats；　in　order　to　see　that　every　exertion　was　made；　and　that　all　the　fish　which　might　be　caught　was　deposited　with　the　commissary。

The　best　marksmen　of　the　marines　and　convicts　were　also　selected；　and　put　under　the　command　of　a　trusty　sergeant；　with　directions　to　range　the　woods　in　search　of　kangaroos；　which　were　ordered；　when　brought　in；　to　be　delivered　to　the　commissary。

And　as　it　was　judged　that　the　inevitable　fatigues　of　shooting　and　fishing　could　not　be　supported　on　the　common　ration；　a　small　additional　quantity　of　flour　and　pork　was　appropriated　to　the　use　of　the　game…keepers；　and　each　fisherman；　who　had　been　out　during　the　preceding　night　had；　on　his　return　in　the　morning；　a　pound　of　uncleaned　fish　allowed　for　his　breakfast。

On　the　17th　instant；　the　'Supply'；　captain　Ball；　sailed　for　Batavia。　We　followed　her　with　anxious　eyes　until　she　was　no　longer　visible。　Truly　did　we　say　to　her　〃In　te　omnis　domus　inclinata　recumbit。〃　　We　were；　however；　consoled　by　reflecting；　that　every　thing　which　zeal；　fortitude；　and　seamanship；　could　produce；　was　concentred　in　her　commander。

Our　bosoms　consequently　became　less　perturbed；　and　all　our　labour　and　attention　were　turned　on　one　objectthe　procuring　of　food。　　〃Pride；　pomp；　and　circumstance　of　glorious　war〃　were　no　more。

The　distress　of　the　lower　classes　for　clothes　was　almost　equal　to　their　other　wants。　　The　stores　had　been　long　exhausted；　and　winter　was　at　hand。　Nothing　more　ludicrous　can　be　conceived　than　the　expedients　of　substituting；　shifting；　and　patching；　which　ingenuity　devised；　to　eke　out　wretchedness；　and　preserve　the　remains　of　decency。　　The　superior　dexterity　of　the　women　was　particularly　conspicuous。　　Many　a　guard　have　I　seen　mount；　in　which　the　number　of　soldiers　without　shoes　exceeded　that　which　had　yet　preserved　remnants　of　leather。

Nor　was　another　part　of　our　domestic　economy　less　whimsical。　　If　a　lucky　man；　who　had　knocked　down　a　dinner　with　his　gun；　or　caught　a　fish　by　angling　from　the　rocks；　invited　a　neighbour　to　dine　with　him；　the　invitation　always　ran；　〃bring　your　own　bread。〃　　Even　at　the　governor's　table；　this　custom　was　constantly　observed。　　Every　man　when　he　sat　down　pulled　his　bread　out　of　his　pocket；　and　laid　it　by　his　plate。

The　insufficiency　of　our　ration　soon　diminished　our　execution　of　labour。　Both　soldiers　and　convicts　pleaded　such　loss　of　strength；　as　to　find　themselves　unable　to　perform　their　accustomed　tasks。　　The　hours　of　public　work　were　accordingly　shortened　or；　rather；　every　man　was　ordered　to　do　as　much　as　his　strength　would　permit；　and　every　other　possible　indulgence　was　granted。

May；　1790。　　In　proportion；　however；　as　lenity　and　mitigation　were　extended　to　inability　and　helplessness；　inasmuch　was　the　most　rigorous　justice　executed　on　disturbers　of　the　public　tranquillity。　　Persons　detected　in　robbing　gardens；　or　pilfering　provisions；　were　never　screened　because；　as　every　man　could　possess；　by　his　utmost　exertions；　but　a　bare　sufficiency　to　preserve　life*；　he　who　deprived　his　neighbour　of　that　little；　drove　him　to　desperation。　No　new　laws　for　the　punishment　of　theft　were　enacted；　but　persons　of　all　descriptions　were　publicly　warned；　that　the　severest　penalties；　which　the　existing　law　in　its　greatest　latitude　would　authorise；　should　be　inflicted　on　offenders。　　The　following　sentence　of　a　court　of　justice；　of　which　I　was　a　member；　on　a　convict　detected　in　a　garden　stealing　potatoes；　will　illustrate　the　subject。　　He　was　ordered　to　receive　three　hundred　lashes　immediately；　to　be　chained　for　six　months　to　two　other　criminals；　who　were　thus　fettered　for　former　offences；　and　to　have　his　allowance　of　flour　stopped　for　six　months。　　So　that　during　the　operation　of　the　sentence；　two　pounds　of　pork；　and　two　pounds　of　rice　（or　in　lieu　of　the　latter；　a　quart　of　pease）　per　week；　constituted　his　whole　subsistence。　Such　was　the　melancholy　length　to　which　we　were　compelled　to　stretch　our　penal　system。

＇*Its　preservation　in　some　cases　was　found　impracticable。　　Three　or　four　instances　of　persons　who　perished　from　want　have　been　related　to　me。　One　only；　however；　fell　within　my　own　observation。　　I　was　passing　the　provision　store；　when　a　man；　with　a　wild　haggard　countenance；　who　had　just　received　his　daily　pittance　to　carry　home；　came　out。　His　faltering　gait；　and　eager　devouring　eye；　led　me　to　watch　him；　and　he　had　not　proceeded　ten　steps　before　he　fell。　　I　ordered　him　to　be　carried　to　the　hospital；　where；　when　he　arrived；　he　was　found　dead。　On　opening　the　body；　the　cause　of　death　was　pronounced　to　be　inanition。＇

Farther　to　contribute　to　the　detection　of　villainy；　a　proclamation；　offering　a　reward　of　sixty　pounds　of　flour；　more　tempting　than　the　ore　of　Peru　or　Potosi；　was　promised　to　any　one　who　should　apprehend；　and　bring　to　justice；　a　robber　of　garden　ground。

Our　friend　Baneelon；　during　this　season　of　scarcity；　was　as　well　taken　care　of　as　our　desperate　circumstances　would　allow。　　We　knew　not　how　to　keep　him；　and　yet　were　unwilling　to　part　with　him。　　Had　he　penetrated　our　state；　perhaps　he　might　have　given　his　countrymen　such　a　description　of　our　diminished　numbers；　and　diminished　strength；　as　would　have　emboldened　them　to　become　more　troublesome。　　Every　expedient　was　used　to　keep　him　in　ignorance。　His　allowance　was　regularly　received　by　the　governor's　servant；　like　that　of　any　other　person；　but　the　ration　of　a　week　was　insufficient　to　have　kept　him　for　a　day。　　The　deficiency　was　supplied　by　fish　whenever　it　could　be　procured；　and　a　little　Indian　corn；　which　had　been　reserved　was　ground　and　appropriated　to　his　use。　　In　spite　of　all　these　aids；　want　of　food　has　been　known　to　make　him　furious　and　often　melancholy。

There　is　reason　to　believe　that　he　had　long　meditated　his　escape；　which　he　effected　in　the　night　of　the　3rd　instant。　　About　two　o'clock　in　the　morning；　he　pretended　illness；　and　awaking　the　servant　who　lay　in　the　room　with　him；　begged　to　go　down　stairs。　　The　other　attended　him　without　suspicion　of　his　design；　and　Baneelon　no　sooner　found　himself　in　a　backyard；　than　he　nimbly　leaped　over　a　slight　paling；　and　bade　us　adieu。

The　following　public　order　was　issued　within　the　date　of　this　chapter；　and　is　too　pleasing　a　proof　that　universal　depravity　did　not　prevail　among　the　convicts；　to　be　omitted。


The　governor；　in　consequence　of　the　unremitted　good　behaviour　and　meritorious　conduct　of　John　Irving；　is　pleased　to　remit　the　remainder　of　the　term　for　which　he　was　sentenced　to　transportation。　　He　is　therefore　to　be　considered　as　restored　to　all　those　rights　and　privileges；　which　had　been　suspended　in　consequence　of　the　sentence　of　the　law。　　And　as　such；　he　is　hereby　appointed　to　act　as　an　assistant　to　the　surgeon　at　Norfolk　Island。




CHAPTER　VII



Transactions　of　the　Colony　in　June；　July；　and　August；　1790。


At　length　the　clouds　of　misfortune　began　to　separate；　and　on　the　evening　of　the　3rd　of　June；　the　joyful　cry　of　〃the　flag's　up〃　resounded　in　every　direction。

I　was　sitting　in　my　hut；　musing　on　our　fate；　when　a　confused　clamour　in　the　street　drew　my　attention。　　I　opened　my　door；　and　saw　several　women　with　children　in　their　arms　running　to　and　fro　with　distracted　looks；　congratulating　each　other；　and　kissing　their　infants　with　the　most　passionate　and　extravagant　marks　of　fondness。　　I　needed　no　more；　but　instantly　started　out；　and　ran　to　a　hill；　where；　by　the　assistance　of　a　pocket　glass；　my　hopes　were　realized。　　My　next　door　neighbour；　a　brother…officer；　was　with　me；　but　we　could　not　speak。　　We　wrung　each　other　by　the　hand；　with　eyes　and　hearts　overflowing。

Finding　that　the　governor　intended　to　go　immediately　in　his　boat　down　the　harbour；　I　begged　to　be　of　his　party。

As　we　proceeded；　the　object　of　our　hopes　soon　appeared：　　a　large　ship；　with　English　colours　flying；　working　in；　between　the　heads　which　form　the　entrance　of　the　harbour。　　The　tumultuous　state　of　our　minds　represented　her　in　danger；　and　we　were　in　agony。　　Soon　after；　the　governor；　having　ascertained　what　she　was；　left　us；　and　stepped　into　a　fishing　boat　to　return　to　Sydney。　The　weather　was　wet　and　tempestuous　but　the　body　is　delicate　only　when　the　soul　is　at　ease。　　We　pushed　through　wind　and　rain；　the　anxiety　of　our　sensations　every　moment　redoubling。　　At　last　we　read　the　word　'London'　on　her　stern。　　〃Pull　away；　my　lads！　　She　is　from　Old　England！　　A　few　strokes　more；　and　we　shall　be　aboard！　　Hurrah　for　a　bellyfull；　and　news　from　our　friends！〃　　Such　were　our　exhortations　to　the　boat's　crew。

A　few　minutes　completed　o