Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/86

 While Phillip thus confronted adversity, the Supply returned from Norfolk Island with tidings of the loss of the Sirius, "sufficient (said Collins) to have deranged the strongest intellect among us." Phillip assembled all his officers, civil and military. The weekly allowance of food was reduced to two pounds and a-half of flour, two pounds of pork, one pint of peas, and one pound of rice to all descriptions of people except children under eighteen months, who with regard to salt meat "were to have only one pound." Fishing and shooting became a public pursuit, and the fishing-boat was accompanied by an officer by night and by day, because the integrity of the fishermen was doubted. The Supply was ordered to Batavia under Lieut. Ball, R.N., to procure eight months' provisions for himself, and to hire a vessel and purchase for the settlement 200,000 lbs. of flour, 80,000 lbs. of beef, 60,000 lbs. of pork, and 70,000 lbs. of rice, with medical comforts, "sugar, sago, lard, vinegar, and dongaree." The Supply was expected to return in six months. She sailed on the 17th April, taking with her Lieut. P. G. King, Phillip's confidential envoy.

On the 20th April a pound of rice was substituted in the ration for a pint of peas. "The two pounds of pork, when boiled, from the length of time it had been in store, shrunk away to nothing." Throughout the settlement stalked gaunt famine visibly. Usually it pinches most, if not altogether, the poor. Here was one that laid its deadly gripe alike upon all. Then it was that Phillip gave up three hundred pounds of flour, his private property (already mentioned); and still with firm countenance he summoned offenders and thieves, "inculcating the absolute necessity for every man to cultivate his own garden, instead of robbing that of another." One convict was executed, and various sentences of flogging were inflicted. On a soldier who, while sentinel, robbed a garden, 500 lashes were inflicted. A reward of sixty pounds of flour was paid to a watchman who fired upon a garden-thief, and 500 lashes were ordered to be given to the thief; but as it was the Governor's garden that was robbed, Phillip remitted four-fifths of the punishment. At Rose Hill (Parramatta), where vegetables were more abundant, it was some consola-