Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 1.djvu/382

 270 CLEARING THE GROUND. 1788 had run along the coast of Chili and California, and had been at 15 May. Easter Island, Nootka Sound, Cook's Biver, Kamschatka, Manilla, Isles des Navigateurs, Sandwich and the Friendly Islands. He had likewise anchored off Norfolk Island, but could not land on account of the surf. After a short account of the massacre at Navigators' Islands, by which the French lost the captain of the Astro- labe with eleven ojfficers and men, Phillip then returns to affairs at the settlement, describing the diifficulties en- Laying tho countered in the efforts to clear the ground and put up the necessary buildings. The trees growing at the head of Sydney Cove were so large that the labour of removing them, after they were cut down, proved a serious obstacle to progress ; while the land in the neighbourhood was so Treeaand Tocky that Cultivation to any considerable extent seemed ^^^^ out of the question. Phillip was consequently driven to " prospect " the country in all directions for any available patch of good soil that would serve the purpose of a farm — a very different state of affairs from that which he had been led to expect from the descriptions in Cook's Voyage of the rich meadow lands at Botany Bay. Clearing the The clearing the ground for the people, and for erecting store- ground, liouses, was begun as soon as the ships got round, a labour of which it will be hardly possible to give your lordship a just idea. Rocky The necks of land that form the different coves, and near the country. ^ater for some distance, are in general so rocky that it is surprising such large trees should find sufficient nourishment ; but the soil Heavy between the rocks is good, and the summits of the rocks, as well timber. ^ ^-^^ whole country round us, with few exceptions, are covered with trees, most of which are so large that the removing them off the ground, after they are cut down, is the greatest part of the labour ; and the convicts, naturally indolent, having none to attend them but. overseers drawn from amongst themselves, and who fear to exert any authority, make^ this work go on very slowly. Reasons for Your lordship will permit me to observe that our situation, s^dSSy^ though so very different from what might be expected, is never- ^^'®' theless the best that offered. My instructions did not permit me to detain the transports a sufficient length of time to examine the Digitized by Google