Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 1.djvu/383

 NORFOLK ISLAND. 271 coast to any considerable distance. It was absolutely necessary to 1788 be certain of a sufficient quantity of fresh water, in a situation that 15 May. was healthy, and which the ships might approach within a reason- Freshwater able distance for the conveniency of landing the stores and pro- vSnient visions ; and I am fully persuaded that we should never have i"i<**"K' succeeded had it been attempted to move them only one mile from where they were landed. There are some parts of this harbour where the trees stand at a considerable distance from each other, and where there are small runs of water, which shall be cultivated when our numbers permit; and when the country can be examined, I make no doubt but some good situations will be found that have want of water, which I have never yet been able to find either in Botany ^^*®'' Bay, or in this harbour, but in very small streams. Some land that is near, and where the trees stand at a consider- able distance from each other, will, as soon as convicts can be spared, be cultivated by the officers for raising a little corn for Cultivation their stock, and this I have endeavoured to promote as much as officers, possible, for I fear the consequences if a ship should be lost in her passage out with provisions.* As there are only twelve convicts who are carpenters, as many Carpenters as could be procured from the ships have been hired to work on the hospitalt and store-houses. The people were healthy when landed, but the scurvy has for some time appeared amongst them, and now rages in a most extraordinary manner. Only sixteen carpenters could be hired from the ships, and several of the convict carpenters were sick. It was now the middle of February ; the rains began Heavy rains to fall very heavy, and pointed out the necessity of hutting the ° * ""^* people ; convicts were therefore appointed to assist the detachment in this work. The immediate occupation of Norfolk Island bein^ one a branch ,, , , 1 , - • . colony. of Phillip s instructions, no timo was lost m carrying it out. Captain Riou, with stores and provisions for the colony, was lost on the voyage out in December, 1789. Collins, p. 115. + According to P<^ron, the building used as the hospital was brought ont in pieces from England : — Plus loin se pr^sentent les grands b&timens de VhOpital, susceptibles de recevoir deux ou trois cents malades : il faut distinguer parmi ces b&timens celni dont toutes les pieces, pr^par^es en Europe, furent apport^es dans les vaisseaux du commodore Phillip, et qui, pea de jours apr^s Tarriv^e de la flotte, se trouva en ^tat de recevoir les malades qu'elle avoit kbord — Voyage, vol. i, p. 369. According to Phillip, the hospital was not completed in May ; post^ p. 292. Digitized by Google
 * This fear was realised when H.M.S. Guardian, under the command of