Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 1.djvu/474

 860 COLONISTS OP THE OLD STYLE. 1788 To realise his position in this matter, it is only necessary to look for a moment at the people placed under his charge. If an expedition were fitted out in the present day for the occupation of unknown country, no man would be permitted coioniste of *^ joi^ i* ^^^ ^^'S iiot ill some way fitted for the work to be t^preacnt ^^^^ rjij^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ j^ ^j^^ Yirst Fleet could hardly have been less adapted for the purpose than they were. Many were old and suffering from disease ; and even among the able-bodied, there were none who had ever seen a pick-axe or a shovel, except in a shop window. They had been hurried out of their gaols without any other object in view than that of getting rid of the most useless occupants of An over- the ccUs. Had Phillip taken the precaution to inquire into their capabilities for work before he sailed, he would at least have been prepared for the painful experience that awaited him when his struggle began. But it never oc- curred to him to make any inquiry on that point. He relied on the Government to provide him with the proper men for the service; and he remained in happy ignorance of the facts until they slowly made themselves known to him. It would not be easy to find a parallel in the history of colonisation for such a scene as that which presented itself Sydney's whcu the marines and convicts were drawn up on their first parade. Not a man among them was in the least degree qualified to act the part of a colonist. The soldiers would do nothing but their military duty; the convicts would do nothing that they were not compelled to do. By what miracle, one is inclined to ask, did they escape starvation ? dore Phillip, apr^a avoir fait reconnoitre le Port Jackson, e'empressa-t-il d'abandonner Botany Bay; et depuis cette ^poque on n'y a fait aucnne autre esp^ce d'^tablissement que celui d'un four pour la preparation de la chaux qu'on retire des coquillages, qui sont tr^s-aoondans sur ce point de la c6te.— Voyage, vol. i, pp. 379-80. colonists. Digitized by Google