Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 1.djvu/608

 484 PHILUFS 1787 And whereas the Coininissioners of our Admiralty have appointed Tho sirius Captain Hunter to repair on board the Sirius to assist you in. the and Supply execution of your duty, and to take the command of the ship when- ever you may see occasion to detach her from the settlement, and also to station the Supply tender under. your orders, and to be assisting to you upon occasional services after your arrival : And to be Bent to whereas it is our royal intention that measures should be taken in with^aSo*^* addition to those which are specified in the article of these our in- musquetfl structions for obtaining supplies of live stock, and having, in con- cuti^s sequence of such intention, caused a quantity of anns and other to barter for articles of merchandize to be provided and sent out in the ships under your convoy, in order to barter with the natives, either in the territory of New South Wales or the islands adjacent : It is our will and pleasure that, as soon as either of these vessels 6an be spared with safety from the settlement, you do detach one or both of them for that purpose, confining their intercourse as much as possible to such parts as are not in the possession or under the jurisdiction of other European Powers. The increase of the stock of animals must depend entirely upon the measures you may adopt on the outset for their preservation, "Amply and as the settlement will be amply supplied with vegetable pro- wlth v«e- dictions, and most likely with fish, fresh provisions, excepting for tables." the sick and convalescents, may in a great degree be dispensed with. For these reasons it will become you to be extremely cautious Caution as to in permitting any cattle, sheep, hogs, &c, intended for propagating stocS!^'^"^ the breed of such animals to be slaughtered, until a competent stock may be acquired to admit of your supplying the settlement from it with animal food, without having further recourse to the placets from whence such stock may have originally been obtained. It is our will and pleasure that the productions of all descrip- tions, acquired by the labour of the convicts, should be considered Public as a public stock, which we so far leave to your disposal that such stock. parts thereof as may be requisite for the subsistence of the said - convicts and their families, or the subsistence of the civil and military establishments of the settlement, may be applied by you to that use. The remainder of such productions you will reserve More con- as a provision for a further number of convicts, which you may foUove^ expect will shortly follow you from hence, to be employed under ahorUy. your direction in the manner pointed out in these our instructions to you. ^rom the natural increase of com and other vegetable food from a common industry, after the ground has once been cultivated, as well as of animals, it cannot be expedient that all the convicts which accompany you should be employed in attending only to the object of provisions. And as it has been humbly represented unto Flax. us that advantages may be derived from the flax plant, which is found in the islands not far distant from the intended settlement, Digitized by VjOOQIC