Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 1.djvu/634

 510 LETTERS StarvaUon allowanoe. 1790 from Sydney in Sir Joseph's collection, it appears in the shape of a newspaper cutting pasted on a sheet of paper : — Outposts, Port Jackson, April 14, 1790. Ever honoured and dear sir, My warmest and most affectionate good wishes are herewith bound to yourself, my dear aunt and cousins. Glad I am to have an opportunity of conversing with friends whom I so much esteem ; but you will join with me in thinking the circumstances that furnish it untoward. I bless God, though unfortunate, we have enough for which to be thankful. But before I mention the grand catastrophe, I -will just trace back the steps that led to it We have long waited here in vain expectation of receiving a supply of provisions, <fcc., from England, but nothing has as yet arrived. The consequence is that the allowance has, for half a year past, been diminished from time to time ; and lately to such a degree as to be most sensibly felt by all. Were we at a full quantity, our food, from being so long in store, affords but little nutriment. We are now at less than half allowance, and some articles of diet are deficient, having been consumed. We are now on the brink of going three on one man's dividend ; and a few weeks must, if nothing arrives, put us on a quarter allowance. The consequence of this we shall not dwell on ; but it is certain that any moderate man, on full allowance, especially if laborious, has but little left when provisions becomes due. After waiting so long that the general hopes began to diminish, the Governor thought proper in this emergency to send Major Koss, Commandant of marines, with many officers, privates, and common people of both sexes, to Norfolk Island, with a proportionable part of the remaining provision. This, I believe, was done because of the more thriving soil at Norfolk, and on account of fish being there in greater plenty. We have for near three months bad a look-out kept here for ships towards the sea. The flagstaff is situated on very high land. South Hoad. being the south head of the harbour, just by the entrance, and the huts in which we reside are close adjacent. For the first four or five weeks, a commissioned officer and midshipman were stationed here with a party of men ; but on the ships being ordered for sea, or rather before that time, his excellency was pleased to direct that this charge should devolve upon myself and the gunner jointly. When all things were adjusted, they embarked on board the Sirius and Supply ; they left this port on the 6th of March, 1790, and I, from the flagstaff, followed them with my eyes till out of sight. Nothing more of them was seen till April tlie 5th instant, when the man who takes his station there at daybreak soon came down to inform me that a sail was in sight. On going up, I saw her coming in with the land, and judged it to be the Supply ; but sirius sent to Norfolk Island. Qua cursum ventus. Digitized by Google