Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 2.djvu/107

 &ej sHonld be naefixl men^ such as farm labourers and ^"^^ artificers. The latter reqaest was answered by sending on board the Guardian twenty-five convicts who were supposed oo^t to be artificers. Ont of these^ nineteen arrived at Sydney^ and they had behaved so well in the hour of danger that most of them were given their freedom.* So far, therefore, as public work was concerned^) their services were lost. How urgent was the need for men of this sort is shown by the particulars given in Phillip^s despatch as to the avail- able labotir at Sydney at this time (June, 1790), when building and repairs to buildings were much required. The marine detachment could boast of one carpenter and one smith ; there were on shore from the Sirius two carpenters carpenters and one smith ; while of the convicts the trained workmen consisted of six carpenters, four smiths, two bricklayers, one stonemason, and ^^four men who work with the carpen- ters, brought up as seamen and servants. '^ But this small strength was less than appeared on paper, for Phillip says of the carpenters that '^of the six we have only three merit the name.'' It was much the same with the superintendents sent by the Guardian. They were nine in number, and the list of names and occupations, which was appended to Grenville's despatch, looked very well.f But when Phillip wrote, only The wrong five instead of nine had arrived, of whom he reported that 2^^!^° but one was a farmer. Two said that ^^ they were used to the farming business when they were seventeen and nineteen Youths years of age,'' but, Phillip added, ^Uhey cannot from the teens!' knowledge they then obtained be able to instruct the con- victs or direct a farm." It is evident, therefore, that the superintendents were badly chosen. There could have been no misunderstanding as to the sort of men required, for Grrenville, in his despatch of the 24th August, says that the superintendents were sent in consequence of Phillip's • Ante, p. 44. t Historical Becords, toI. i, jMixt 2, p. 262.