Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 2.djvu/191

 ON THE SOIL. 159 working proprietors. Thef reluctance of the soldiery to ^^^^ accept the terms laid down in the Additional Instractions was explained by Phillip in his despatch to Grenville of 5th November, 1791.* Most of the officers of the detachment Pwaimtatio ', , officers. had formed a bad opinion of the country, and were anxious to leave it.f They made no secret of their dislike to the colony, and their disbelief in its resources; and the men taking their cue from the officers, looked with disfavour on the prospect held out to them. The convicts were open to the same influences, and, in addition, they were naturally anxious to leave the colony the moment their sentences expired. But Buse's success, which the Governor did not »«»*■ ^ ^ ^ success fail to point out whenever he had the opportunity of doing beneflcw. so, with other favourable circumstances, altered the position somewhat, and in the despatch referred to above, Phillip was able to write to Grenville in a cheerful strain : — " I have now the pleasure of informing your Lordship that most of those fears and apprehensions are done away, and that we have now eighty-six settlers here and at Norfolk Island — ^that is, thirty- one from the marines, eleven seamen, and forty-four from those convicts whose sentences have expired ; there are likewise more marines who have desired to be received as settlera when the detach- ment is to be embarked X No man of bad character has been received as a settler." Phillip added that all the settlers were doing well, and J/J^^^ would, he hoped, be able to maintain themselves when the time for which they were to be supported from the public stores had expired. The return which accompanies this despatch§ shows that most of the settlers were placed in possession of their land in July or August, 1791, or at a sub- sequent date. It also shows that Norfolk Island, no doubt because of its greater fertility, was preferred to Bose Hill. The number of settlers given in the return is eighty-seven, t Ante, p. 35. X The detachment embarked for England a month after this despatch was written. § Historical Records, rol. i, part 2, pp. 540, 541.
 * Historical Records, vol. i, part 2, p. 535.