Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 2.djvu/223

 THE THIED PLBBT, 185 with grass, which afforded shelter from the weather, but ^^^ nothing more.* The accommodation was, of course, only temporary; but the fact that such a plan had to be adopted shows to what expedients Phillip was driven, in order to , provide for the large additional population suddenly thrust upon him. Although eleven ships, including the Gorgon, had arrived in the course of a few months, the colony was still badly supplied with provisions. After the arrival of the Matilda, the second vessel of the Third Fleet, on 1st August, 1791, the allowance of flour was increased; and on the 27th, Ftm»tion the Atlantic and Salamander having arrived, the full ration was issued, after being suspended for twenty-one weeks.f The whole of the fleet, ten sail in all, as well as the warship Gorgon, had arrived by the middle of October, and yet we find Phillip reporting to Nepean only a month later (18th for a time November) "we are again at a reduced ration."! It may appear strange that a reduction in the ration should have become necessary so soon after the arrival of the ships, but the fact is easily explained. The small amount of provisions inadequate they carried was out of proportion to the large increase they made in the population. § admitted of being provided for the people who were on their passage was got up. Two tent-hutf, one hundred feet long, thatched with grass, were erected; and independent of the risk which the occupiers might run from fire, they would afford gcKxi and comfortable shelter from the weather." — Collins, vol. i, p. 1 72. t lb., p. 174. X Historical Records, vol. i, part 2, p. 557. *' About the middle of the month [November] an alteratiun took place in the ration; two pounds of flour were taken off, and one pint of pease and one pint of oatmeal were issued in their stead; the full ration, which was first served on the 27th August last, having been continued not quite three months." — Collins, vol. i, p. 188. According to the same authority, another pound of flour was taken off the ration at the end of December, § Historical Berords, vol. i, part 2, p. 588. *' The quantity of provisions received by these ships being calculated for the numbers on board of each Itor Bine months only after their arrival, and as, so large a body of convicts hsving been sent out, it was not probable that we should soon receive another supply, the Governor judged it expedient to send one of the totnsports to Bengal, to procure provisions for the cclony; for which purpose he hired the Atlantic, at fifteen shillings and sixpence per ton per month." — Collins, vol. i, p. 188,
 * "At Parramattii the only accommodation vliiob the shortness of the notice