Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 2.djvu/259

 SETTLEMENT IN 1792. 217 extra supplies, which rendered him for a time independent of ^'^^ the food issued from the public store, or that the produce of his farm kept him in plenty, it is certain that his opinion changed considerably within a few months. In April he was in possession of everything he wanted ; in October he joined with other officers of the Corps in chartering the Britannia to go to the Cape for supplies, and wrote a letter The offloen to Phillip begging him to facilitate the movements of the vosseL ship, so as to assist him and his brother-officers to "escape the miseries of that precarious existence we have hitherto been so constantly exposed to."* This effort on the part of the military officers to procure supplies which the ration issued from the stores did not afford, was regarded by Phillip with disfavour. He admitted Pi»i"*P ' o J r ^ unfavour- that the garrison " suffered many inconveniences from the J^^*!^^^* necessary supplies not arriving," but he was unable to see the necessity, and doubted the propriety, of taking the step proposed. He was afraid that the course the officers pro- posed to pursue would be regarded by the East India Com- pany as an infringement of its privileges, and he had no Priviiesregof wish to brinff the colony into conflict with that powerful indu XT! 11 rr> ini CompWiy. organisation. He thought the officers should be content to receive such necessaries as they might obtain by sending orders to India or the Cape, availing themselves of the opportunities afforded by the arrival of the vessels under contract with the Government. He did not veto the scheme, but he refused to give it official sanction.t If he had fore- seen that this voyage of the Britannia to the Cape was the soldiers* ration is also reduced, and that without the smallest difference or distinction — the captain of a company and the convict transported for life divide and share and share alike whatever is served out. Our numhers are too much reduced hj unwholesome food aod bad quarters to make the saving a matter of much moment, even in the greatest scarcity ; nor can I imagine it was intended we should so equally partake of whatever miseries assail the colony." — Historical Records, vol. i, part 2, p. 673, let his ship for the sum of £2,000, and eleven shares of £200 each were sub- scribed for the purchase of cattle and articles of comfort not to be found in the public stores. t Historical Records, vol. i, part 2, pp. 651-653. •
 * According to Collins (vol. i. p. 236), Mr. Raven, master of the Britannia,