Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 2.djvu/269

 SBTTLEMBNT IN 1792. 827- Guardian^ but the promise was not kept. The precise reason '^'^^ is not given, bnt Under Secretary King, who was acting for Nepean at the time, wrote on the 10th January, 1792, in forwarding the money by the Kitty, that '^ circumstances interfered " to prevent its shipment by the Guardian. In the meantime many of the artificers had become settlers, and wanted money to pay their way; while a number of a general superintendents who had been taken into the Government employment were also asking for their wages. The absence of cash caused a good deal of trouble, but Phillip did not say much on the subject in his despatches, probably because wants of a more pressing nature occupied his attention. The inconvenience was diminished a good deal, however, by an expedient adopted by the Commissary, who issued notes on himself, payable in cash or stores.* The money was sent in dollars instead of in coin of the realm, because the dollar was the standard coin both at the Gape of Good Hope and Batavia, the places with which the principal trade of the colony was transacted. It would be unnecessary to enter into the details given in the preceding pages but for the fact that upon the quantity and quality of the food supplied from the public stores the importance lives of the people and the progress of the settlement de- nS^^ pended. Notwithstanding the enormous difficulties which were encountered, owing to the landing of hundreds of sick convicts, and the absence of proper persons to direct agri- cultural operations, the land, even during the first few years, would have been turned to good account if the working population had been supplied with the necessaries of life. detachment, were discharged for that purpose, they would have suffered great difficalties from the want of public monej to pay what was due to them, had not the Commissary taken their respective powers-of -attorney, and given them notes on himself, payable either in cash, or in articles which might be the means of rendering them comfortable, and of which he had procured a large supply from Calcutta. These notes passed through Tarious hands in traffic among the people of the description they were intended to serre, and became a species of currency, which was found very convenient to them.'*— Collins, ToL i, p. 246.
 * '^ When the marines, who became settlers before and at the relief of tha