Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 2.djvu/275

 .PHILLIP RESIGNS. r2Sl tKe failure of the plans he had formed, considerable progress ^'^^^ had. been made during the last year of his government, not only in the cultivation of the land, but in the erection of buildings for the accommodation of the people. As settlers presented themselves they were put in possession of allotments of land at Parramatta^ Prospect Hill, and the Field of Mars * Phillip had no time to write detailed reports on the pro- gress of agriculture; but Collins, who watched closely all that took place, describes in his book how well the industrious Proeperoug setUera. settlers fared. In May, '^ the settlers were found in general to be doing very well, their farms promising to place them shortly in a state of independence on the public stores in the articles of provisions and grain." '^ Several of the settlers who had farms at or near Parramatta, notwithstanding the extreme drought of the season preceding the sowing of their com, had such crops that they found themselves enabled to take off from the public store, some one and others two convicts, to assist in preparing their grounds for the next season." t In June, according to the same authority^ the ground sown with wheat and prepared for maize was of sufficient area, even if the yield per acre did not exceed that of the previous season, to produce enough grain for a year's consumption J The last return relating to agriculture which was prepared ^^Si'*''^ prior to Phillip's departure was dated 16th October, .1792. At that time the total area under cultivation was 1,540^ acres; of this, 1,012| acres were on public account, and 527| belonged to settlers. In November, 1791, 780 acres were in cultivation, so that, approximately, the area under cultivation had been doubled in twelve months. These reoeived their grants of land, situated on the north side of the harbour, near the Flats, and named bj the Goyemor the Field of Mars." — Collins, toL i, p. 201. t lb., p. 212. t lb., p. 216. In October there vaa every prospect of an abundant harrest. lb., p. 242.
 * '* Early in the month f FebruaTj 1792], eight settlers from the marines