Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 2.djvu/293

 TJNDEK GBOSE. 249 there was no flour or biacidt^ while the allowance of these ^^^ articles of food to the free population was reduced to two a pounds per week per head. Wheat and maize were issued, i»u<m. ^ but until the grain had been ground it could not be made into bread. The convicts had, therefore, to take their ration to the mills, and wait until they could obtain the equivalent in flour or maize-meal. They had to wait a long time. The mills were kept going night and day, but they were unequal to the demands made upon them. Some of the FkmrmiUfl convicts, after spending the night at the mills in the vain expectation of receiving a pound or two of flour, went to their work in the morning with unground wheat and maize for food.* It is evident from this that Grose's letter (from which Dundas would naturally conclude there was abund- ance of bread in the settlement) was calculated to convey a very erroneous impression. A month later the last of the flour had been used, and. The last as regards this part of the ration, the civil and the military flour, were no better off than the convicts.f The arrangements being nearly expended, the ration was altered to the following proportion of those articles, Tis. : — To the officers, civil and military, soldiers, oyerseers, and the settlers from free people, were served — Of Biscuit or flour ... 2 pounds. „ Wheat 2 „ „ Indian com 5 „ „ Pease 3 pints. To the male couyicts were served, women and children receiyiug in the proportions always obseryed :— (Of biscuit or flour, none — and for the first time since the establishment of the colony) „ Wheat ... 3 pounds. M Indian com 6 „ „ Paddy 2 pints. i> Oram 2 „ This was universally felt as the worst ration that had ever been served from his Majesty's stores ; and by the labouring convicts particularly so, as no one article of grain was so prepared for him as to be immediately made use of ."— Collins, vol. i, p. 323. t ** Notwithstanding every supply of flour which had been purchased or received into the store from Kngland, it was at length entirely exhausted ; the civil and military receiving the last on Monday the 9th [December, 1798]. This total deprivation of so valuable, so essential an article in the food of
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 * *' On Saturday, the 28rd [NoTember, 1793], the flour and rice in ttore