Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 2.djvu/34

 1$ THE FAMINE OF 1789-M. nohW When reporting this reduction to the Home Secretary in ^^^- his despatch of the 12th February, 1790,* PhilUp explained measure. ^^^ j^ ^^^ doue "to guard agaiust accidents/^ He estimated that the provisions by this means would last until the following June. The reduction applied to every person in the settlement (wom^i excepted), and at the same time the companies of the Sirins and Supply were placed on three- fourths allowance.t In connection with this reduction of the allowance of food, Collins reports a fact which aptly illustrates the wimcta?^"* improvidence of the convicts. With a larger quantity of food at their disposal, men who possessed even the smallest particle of prudence would have been careful in its consump- tion, but with the majority of the people the contrary was the case. ^'It was soon observed," wrote Collins, ^'that of the provisions issued at this ration [two-thirds of the ordinary allowance] on the Saturday, the major part of the convicts had none left on the Tuesday night ; it was there- fore ordered that the provisions should be served in future on the Saturdays and Wednesdays. By these means the days that would otherwise pass in hunger, or in thieving from the few who were more provident, would be divided, ^mi-weekiy and the people themselves be more able to perform the raUons. labour which was required from them. Overseers and married men were not included in this order."t The plan of issuing the provisions weekly had been adopted, no doubt, to avoid unnecessary loss of time ; but it is evident that if a t Collins is slightly at yariance with Phillip on this point. He sajs the ships* companies were placed upon two-thirds allowance. He pays a tribate to Phillip's humanity — a quality some critics have denied him — by the following allusion to a cizcumatance upon which Phillip, in his despatch, was silent : — " The G-overnor, whose humanity was at all times conspicuous, directed that no alteration should be made in the ration to be iaeued to the women. They were already upon two-thirds of the men's allowance, and many of them either had chiildTOn who could Tery well hare eaten their own and part of the mothers ration, or they had children at the breast, and although they did not labour, yet their appetites were never so delicate as to Jiaye found the full ration too much had it been issued to them." i Collins, Tol. 1, p. 84).
 * Historical Becords, toI. i, part 2, p. 299.