Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 2.djvu/93

 FBOH ENGLAND. 73 cause. His reasons were substantial. He knew that the ^'^ only way to establish the settlement on a sound basis was to make it self-supporting ; and to accomplish this end it was necessary, before all things, that the land should be culti- yated. But this all-important work could not be under- taken with any prospect of success unless there was on the soil a population capable of subduing it. The principle would have held good in any situation, but the circumstances of the case gave it peculiar force. Land of fair quality had ^^^^^^. been discovered at Parramatta, and although it was not so wttiew. much encumbered with timber and scrub as that in the vicinity of Sydney Cove, yet the labour of clearing it was very great. Cultivation under such conditions would have proceeded slowly, even if the men employed had been fit for the work and willing to perform it. But they were not. Scarcely any of them had before laboured in the fields, while some were so old and enfeebled that they were unfit for manual labour of any kind. Those who were strong enough to work were incorrigibly idle, as well as ignorant, and needed the most constant and vigilant supervision, superrision There was only one person in the colony qualified by previous experience in agriculture to properly direct them,* and a great deal of the labour was consequently thrown away. It would have been simple madness to send out large numbers of people of this sort in the expectation that they would be able to till the land and support themselves, and Phillip was not slow to represent the case to the British Government. Writing to Lord Sydney on the 9th July, 1788, after pointing out that if superintendents were not sent out the convicts would be a burden to the country, he said : — " I should hope that few convicts will be sent out this year or Temponuy the next, unless they are artificers, and after what I have had ^runmk the honour of observing to your Lordship, I make no doubt but SeoeMwy. proper people will be sent to superintend them.f The ships that • Ante, p. 19. t With the conyicts of the Second Fleet, over one thousand in number, nine Bupeiintendents were sent, but only fire arriyed.