112 



Norfolk 



I SI AND. 



CotONlZED. 



NEW HOLLAND. 



not, for fear of the natives, trefpafs beyond our bounds ; the New 

 Hollanders Hill continue very hoftile. FiQi is found in plenty, but 

 the turtle, on which we feenied to have fome dependence, is a 

 very precarious article. 



The colony looks up for fupport to a little fpot called Norfolk 

 iJJand, in Lat. 2</ foutli^ Long.. i68' eaft. It contains from twelve 

 to thirteen thoufand ao-es, and does not exceed in circumference 

 fixtecn miles, is very mountanous, and covered with a thick wood, 

 choaked xip with underwood ; it is furrounded with cliffs forty 

 fathoms high, and quite perpendicular, excepting at a few 

 creeks, dignified with the name of bays, to which often a raging 

 furf denies all approach. 



The iiland is happy in many flreams of fine water, fome co- 

 pious enough to turn a mill. The mold, in places freed by our 

 people from trees, is the richeft and deepeft in the world ; abun- 

 dance of pumice-ftones and porous red lava is fcattered over its 

 furface, and even mixed with the foil, giving ftrong reafon to 

 fuppofe it to have been of volcanic origin. 



A SMALL colony was detached, on February T4th, 1788, from 

 Jackfon Port to this iiland, in hopes of its contributing in time 

 to the fupport of the parent ftate. It confilled only of a fu- 

 baltern officer, a furgeon, two men v/ho underftood-the cultiva- 

 tion and dreffing of flax, nine male and fix female convidls ; and 

 over them was appointed Lieutenant Ki}2g, of the navy, fole go- 

 vernor of this fea-girt reign. With his little colony he paffed 

 the fingular interval of above two years, till he received, oi\ 

 March 6th, 1790, a mighty reinforcement of two companies of 

 marines; five men and three women from the civil department, 



and 



