XEW SOUTH WALES. 131 



preferred death to work. On the last day of 

 delivering provisions for February, (the 22d,) it 

 was found, that if some did not arrive in a fort- 

 night, there would not be an ounce left. Thus 

 situated nothing was neglected. The Shark was 

 even found of service, and the oil produced 

 from the liver of it sold at Is. per quart; candles 

 were a luxury in the colony which few could 

 boast of. The Indian corn was now nearly 

 ripe, and as the seed wheat, was yet held sacred, 

 it was hoped that the Indian corn would be 

 ready in time to prevent such a fatal resource ; 

 for the stock of seed wheat, even if added to all 

 the live-stock, could last but a short time for so 

 many as 3000 people. Providentially the very 

 day that the last provisions were delivered from 

 the store, the 8th of March, a signal of a 

 vessel in sight was made, but by great wind and 

 stormy weather, it was the 1 Oth when she an- 

 choree! in the Cove, and proved to be the Wil- 

 liam, Folger, of London, last from Cork, with 

 a cargo of 1 173 barrels of beef, and 907 of pork, 

 but no flour. At the same time arrived the 

 Arthur, a small brig of 05 tons, from Bengal, 

 with beef, pork, sugar, rum, and calicos. In 

 consequence of these fortunate arrivals, the full 

 ration was ordered to be delivered, and the short 

 allowances, as promised, made good, Distress 

 which had never yet encreased the morality of 

 the convicts, now shewed that the love of gam- 

 ing could keep its ascendency over even hunger 

 itself. Of those adicted to gaming, one was au 

 overseer, who giving offence to some of the 



