SETTLEMENT OF NORFOLK ISLAND. 



and which were destined to make the year 1790 a sad and 

 memorable year for the Norfolk Islanders. 



To understand the position of affairs we must turn for a 

 moment to the principal settlement at Port Jackson. The two 

 years' supply of provisions which the First Fleet had brought out 

 was now nearly exhausted, and every one at Port Jackson was 

 in daily and anxious expectation of the arrival of ships from 

 England with a fresh supply. In February only four months' 

 provisions, calculated at half allowance, remained in store. It 

 was impossible to say when relief might arrive, and the prospect 

 of starvation began to stare them in the face. 



In this emergency Governor Phillip resolved to divide the 

 settlement, and send a large body of convicts and soldiers to 

 Norfolk Island. The Commandant had constantly written in 

 such high terms of the rich soil of the island that it seemed a 

 garden of fertility in comparison with New South Wales, and 

 the Governor thought it would easily support a larger popula- 

 tion, and thus relieve the distress of those left in the principal 

 colony. Accordingly, Captain Hunter was ordered to prepare 

 H.M.S. Sirius for sea, and embark 186 convicts and a com- 

 pany of marines, while the armed tender Supply was to 

 accompany her with 20 convicts and another company of 

 marines. This would make an almost equal division of the 

 people between the island and the main settlement at Port 

 Jackson. Major Koss, the Lieut.-Governor, was to be placed 

 in command of the dependency in place of Lieut. King, who 

 had obtained leave to visit England. A proper proportion of 

 the remaining provisions and stores were put on board, and the 

 ships sailed for Norfolk Island on the 6th March, 1790. A 

 week's sail brought them to the island, and not being able to 

 land in Sydney Bay on account of the surf, they ran round to 

 Cascade Bay on the north side, and in two days contrived to 

 land the people, 270 in all. Before they could land the stores 

 a storm came on and the ships were driven out of sight of land. 

 It was four days before the Sirius could make the island again. 

 The Supply was already in Sydney Bay, and the signal was 

 flying that the landing was safe. Captain Hunter therefore 

 stood in, loaded the boats with provisions and sent them in to 

 the landing-place within the reef. Meanwhile, as the Sirius 

 was settling fast to leeward, Hunter made sail to get her out of 

 the bay, but could not weather the rocks off Point Ross on the 

 western side. The ship twice missed stays and then slowly 

 drifted stern first towards the reef opposite the settlement, and 

 struck. The masts were instantly cut away so that she might 

 lift on to the reef, as she was in danger of going to pieces from 

 the force of the seas that struck her. This was 11 a.m. All the 

 provisions that could be reached were immediately got on deck 

 and secured. This accomplished, a line was floated over the 



