SETTLEMENT OF NORFOLK ISLAND. 



11 



than in Sydney. The settlers were mostly soldiers and sailors 

 and others who had little or no knowledge of agriculture, and 

 were full of grievances and complaints. Still the colony 

 increased in population and production. At the end of 1793 

 there were 1008 souls on the island. The settlers had become 

 a considerable body, and they had command of a plentiful 

 supply of labour in the expiree prisoners who had hired them- 

 selves out to farm-work. The Government took into store all 

 grain grown by the settlers at a fixed price per bushel. This 

 so stimulated production that in the year ending May, 1794, 

 there were grown 34,000 bushels of maize and wheat. The 

 settlers were all prosperous, and the Lieut-Governor was able 

 to offer to send, if required, 20,000 bushels to Sydney for 

 commissariat use. The supply was now so large that the 

 Governor was obliged to refuse to purchase grain which he 

 could make no use of, and the settlers found themselves without 

 a market. Many gave up their farms; many left the island; 

 others turned their attention to raising hogs, which had multi- 

 plied exceedingly. In 1795 King could offer the Sydney 

 commissariat 40 tons of cured pork which had been salted on 

 the island. 



It will be remembered that the New Zealand flax plant was 

 most plentiful at Norfolk Island. Lieut.-Governor King was 

 very anxious to develop the manufacture of the fibre into 

 cordage and canvas. Many attempts were made but with 

 small success, as no proper method of dressing the fibre could 

 be discovered. King's method of grappling with this difficulty 

 is sufficiently characteristic of the times. He offered to 

 Captain Bunker, of the whaler William and Ann, .£100 to 

 kidnap two natives of New Zealand and bring them to Norfolk 

 Island as instructors in the art of flax-dressing. Captain 

 Bunker did not succeed in earning the money. King seems 

 to have made his views known to the Admiralty, for when the 

 Dmdalua storeship was employed to carry provisions to the 

 Sandwich Islands for Vancouver's discovery ships, Lieut. 

 Hanson who commanded her was directed to touch at New 

 Zealand on his way back to Sydney and try to supply King's 

 wants. The Dmdalus accordingly touched at New Zealand, 

 about Doubtless Bay, and Lieut. Hanson having enticed 

 on board his ship two Maoris, named Tuki and Uru, at 

 once made sail and carried them away to Governor King. 

 The Maoris, who had been frantic with grief when they 

 found themselves entrapped, were very sullen on their 

 arrival at Norfolk Island, and absolutely refused any infor- 

 mation respecting the flax. King says : " The apprehension 

 of being obliged to work at it was afterwards found to have 

 been a principal reason for their not complying so readily as 

 was expected. By kind treatment, however, and indulgence in 



