DEPORTATION TO THE DEBWENT. 



19 



Daniel Stanfield, Abraham Hand, John and Joseph Beresford, 

 George Guest, Win. Pentony, Joseph Bullock, Edward Fisher, 

 James Morrisby, and James Belbin. The only stipulation 

 they made was that they should be allowed to wait until their 

 crops were ripe, so as to take with them their corn and maize, 

 ai 'd not be wholly dependent on rations from the public 

 stores. 



But the settlers soon repented of their hast)' decision. 

 When the Integrity arrived from Sydney a, fortnight later 

 (4th August) with further despatches from the Governor, and 

 their contents were communicated to two of the principal in- 

 habitants, out of the 41 who had sent in their names all but 

 10 withdrew. As the settlers would not move voluntarily, and 

 a s King had no instructions to use compulsory measures, the 

 °nly thing left to do was to reduce the establishment. Foveaux 

 was of opinion that such half measures were a mistake, and 

 that the choice lay between continuing the colony on its exist- 

 ln g footing or abandoning it altogether. To cut down salaries 

 a nd discharge officers would work great injustice to men who 

 "&d spent considerable sums in building houses and making 

 miprovements. They must be compensated, and the saving- 

 effected would be minute. But, indeed, any material reduction 

 w ould be impossible. Courts of justice must be kept up, and 

 there must be a sufficient number of officers to make a jury. 

 Governor King proposed sending a vessel annually with 

 officers to make a court, the vessel to bring back salt pork 

 tor the supply of Port Jackson. But a court once a year 

 Was quite insufficient, and their experience of salting pork was 

 pot encouraging. The pork was often so badly cured that 

 *t was useless for food, and the supply. of swine could not be 

 depended on. Corn was absolutely necessary both for their 

 rearing and fattening, and the frequent scarcity of corn caused 

 great mortality. Indeed, the expectations formed of the island 

 were never likely to be realised. In 1801 there had been a 

 famine owing to the scarcity of grain and pork, and the inhabi- 

 tants had been dependent for food on fish. In 1802 the crops 

 Were better, but since then they had either failed generally, or 

 had been so poor as hardly to reward the settlers' labour. But 

 for the large yield from Government land in 180'2, large supplies 

 would have been required from Port Jackson. As it was, they 

 had been obliged to get flour from Sydney, and even then 

 could only allow a reduced ration. Many of the settlers were 

 m great distress, and if the crops failed again — as indeed was 

 afterwards the case — they would be in absolute want. 



Yet in spite of all these disadvantages many of the settlers, 

 especially those who had come over with the first settlement, 

 showed a great reluctance to move. They were attached to 

 their homes, and did not care again to face the difficulties and 



