24 



DEPORTATION TO THE DERWEiNT. 



a month, and complained that they had been plundered on the 

 way of much of their small property. The greater number 

 were in a most destitute state — almost naked — and their arrival 

 necessarily increased the prevailing distress at Hobart. The 

 population of the settlement had been more than doubled by 

 the 554 people who had come from Norfolk Island, and now 

 stood at over .1000. Floods on the Hawkesbury in New South 

 Wales had destroyed nearly the whole crops in March, 1808, 

 and the Governor at Port Jackson could spare nothing in 

 response to Collins' urgent appeals for help. 



It is true that the Norfolk Islanders had brought some store 

 of provisions, but a quite insufficient supply, and the Derwent 

 settlement, as yet, produced practically nothing. In view of 

 his probable necessities Collins some time before had made an 

 agreement with Campbell, of Sydney, to bring him 500 head 

 of Bengal cattle from India, but Lieut-Governor Foveaux had 

 set aside the contract as too costly, which was perhaps wise, 

 as the shipment would have cost the English Exchequer some 

 £20,000. 



The Derwent settlement was now in great straits for food. 

 The ration of salt meat had long since been reduced to one- 

 half. There were only a few weeks' full rations in hand, 

 and starvation was staring them in the face. Collins got some 

 tew stores from the rare vessels which touched at Van Diemen's 

 Land, but this was a mere trifle. His only resource was to 

 fall back on what the bush yielded. He therefore issued an 

 order offering Is. per lb. for all the kangaroo meat brought 

 into store. 



For the next year or two it was a struggle at Hobart Town 

 for bare existence, and the people were on the verge of 

 absolute starvation. 



Lieut. Edward Lord, in his evidence before a Committee of 

 the House of Commons in 1812, said that the whole settle- 

 ment for a considerable time lived on kangaroo, not having 

 a bit of other provisions. He says : — " During the great 

 scarcity, when we lived for 13 months, except at small intervals, 

 upon 2 lbs. of biscuit per week, we had not a single death. 

 We were living on the wild game of the country. The people 

 certainly suffered great inconvenience and very great privations 

 from want of provisions. I have often myself been glad to 

 go to bed from want of bread, and have often been without 

 the little comforts of wine and sugar." 



Kangaroo meat brought Is. Qa. per lb. Later the Sydney 

 was chartered to bring wheat from India, but she was 

 wrecked. The Venus, Capt. Bunker, was then despatched. 

 She was more fortunate, arriving in 1810 with a cargo of 

 wheat, which at last relieved the inhabitants from their dread 

 of famine. Wheat sank from £4, or even £6 per bushel, to 12s. 



