i2 ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH COLONY [1788. 



the fatisfa&ion of feeing the grape, the fig, the orange, the pear, and 

 the apple, thofe delicious fruits of the Old, taking root and eftablifh- 

 ing themfelves in their New World. 



As foon as the hurry and tumult necefTarily attending the difem- 

 barkation had a little fubfided, the Governor caufed His Majefty's com- 

 miflion, appointing him to be his captain-general and governor in 

 chief in and over the territory of New South Wales and its depen- 

 dencies, to be publicly read, together with the letters-patent for efta- 

 blifhing the courts of civil and criminal judicature in the territory. 

 The ceremony of reading thefe public inftruments having been per- 

 formed by the judge-advocate, the Governor, addreffing the convicts, 

 allured them, among other things, that " he mould ever be ready to 

 fhew approbation and encouragement to thofe who proved themfelves 

 worthy of them by good conduct ; while, on the other hand, fuch as 

 were determined to acl: in oppofition to propriety, would inevitably 

 meet with the punifhment that they deferved." He remarked how 

 much it was their intereft to forget the habits of vice and in- 

 dolence in which too many of them had hitherto lived and exhorted 

 them to be honeft among themfelves, obedient to their overfeers, 

 and attentive to the feveral works in which they were about to be 

 employed. 



The convicts had been muttered early in the morning, when nine 

 were reported to be abfent. From the fituation which had been un- 

 avoidably adopted, it was impoffible to prevent thefe people from 

 flraggling. Fearlefs of the danger which rnuft attend them, many 

 had vifited the French mips in Botany Bay, foliciting to be taken 

 on board. It was foon found, that they had fecreted at leaft one- 

 third of their working-tools, and that any fort of labour was with 

 difficulty procured from them. 



The want of proper overfeers principally contributed to this mif- 

 eonducl: ; thofe who were placed over them as fuch having been 

 fele&ed from among themfelves for their good behaviour during 

 the voyage, and few of them choofing to exert the authority re- 



quifite 



