sc4 ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH COLONY [July, 



The total number of fick on the laft day of June was three hun- 

 dred and forty-nine. 



The melancholy which dofed the month of June appeared un- 

 changed in the beginning of July. The morning generally opened 

 with depofiting in the burying-ground the miferable victims of the 

 night. Every exertion was made to get up the portable hofpital; but, 

 notwithstanding they had been afturedthat it had been put up in Lon- 

 don in a very few hours, they could not complete it until the 7th, when 

 it was inftantly filled with patients. On the 13th, there were four 

 hundred and eighty-eight perfons under medical treatment, at and 

 about the hofpital — a dreadful fick lift! 



Such of the convi&s from the mips as were in a tolerable ftate of 

 health were fent to Rofe Hill, to be employed in agricultural and other 

 labour. A fubaltern's detachment from the New South Wales corps 

 was at the fame time fent there to affift the marine corps in perform- 

 ing the military duty. There alfo the Governor in the courfe of the 

 month laid down the lines for a regular town. The principal ftreet 

 was marked out to extend one mile, commencing near the landing- 

 place, and running in a direction Weft, to the foot of the riling 

 ground named Rofe Hill, on which his Excellency purpofed to erecl: 

 a fmall houfe for his own refidence whenever he mould vifit that 

 fettlement. On each fide of this ftreet, whofe width was to be two 

 hundred and five feet, huts were to be erected capable of containing 

 ten perfons each, and at the diftance of fixty feet from each other; 

 and garden ground for each hut was allotted in the rear. As the huts 

 were to he .built of fuch combuftible materials as wattles and plafter, 

 and to be covered with thatch, the width of the ftreet, and the dif- 

 tance that they w r ere placed from each other, operated as an ufeful 

 precaution againft ,fire ; and by beginning on fo wide a fcale the in- 

 habitants of the town at fome future day would pofTefs their own ac- 

 commodations and comforts more readily, each upon his own allot- 

 ment, than if crowded into a fmaller {pace. 



While 



