128 ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH COLONY [March, 



The greater! height of the thermometer during this month was 



8 a. m. 2 p. m. io p. m. 



90 I05 84 



The lead of ditto 62 64 61 



Towards the latter end of March the officers and feamen of the 

 Sirius were embarked on board the fnow, to return to England. Of 

 thefe, ten feamen and two marines chofe rather to fettle in that 

 country than return to their own. The majority of them had formed 

 connections with women, for whofe fake they confented to embrace 

 a mode of life for which the natural reftleflhefs of a failor's difpofition 

 was but ill calculated. This motive, it is true, they difavowed ; but 

 one of the ftipulations which they were defirous of making for them- 

 felves, being the indulgence of having the women who had before 

 lived with them permitted ftill to do fo, and it appearing not the lead 

 important article in their confederation, feemed a flrong prefumption 

 that it was the companion, not the country, which had influenced 

 their decifion. Allotments of fixty acres each were marked out for 

 them as fettlers at Sydney or Norfolk Ifland, according as they made 

 their choice. 



The Supply was now ready to fail for Norfolk Ifland ; and on the 

 2 1 ft of March, one captain, two fubalterns, one ferjeant, one cor- 

 poral, one drummer, and eighteen privates of the New South Wales 

 corps, embarked onboard her, to relieve a part of the marine detach- 

 ment doing duty there. On the following morning fhe failed, carry- 

 ing an inftrument under the hand and feal of the Governor, reftoring 

 to the rights and privileges of a free man John Afcott, a convict at 

 Norfolk Ifland, who had rendered himfelf very confpicuous by his 

 exertions in preventing the Sirius from being burnt foon after fhe was 

 wrecked. 



On the 28th the Waakfamheyd tranfport failed for England, having 

 -on board Captain Hunter, with the officers and crew of His Majefty's 

 late fhip Sirius. 



In 



