I79 1 -] OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 133 



tion ; and by attending to the proper feafon for fowing, it was the 

 general opinion that two crops of corn might be got off in one year. 



Their provifions, like thofe at Sydney, were at fo low an ebb, that 

 the Lieutenant-governor had reduced the ration. The whole number 

 victualled, when the Supply failed, amounted to fix hundred and 

 twenty-nine perfons ; and for that number there were in ftore, at the 

 full ration, pork for twenty-nine weeks ; flour and Indian corn for 

 twenty weeks, beef for eighteen weeks ; and thefe, at the ration then 

 iffued, would be prolonged, the grain to twenty-feven, the beef to 

 forty-two, and the pork to twenty-nine weeks. 



It muft be remarked, however, that the ration at Norfolk Ifland was 

 often uncertain, being regulated by the plenty or fcarcity of the 

 Mount Pitt birds. Great numbers of thefe birds had been killed for 

 fome time before the Supply failed thence ; but they were obferved 

 about that time to be quitting the ifland. 



At Sydney, by an account taken at the latter end of May of the 

 provifions then remaining in ftore, there appeared to be at the ration 

 then iffued, of 



Flour and rice, 40 weeks ; * 



Beef, 1 2 weeks ; 



Pork, 27 weeks. 



In this account the rice and flour were taken together as one article, 

 but the rice bore by far the greateft proportion. 



It was remarked by many in the fettlement, that both at Sydney 

 and at Rofe Hill the countenances of the labouring convicts indicated 

 the fhortnefs of the ration that they received ; this might be occa- 

 sioned by their having fuffered fo much before from the fame caufe \ 

 from the efte&s of which they had fcarcely been reftored when they 

 were again called upon to experience the hardihip of a reduced ration 

 of provifions. The convi&s which arrived in June had not yet re- 

 covered from the feverity of their fufferings on the paffage. 



It having been reported, that James Rufe, who in March had de- 

 clared his ability to fupport himfelf independent of the ftore, was 



ftarving, 



