*79^] OF NEW SOUTH WALES. % n 



againft:; as nothing appeared more likely to make them forfake the 

 ifland. 



The ftock in that fett lenient was plentiful ; but from being fed 

 chiefly on fow-thiftle daring the general deficiency of hard food, the 

 animals looked ill, and were as badly tailed. The Pitt, however, had 

 taken from the ifland a great quantity of it, for which the owners had 

 been repaid with many articles of comfort to which they had long 

 been flrangers. 



The convicts, Governor King wrote, wore a very unhealthy cada- 

 verous appearance ; owing, it was fuppofed, not only to fpare diet, 

 but to the fatigue confequent on their fo continually traverfing the 

 woods to Mount Pitt, by night, for the purpofe of procuring fome 

 fiender addition to their ration, inftead of repofing after the labours 

 of the day. One of thefe unfortunate people had been mot by a 

 fettler while in the a£t of robbing his farm ; but neither this awful 

 warning, nor any poffible method which the Lieutenant-Governor 

 had yet been able to devife, could prevent their depredations. 



Governor King, having difcovered that the ifland abounded with 

 that valuable article lime-ftone, was building a convenient houfe for 

 his own refidence, and turning his attention to the conftruetion of 

 permanent ftorehoufes, barracks, and other neceflary buildings. 



The weather had been for fome time very bad, much rain having 

 fallen, accompanied with ftorms of wind, thunder, and lightning. In 

 one of thefe ftorms the wreck of his Majefty's (hip Sinus went to 

 pieces and difappeared. 



On board the Atlantic came fixty-two perfons from Norfolk Ifland, 

 among whom were feveral whofe terms of tranfportation had ex- 

 pired ; thirteen offenders ; and nine marine fettlers, who had given up 

 the hoe and the fpade, and returned to embrace once more a life to 

 which they certainly were, from long habit, better adapted than to that 

 of independent fettlers. They gave up their cftate, and returned to 

 Sydney to enter as foldiers in the New South Wales corps, 



A A % The 



