i8o ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH COLONY [S 



The Deputy-Surveyor arrived in the Atlantic, being fent by Mr* 

 King to ftate to the Governor the fituation of the fettlers late belong- 

 ing to the Sirius, whole grounds had, on a careful furvey, been found 

 to interfect each other. They had been originally laid down with- 

 out the affiftance of proper inftruments ; and being fituated on the 

 fide of the cafcade ftream, which takes feveral windings in its courfe, 

 the different allotments, being clofe together, naturally interfered with 

 each other when they came to be carried back. The fettlers them- 

 fel ves faw how difadvantageoufly they were fituated, and how utterly 

 impoffible it was for every one to po fiefs a diftinct allotment of fixty 

 acres, unlefs they came to fome agreement which had their mutual 

 accommodation in view ; but this, with an obftinacy proportioned to 

 their ignorance, they all declined : as their grounds were marked out 

 fo would they keep them, not giving an inch in one place, though 

 certain of pofiefiing it with advantage in another. Thefe people 

 proved but indifferent fettlers : failors and foldiers, feldom bred in the 

 habits of induftry, but ill brooked the perfonal labour which they 

 found was required from them day after day, and month after month. 

 Men who, from their commencing the military life, had been accuf- 

 tomed to have their daily fubfiftence found them, were but ill cal- 

 culated to procure it by the fweat of their brows, and muft have felt 

 great mortification in finding that without much bodily exertion they 

 could not provide it at all. A few months' experience convinced 

 them of the truth of thefe obfervations, and they grew difcontented ; 

 as a proof of which, they wrote a letter to the Judge-Advocate, to be 

 fubmitted to the Governor, flating, as a fubject of complaint among 

 other grievances, that the officers of the fettlement bred flock foE 

 their own ufe, and requefting that they might be directed to difcon- 

 tinue that practice, and purchafe (lock of them* 



Very few of the convicts at Norfolk Ifland, whofe terms of tranf. 

 portation had expired, were found defirous of becoming permanent 

 fettlers ; the {pie object; with the. greater part of them appearing to be, 



that 



