*793-] OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 235 



Independent of the confideration that this man had long been a 

 proper object of fevere punifliment, to have pardoned him (even 

 on any condition) would only have tended to ftrengthen the fuppo- 

 iition that the Lieutenant-Governor had not the power of life and 

 death; and many daring burglaries and other enormities would have 

 followed. 



On the 7th, the peafe which had been ferved to the civil and mi- 

 litary, and the gram ferved to the convicts, were withdrawn, and an 

 equal quantity of wheat fupplied in their (lead. 



On Monday the 9th, the laft pound of flour was ferved out. This 

 total deprivation of fo valuable, fo effentiai an article in the food of 

 man, happened, fortunately, at a feafon when its place could in fome 

 meafure be fupplied immediately, the harveft having been all fafely 

 got in at Toongabbe in the beginning of the month ; about the middle 

 of it eight hundred bufhels were threfhed out ; and on Monday the 

 1 6th the civil and military received each feven pounds of wheat 

 coarfely ground from the mill at Parramatta. This mill, from the 

 brittlenefs of the timber with which it was conftructed, was found to 

 be unequal to the confumption of the fettlements. The cogs fre- 

 quently broke, and hence it was not of any great utility. To remedy 

 this inconvenience, a convict blackfmith undertook to produce one 

 iron hand-mill each week, for which he was to be paid at the rate of 

 two guineas ; and by this means feveral mills were diftributed in the 

 fettlements. 



The fait meat being the next article which threatened a fpeedy ex* 

 penditure, on the 8th one pound was taken from the weekly allow- 

 ance of beef; and but a fmall quantity of Indian corn remaining in 

 itore, the male convicts received eight pounds of new wheat, whole ; 

 and only three pounds of Indian corn, or paddy, were ferved. 



The paffion for liquor was fo predominant among the people, that 

 it operated like a mania, there being nothing which they would not 

 rifle to obtain it : and while fpirits were to be had, thofe who did 

 any extra-labour refufed to be paid in money, or any other article 



hh2 £haa 



