274 ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH- COLONY [September, 



for the accommodation or advantage of the inhabitants of Norfolk 

 Ifland, yet in the late bufinefs he had made objections, becaufe he did 

 notconfider himfelf authorifed to ratify the agreement. 



He propofed to thofe who held the bills, to take back their corn ; or 

 if they preferred leaving it in the public ftores until fuch time as an 

 anfwer could be received, from the Secretary of State, he promifed 

 them that they might depend on the earlieft communication of what- 

 ever might be his decifion ; and if fuch decifion mould be to refufe 

 the payment of the bills, he affured them that grain fhould be returned 

 equal in quantity and quality to what had been received from them.* 



How far the fettlers (who in return for the produce of their grounds 

 looked for fomething more immediately beneficial to them and their 

 families, than the waiting eighteen months or two years for a refufal, 

 inftead of the payment of thefe bills) would befatisfied with this order, 

 was very queftionable. It has been feen already, that they were dif- 

 fatisfied at the produce of their fecond crop not being purchafed ; 

 what then muft be their ideas on finding even the firft received in- 

 deed, but not accounted for; purchafed, but not paid for? It was 

 fair to conclude, that on thus finding themfelves without a market for 

 their overplus grain, they would certainly give up the cultivation of 

 their farms and quit the ifland. Should this happen, Lieutenant- 

 Governor King would have to lament the neceffity of a meafure hav- 

 ing been adopted, which in effecT: promifed to depopulate his go- 

 vernment. 



On the ioth the Refolution and Salamander ftorefhip arrived. Im- 

 mediately on their anchoring the governor was given to underftand, that, 

 from meeting with uncommonly bad weather between the Cape of 

 Good Hope and Van Dieman's Land, the matters apprehended that 

 their cargoes had fu flamed much damage. Thefe gentlemen entered 

 a proteft, in which they flated that their fhips were much ftrained ; 



* Governor Hunter, on his arrival, ordered the bills to be paid j which was afterwards con- 

 firmed by the Secretary of State. 



the 



