2795-1 OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 309 



A fmall printing-prefs, which had hitherto been ufelefs from the 

 want of a perfon who underftood the art of printing, was now found 

 very ferviceable : a decent young man, of fome abilities in that line, 

 having lately arrived from England ; which enabled the Governor, 

 by having his orders printed, to make them more generally known. 



Some time after the arrival of the Sovereign, the full allowance of 

 fait meat was ifrued, and the hours of labour regulated more to the 

 advantage of Government than had for a confiderable time (owing to 

 the (hortnefs of the ration) been the cafe. Inflead of completing in a 

 few hours the whole labour which was required of a man for the day, 

 convicts were now to work the whole day, with the intermiffion of 

 two hours and a half of reft. Many advantages were gained by this 

 regulation ; among which, not the lead was, the diminution of idle 

 time which the prifoners before had, and which, emphatically term- 

 ing their own time, they applied as they chofe ; fome irHuftrioufly, 

 but by far the greater part in improper purfuits, as gaming, drinking, 

 and dealing. 



By the return of his Majefty's (hip the Supply from Norfolk 

 Ifland, accounts were received of Lieutenant-Governor King being 

 dangeroufly ill when fhe left that place; and that cultivation was nearly 

 at a ftand there. The grounds were fo over-run with two great ene- 

 mies to agriculture, rats, and a pernicious weed .called cow-itch^ that 

 the fettlers defpaired of ever being able to get rid of either. 



The contefts which had lately taken place very frequently in the 

 town of Sydney, and the neighbourhood of it, among the natives, 

 had been attended by many of thofe people who inhabited the woods, 

 and came from a great diftance inland. Some of the prifoners gather- 

 ing fro n time to time rumours and imperfect accounts of the exiftence 

 of the cattle loft in 1788, two of them, who were employed by fome 

 officers in (hooting, refolved on afcertaining the truth of thefe reports, 

 and trying by different excurfions to difcover the place of their retreat. 

 On their return from the firft outfet they made, which was fubfequent 

 to the Governor's arrival, they reported that they had feen them. 



Q 0. 2 Being, 



