i797«] OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 415 



vantageoufiy fituated in point of frefli water, having a chain of large 

 and excellent ponds in its vicinity. The fpot was marked out by the 

 deputy furveyor whereon to erecl the necefTary buildings ; and the 

 whole was named Portland Place. 



In confequence of the proclamation which had been iflued, one of 

 the run-away convi&s delivered himfelf up, and another was taken ; 

 they appeared to be half ftarved ; yet their fufferings were not fuffi- 

 cient to prevent fimilar defertions by others, nor a repetition of the 

 offence in themfelves ; fuch was the ftrong averfion which thefe worth- 

 lefs characters had to any thing that bore the name of work. More 

 labour would have been performed by one hundred free people from 

 any part of England or Scotland, than had at any time been derived 

 from three hundred of thefe, with all the attention that could be paid 

 to them. Had two hundred families of decent labouring farmers been 

 fent out as fettlers a few years fince, and had a few convicts to aflift 

 them been placed wholly under their dire&ion and authority, the 

 cultivation would have been much further advanced ; and, in point of 

 provifions, thofe families would have been living in luxury. More 

 grain than could be confumed would have been grown, inftead of 

 crops which in fome years were barely fufficient to laft until the fol- 

 lowing harveft. 



After exciting fome apprehenfions for her fafety, his Majefty's fhip 

 the Reliance anchored in the Cove on the 26th, from the Cape of 

 Good Hope, having had a very ftormy paflage. She brought 26 cows, 

 3 bulls, and about 60 fheep. 



The conclufion of June faw the finifhing of the new gaol, which 

 was furrounded by a ftrong and high fence. It was eighty feet in 

 length, the fides and ends were conftru&ed of ftrong logs, a double 

 row of which formed each partition. The whole was divided into 

 twenty-two cells, the divifions of which were logs. The floor and 

 the roof were of the fame folid materials, over which was a coat eight 

 inches deep of ftiff clay, and the roof was thatched. Every accom- 

 modation for prifoners was to be found in feparate buildings in the 



2 prifon 



