e public service at that place requiring
the inspection and superintendance of an officer.

On Sunday the 4th of this month the _Young William_, the storeship whose
unavoidable delay in her sailing we had regretted on the arrival of the
governor without her, anchored safe in the cove from England, after a
short passage of four months and nine days, with a cargo of provisions
only. She sailed from Spithead in company with the _Sovereign_, another
storeship, on the 25th of May, taking her route by the way of Rio de
Janeiro, where she anchored on the 12th of July, leaving it on the 21st
of the same month; and meeting with very bad weather nearly the whole of
the voyage, she shipped great quantities of water; and, being very deeply
laden, the vessel was considerably strained.

By letters received from this ship we learned, that some promotions had
taken place in the New South Wales corps. Captain Nicholas Nepean had
obtained the commission of second major; Lieutenant John McArthur had
succeeded to his company; Lieutenant John Townson had got the company
late belonging to Captain Hill; and Ensigns Clephan and Piper were made
lieutenants, all without purchase. Messrs. Kent and Bell, the naval
agents, who left this country in the _Britannia_ in September 1794,
arrived safely in England in March last.

In consequence of this arrival the governor had it in his power to issue
a better, though not so ample a ration of provisions as he could have
desired. The supply had not been sufficient to allow him to order more
than four pounds ten ounces and two thirds of an ounce of pork, and four
pounds of flour, to the convicts. The same quantity of salt meat was
ordered for the military; but they received two pounds of flour more than
the prisoners. The other parts of the weekly ration remained nearly the
same as before, except the article of sugar, the convicts receiving six
ounces instead of one pound and a half of that article.

The report of the general muster which was ordered in the last month
having been laid before the governor, he thought proper to make some
regulations in the assistance afforded by government to settlers and
others holding grants of land. To the officers who occupied grounds was
continued the number of men allowed them by lieutenant-governor Grose; viz
ten for agriculture, and three for domestic purposes. Notwithstanding
this far exceeded the number which had at home been thought necessary,
the governor did n