employed
Their disposition to idleness and vice
Her Majesty's birthday kept
Natives
Captain Shea dies
Regulations respecting the convicts
Instances of their misconduct
Transactions
The _Supply_ sails for Norfolk Island
Public Works
Natives
Convicts killed
Stores robbed
The _Supply_ returns
Insurrection projected at Norfolk Island
Hurricane there
Transactions at Rose Hill

1789.]

January.] The first day of the new year was marked as a holiday by a
suspension of all kinds of labour, and by hoisting the colours at the
fort. The ration of provisions, though still less by a pound of flour
than the proper allowance, was yet so sufficient as not to be complained
of, nor was labour diminished by it. Upon a calculation of the different
people employed for the public in cultivation, it appeared, that of all
the numbers in the colony there were only two hundred and fifty so
employed--a very small number indeed to procure the means of rendering
the colony independent of the mother-country for the necessaries of life.
The rest were occupied in carrying on various public works, such as
stores, houses, wharfs, etc. A large number were incapable, through age
or infirmities, of being called out to labour in the public grounds; and
the civil establishment, the military, females, and children, filled up
the catalogue of those unassisting in cultivation.

The soil immediately about the settlement was found to be of too sandy a
nature to give much promise of yielding a sufficient produce even for the
small quantity of stock it possessed. At Rose Hill the prospect was
better; indeed whatever expectations could be formed of successful
cultivation in this country rested as yet in that quarter. But the
convicts by no means exerted themselves to the utmost; they foolishly
conceived, that they had no interest in the success of their labour; and,
if left to themselves, would at any time rather have lived in idleness,
and depended upon the public stores for their daily support so long as
they had any thing in them, than have contributed, by the labour of their
hands, to secure themselves whereon to exist when those stores should be
exhausted.

Idleness, however, was not the only vice to be complained of in these
people. Thefts were frequent among them; and one fellow, who, after
committing a robbery ran into the woods, and from thence coming at night
into the settlement committed several depredations upon individuals, and
one upo