onsequence of this deplorable situation, on the
14th of May, the officers composing the council met the
lieutenant-governor agreeable to appointment, and published the
following orders:--

"At a meeting of the governor and council held to
consider of the very exhausted state of the provisions in this
settlement, and to consult upon what means are most proper to be
pursued, in order to preserve life until such time as we may be
relieved by some arrivals from England, of which we have been so
long in expectation, but probably disappointed by some
unfortunate accident having happened to the ships intended for
this country. The state of the provisions having been laid before
the council, and the alarming situation of the settlement having
been taken into the most serious consideration, the following
ratio of provisions was unanimously resolved and ordered to take
place on Saturday the 15th instant, viz.

Flour--three pounds per week, for every grown
person.

Beef--one pound and an half per ditto; or, in lieu of
the beef.

17 ounces of pork.

Rice--one pound per ditto.

Children above twelve months old, half the above
ratio. Children under twelve months old, one pound and an half of
flour and a pound of rice per week. In future, all crimes which
may by any three members of the council be considered as not of a
capital nature, will be punished at their discretion, by a
farther reduction of the present allowance of
provisions."

Every day, and during every breeze from the westward, we now
looked out upon the sea; but on this unfrequented ocean we could
expect nothing to appear but what might be intended for us. Day
after day we talked to each other respecting our situation, as no
other subject seemed to occupy the mind of any one among us. We
were here situated upon an island of only five miles long, and
three in breadth, three hundred leagues from the nearest part of
the Coast of New South Wales, deprived of every hope of finding
any relief by a change of situation, and we had the additional
mortification of anticipating, in a short time, a farther
reduction of our allowance of provisions.

At this particular season we had one advantage, which, when
that leaves us, will reduce us to very great distress; I think,
then, that many of the convicts (who are indolent to
astonishment, and who can, and frequently do, eat at one meal
what they are allowed for a week) must, when the resource I am
going to mention fails,