A Sequel To A Voyage to Botany Bay

The long silence which I have observed, must have led my friends to
conclude that I had relinquished all my European connexions,--that
from some untoward accident, or the natural visitation of Providence,
they would never hear from me more;--but that not being the case;
after assuring them that it merely proceeded from the multiplicity of
business, and the unceasing vigilance my situation demanded, I shall
without farther preface resume my narrative.

The government of this colony now devolved upon Francis Grose,
Esquire, Commandant of the New South Wales Corps. He immediately
superseded the civil power at Parramatta by the military, and all
complaints in future were to be preferred to the military officer on
duty there. Hitherto the magistracy regulated all differences, and
punished such offences as required immediate cognizance on the spot;
reporting his proceedings, from time to time, to the governor; and
every order emanating from his excellency, respecting the regulation
of the convicts, was promulgated through the same channel.

At Sydney, similar regulations took place, and all reference to the
civil magistrate was in future to be dispensed with. It had been usual
with the magistrates to hold a kind of court weekly, or as often as
occasion might require; and to inflict such punishment as they deemed
proportionate to the offence, always reporting their proceedings, as
before stated.

At this time the magistracy consisted of the Lieutenant Governor and
the Judge Advocate, who were justices of the peace in virtue of their
commissions; the Reverend Mr. Johnston, Augustus Alt, and Richard
Atkins, Esquires, who had been sworn in as magistrates by governor
Philip.

No inconvenience having arisen from the former mode of dispensing
justice, the cause of the change cannot be easily accounted for;
unless it were that prediliction military governors generally possess,
of concentrating all the power in their own hands.

Governor Philip had gratuitously distributed among the settlers,
stock of various kinds, for the purpose of breeding; but he was scarce
out of sight of the settlement when the greater part was brought to
market; when, had not the officers purchased the whole, his benevolent
intentions would have been frustrated, by the greater part being
prematurely consigned to the pot or the spit.

New regulations now took place in the working hours of the
convicts,--the time of labour was fixed from five in the morning 'till
nine, and then rested until four, when they resumed their work, which
terminated at sunset. This was a very salutary alteration, as they not
only avoided the scorching ray of the noon-day sun, but had an
opportunity of earning a title for themselves, at their respective
trades.

About this time a very serious calamity befel the settlement, the
weather was excessive sultry, and the grass having been set on fire by
the natives raged on all sides, whereby several of the gardens were
destroyed, and I was in the utmost jeopardy of losing my little all.--
The progress of the fire, by the efforts of the settlers at Parramatta
and its neighbourhood, being checked, and nearly extinguished, but a
spark lodging among the thatch of a house on the adjoining farm soon
spread out into a blaze, and consumed the same, out houses & c. and it
was only by the greatest exertions it was prevented from communicating
to my premises.

From the arrival of several American Vessels, New England Rum now
began to circulate in considerable quantities, the baneful effects of
which were soon conspicuous, in the frequent intoxication of the
convicts.--The fondness they evinced for this deleterious liquor was
incredible; they would run any hazard to procure it, and preferred
receiving it as the price of their labour, to any other article,
either of provisions or cloathing.

To remedy this evil, the governor issued an order, wherein he stated
that if it ever appeared that a convict was possessed of liquor,
supplied by the commissaries, that he should consider them as
responsible for any irregularities that might happen in consequence of
such injudicious and reprehensible conduct.