Those of the fourth class who labour as carpenters, sawyers, blacksmiths, etc. work from daylight till eight o'clock; from nine till noon; and from two in the afternoon till sun-set; and as long as they do their work properly, they have Fridays and Saturdays to themselves, which they employ in working at their grounds, or in building, etc. for settlers and others who can employ them. As those works are in fact of a private nature, although in the end they become more or less of public utility, the artificers are indulged with the use of government-tools and such materials as can be spared.
Those employed in cultivation, and other incidental labour, for the public benefit, work at all seasons from daylight until one o'clock, which is found much more advisable than dispersing them at the hours for meals, and collecting them again to resume their labour. As very few of this description have any persons to dress their meal, or grind their maize, they have by this management a great part of the day at their own disposal; and from the 21st of September to the 21st of February no public work is done on Saturdays. Those of this description who are industrious employ a great part of their leisure time in cultivating pieces of ground for their own use, or labouring for others.
The second and a part of the fifth and sixth classes, making together three hundred and thirty-one persons, support themselves by the produce of their labour without expense to the crown; as the clothing with which they and the settlers are occasionally furnished from the stores is paid for in grain or stock.
ORDINARY PRICE OF LABOUR
To a convict taken off the stores by an officer or settler, from £5 to £5 per annurn
To a freeman hired by the year, victualled and clothed, from £10 to £12 per annum.
A day's work for a labourer, with victuals, is 3s; without, 5s
Cutting down and burning off an acre of wood, £2
Cutting down and burning off an acre of weeds, £1 10s
Threshing one bushel of wheat, 10lbs.; equal to 1s 8d.
Other works are in proportion. The mode of payment for labour is various, and depends entirely on the employer's circumstances; but it is in general made by what arises from the grain or fresh pork put into the stores by settlers, etc.; sometimes (but very rarely) in cash; and often by equal labour, or by produce, which is rated as underneath.
And, in order to prevent disputes respecting the payment, these agreements, as well as all others, are entered in a book kept by a person for that purpose, and properly witnessed.
AVERAGE PRICES OF PROVISIONS RAISED ON THE ISLAND, EITHER FOR SALE,
FOR BARTER, OR IN PAYMENT FOR LABOUR.
Plentiful Articles.
Fresh pork 6d per lb
Pickled ditto 8d
Wheat from 7s 6d to 10s per bushel
Maize from 1s 6d to 5s
Potatoes from 1s to 3s 6d per cwt
Full-grown fowls from 6d to 1s each
Ditto ducks 10d to 1s 3d each
Ditto turkeys 7s 6d each
Scarce Articles.
Geese 10s each
Female goats £8 each
Goats' flesh or mutton to government 9d per lb
Ditto to individuals 1s 6d ditto
NB When the latter is taken into the stores for the sick, it is issued as five pounds of mutton for seven pounds of salt beef stopped in the stores; by which method government does not pay more than six-pence per pound as for fresh pork.
ACCOUNT OF GRAIN RAISED BY THOSE EMPLOYED IN CULTIVATING GROUND
FOR THE PUBLIC USE; AND THAT RAISED BY OFFICERS, SETTLERS,
AND OTHERS, ON NORFOLK ISLAND, FROM THE 6TH OF MARCH 1788
(WHEN IT WAS FIRST SETTLED) TO OCTOBER 1796.