Chapter XIII
TRANSACTIONS AT NORFOLK ISLAND
October 1788 to February 1789
Quantity of provisions received by the Golden Grove.--Timber sent to Port Jackson.--Observations on the navigation near Norfolk Island.--Number of persons on the settlement.--Nepean and Phillip Islands described.--Corn reaped.--A party sent to Ball Bay.--Talk-work of the convicts.--The free people exercised.--Plot to seize the island discovered.--Orders made public for the preservation of regularity.--Oath of allegiance administered.--Provisions and stores examined.
The flood tide running strong all the morning of the 16th, and the wind being to the eastward, prevented the Golden Grove from working up; and though she fetched Point Ross in the afternoon, the flood making, she was swept to leeward.
Having received instructions from Governor Phillip to send all the useful timber I conveniently could to Port Jackson, I set the men to work in cutting spars, and sawing boards for that purpose. At day-light in the morning of the 17th, the Golden Grove stood into the road and anchored, but the surf ran so high that no boats could pass before low water, which was at three in the afternoon, when I sent the Coble off; but as the surf increased, I made the signal for her to be hoisted in, and soon afterwards the transport got under weigh.
The next forenoon, the coble came on shore, and soon afterwards the Golden Grove anchored in the road. The same afternoon we landed eighteen casks of flour, and ten of salt provisions.
Landing was very good until the evening of the 21st, and during that time we received the whole of the stores and provisions from the Golden Grove: I also received two sows and fourteen young pigs belonging to the crown, and a she-goat, which was the property of Mr. Collins, the judge-advocate. The provisions received were--one hundred and twenty-six barrels of flour, thirty-nine tierces of beef and twenty-two tierces of pork, twenty-three firkins of butter, thirty-three casks of peas, and five puncheons of rum, which were about seventeen months provisions at the following ratio:--For one man for a week, flour, seven pounds: beef, three pounds and a half: pork, two pounds: butter, six ounces: peas, three pints. For one woman for a week, flour, four pounds and a half: beef, two pounds and a quarter: pork, one pound and a quarter: butter, four ounces: peas, two pints. It should be observed, that the above ratio was full avoirdupoise weight, without any deduction whatever.
During the night of the 22d, we had very strong gales of wind, and at day-light, I perceived the Golden Grove had left the road; I afterwards learnt that she parted her cable at ten o'clock, and was not more than her own length to windward of the reef of rocks which lie off the south-east end of Nepean Island in passing it.