if there had not been this neceffity.

The provifions fent, with what was on the island, and the wheat and Indian corn raifed there, more than would be neceflary for feed, was calculated to laft full as long as the provifions in this place; and at Norfolk Island, from the richness of the foil, a man may support himfelf, with little affiftance from the ftore, after the timber is cleared away.

As I wished to fend an officer to England who could give fuch information as cannot be conveyed by letters, and the detachment was now divided, I replaced the officer who was fuperintendant and commandant at Norfolk Island, by Major Rofs; the officer I have recalled having been two years on the island, is very capable of pointing out the advantages which may be expected from it, and I think it promifes to anfwer very fully the end propofed by making the fettlement; it will be a place of fecurity for the convicts, where they will foon fupport themfelves, and where they may be advantageously employed in cultivating the flax plant.

Extracts from Inftructions given by Governor Phillip to the Lieutenant Governor, during his Command at Norfolk Island; dated 2d March, 1790.

You will cause the convicts to be employed in the cultivation of the land, in fuch manner as fhali appear to you the best calculated to render that fettlement independent, as far as refpects the neceffaries of life, paying fuch attention to the cultivation of the flax plant as your

fituation will admit of, and which is to be the principal object, when the neceffaries of life are fecured to the fettlers.

As from the great increase of corn and other vegetable food which may be expected from a common industry, and in fo fertile a foil, after a certain quantity of ground is cleared and in cultivation, as well as from the natural increase of fwine and other animals, it cannot be expedient that all the convicts fhould be employed in attending only to the object of provifions, you are to caufe the greateft poffible number of these people to be employed in cultivating and dreffing the flax plant, as a means of acquiring cloathing for themfelves and other perfons, who may become settlers, as well as for a variety of maritime purposes, and for which its fuperior excellence renders it a defirable object in Europe.

You will, at every opportunity, tranfmit to me all fuch remarks or obfervations as you may make refpecting the nature of the foil on the island, and point out fuch means as may appear to you the most likely to answer the views of government in the cultivation of the flax plant, dent for the neceffaries of life, and and in rendering that ifland indepenfor the order and government of the fettlers thereon, that fuch information may from me be tranfmitted to his majesty's ministers.

The face of the country is hilly, and fome of the vallies are tolerably large for the fize of the ifland; many of the hills are very fteep, and fome few fo very perpendicular, that they cannot be cultivated; but where fuch fituations are, they will do very well for fuel; on the tops of the hills are fome extenfive flats.

Mount Pitt is the only remarkable high hill in the island, and is about one hundred and fifty fathoms high. The clifts which furround the island are about forty fathoms high, and perpendicular; the bafis of the island is a hard firm clay. The whole island is covered with a thick wood, choaked up with underwood.

The island is well fupplied with many ftreams of very fine water; many of which are fufficiently large to turn any number of mills. Thefe Springs are full of very large eels.

From the coast to the fummit of Mount Pitt, is a continuation of the richeft and deepest foil in the world, which varies from a rich black mould to a fat red earth; we have dug down forty feet, and found the fame foil; the air is very wholefome, and the climate may be called a very healthy one: there has been no fickness fince I first landed on the island.

There are five kinds of trees on the ifland, which are good timber, viz. the pine, live oak, a yellow wood, a hard black wood, and a wood not unlike the English beech. The pine trees are of a great fize, many of which are from 180 to 220 feet in height, and from fix to nine feet in diameter. Thofe trees which are from 100 to 180 feet in height, are in general found; from the root to the lower branches, there is from 80 to go feet of found

timber, the rest is too hard and knot ty for ufe; it fometimes happens, that after cutting off twenty feet from the butt, it becomes rotten or fhakey, for which reafon no dependance can be put in it for large mafts or yards. The timber of the pine is very ufeful in building, and is very plentiful along the coaft; its difperfed fituation in the interior parts of the ifland, is well calculated for erecting fuch buildings as may be neceffary. From what I have feen of this wood, I think it is very durable.

Two boats have been built of it, and have answered the purpose fully.

The live oak, yellow wood, black wood, and beech, are all of a clofe grain, and are a durable wood.

The flax plant of New Zealand grows fpontaneously in many parts of the ifland, but mostly abounds on the fea coaft, where there is a very great quantity of it; the leaves of which the flax is made, are, when full grown, fix feet long and fix inches wide; each plant contains feven of thofe leaves; a ftrong woody ftalk rifes from the centre, which bears the flowers; it feeds annually, and the old leaves are forced out by young ones every year.

Every method has been tried to work it, but I much fear that until a native of New Zealand can be carried to Norfolk Ifland, that the method of dreffing that valuable com modity will not be known; and could that be obtained, I have no doubt but Norfolk Ifland would very foon clothe the inhabitants of New South Wales.

There are a great quantity of pigeons, parrots, hawks, and other fmaller birds, which are now in a wild ftate.

The ground is much infefted with different

different kinds of the grub worm, which are very deftructive to the growth of vegetables; they are moftly troublesome about the fpring. It is to be hoped that when more ground is cleared away, that this evil will ceafe.

There is no quadrupede on the ifland, except the rat, which is much fmaller than the Norway rat: thefe vermin were very troublesome when firft we landed, but at prefent there are but very few.

The coafts of the island abound with very fine fish. No opportunities were ever loft of fending the boat out, which enabled us to make a faving of two pounds of meat, each man, a week.

The coafts of the island are in general steep too, and, excepting at Sydney, Anfon, Ball, and Cafcade Bays, they are inacceffible, being furrounded by fteep perpendicular clifts rifing from the fea. Some rocks are scattered about close to the fhore.

Sydney Bay, on the fouth fide of the inland, is where the fettlement is made. Landing at this place entirely depends on the wind and the weather; I have feen as good landing as in the Thames, for a fortnight or three weeks together, and I have often seen it impracticable to land for ten or twelve days fucceffively; but it is much oftener good landing than bad.

Anfon Bay is a fmall bay with a fandy beach, where landing is in general good, with an off-fhore wind and moderate weather; but as the interior parts of the island are fo difficult of access from thence, no fhip's boats have ever landed there.

Ball Bay is on the south-east fide of the island; the beach is a large loofe ftone; when landing is bad in VOL. XXXIII.

Sydney. Bay, it is very good here, as it alfo is in Cascade Bay, on the north fide of the island.

During the winter months, viz. from April to Auguft, the general winds are the fouth and fouth-west, with heavy gales at times. In the fummer, the fouth-east wind blows almost conftant.

The fpring is visible in Auguft, but the native trees, and many plants in the island, are in a conftant ftate of flowering: the fummer is warm and fometimes the droughts are very tall the grain and popean plant ded in December: February to Auguft may called kwe Grainy not the fealou, not that there is any ftated times for rains in thefe months, as it is fometimes very fine weather for a fortnight together, but when the rain does fall, it is in torrents. I do not remember above three claps of thunder during the time I was on the island. The winter is very pleasant, and it never freezes.

The proper time for sowing wheat and barley is from May to Auguft, and is got-in in December; that which has been fowed has produced twenty-five fold, and I think the increafe may be greater. Two bushels of barley, fowed in 1789, produced twenty-four bushels of a found full grain.

The Indian corn produces well, and is, in my opinion, the best grain to cultivate in any quantity, on account of the little trouble attending its growth, and manufacturing for eating.

The Rio Janeiro fugar-cane grows very well, and is thriving.

Vines and oranges are very thriving; of the former there will be a great quantity in a few years.

H

Potatoes