16th and 23rd was occupied in receiving on board
the _Britannia_ Lieutenant-governor King and his family, who were
returning to England. On the 25th the colonial schooner, which had
attended for that purpose, received Captain King's letters to Governor
Hunter, and the three ships made sail from the island.

During the time we were there, the weather fortunately proved extremely
favourable for communicating with the shore, and large quantities of
stock and grain were received on board, in addition to what we brought
from Port Jackson, and sufficient for a much longer passage than we had
any reason to expect in the run to the Cape of Good Hope.

With the following Particulars of the State of NORFOLK ISLAND to the time
when the ships left it, the Writer has been favoured by
LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR KING.

COURT OF JUDICATURE

A court of criminal judicature existed there similar to that in New South
Wales, differing only in being composed of five instead of seven members.
No civil court, however, had been established.

NUMBER OF INHABITANTS

The civil department consisted of a lieutenant-governor, a deputy
judge-advocate, a deputy provost-marshal, and deputy commissary; a
surgeon, a store-keeper, and four subordinate officers.

The military consisted of a company of the New South Wales corps.

The settlers were, four seamen who belonged to his Majesty's ship
_Sirius_; fifteen marines who were discharged at the relief of that
detachment; fifty-two settlers from among those whose respective terms of
transportation had expired; three officers, and others who held ground by
grant or lease, or had purchased allotments from settlers; fourteen from
those whose terms of transportation were unexpired, but who held
allotments exceeding five acres. The whole number (exclusive of the
officers), with their families, was about two hundred and forty.

One hundred and forty-nine men, and sixty-three women, whose terms of
sentence had expired, supported themselves by hiring ground from
settlers, working for individuals, or at their different callings, (some
few were employed as overseers) and labouring for the public; for which
they were clothed and fed from the stores, and received such other
encouragement as their behaviour merited. The number of this class, with
their women and children, was about one hundred and thirty.

MALE CONVICTS

The numbers of these who remained under the sentence of the law were as
follow:

For life