olk Island
Police established at the principal settlement
A successful haul of fish
A soldier tried for a rape
Provisions begin to fail
Natives
A launch completed
Rats
Ration reduced to two-thirds
_Sirius_ returns to the Cove
One of her mates lost in the woods
_Supply_ sails for Norfolk Island
Utility of the night watch
A female convict executed for house-breaking
Two natives taken
Serious charge against the assistant commissary satisfactorily cleared up
Lieutenant Dawes's excursion
The _Supply_ returns
Transactions

August.] Of the four barracks which were begun in March 1788, and at that
time intended to be finished as such, two had been for some time occupied
by the detachment, two companies residing in each; a third was at the
beginning of this month converted into a storehouse; and the wood-work of
the fourth was taken down and applied to some other purpose; the labour
and time required to finish it being deemed greater than the utility that
would be derived from it as a barrack, the two that were already occupied
conveniently and comfortably accommodating the detachment.

As every circumstance became of importance that might in its tendency
forward or retard the day whereon the colony was to be pronounced
independent of the mother-country for provisions, it was soon observed
with concern, that hitherto by far a greater proportion of males than
females had been produced by the animals we had brought for the purpose
of breeding. This, in any other situation, might not have been so nicely
remarked; but here, where a country was to be stocked, a litter of twelve
pigs whereof three only were females became a subject of conversation and
inquiry. Out of seven kids which had been produced in the last month, one
only was a female; and many similar instances had before occurred, but no
particular notice was attracted until their frequency rendered them
remarkable. This circumstance excited an anxious care in every one for
the preservation of such females as might be produced; and at the moment
now spoken of no person entertained an idea of slaughtering one of that
sort; indeed males were so abundant that fortunately there was no
occasion.

On the 7th Lieutenant Ball returned from Norfolk Island, and from an
unsuccessful cruise of nearly six weeks in search of the island and
shoals for which he was directed to look. He sailed over the identical
spot on which Mr. Shortland had fixed the latitudes and longitudes