g it appear
that they could employ, feed, and clothe them. Every man had a hut
erected on his farm at the public expense. At the time of the governor's
departure, many of them, by their own industry, and the assistance he had
afforded them, were enabled to have one or two convicts off the store,
and employed by them at their farms; and such as were not married were
allowed a convict hutkeeper. In general they were not idle, and the major
part were comfortably situated.

At this time the quantity of land which had passed to settlers* in this
territory under the seal of the colony amounted to three thousand four
hundred and seventy acres; of which quantity four hundred and seventeen
acres and a half were in cultivation, and the timber cleared from one
hundred more, ready for sowing; which, compared with the total of the
_public ground_ in cultivation (one thousand and twelve acres and three
quarters) will be found to be by eleven acres more than equal to one half
of it. A striking proof of what some settlers had themselves declared, on
its being hinted to them that they had not always been so diligent when
labouring for the whole, 'We are now working for ourselves.' One material
good was, however, to be expected from a tract of land of that extent
being cultivated by individuals, if at any time an accident should happen
to the crop on the public ground, they might be a resource, though an
inconsiderable one. Fortunately, no misfortune of that nature had ever
fallen upon the colony; but it had been, at the beginning of this month,
very near experiencing a calamity that would have blasted all the
prospects of the next season, and in one moment have rendered ineffectual
the labour of many hands and of many months. Two days after the wheat had
been reaped, and got off the ground at Toongabbie, the whole of the
stubble was burnt. The day on which this happened had been unusually hot,
and the country was every where on fire. Had it befallen us while the
wheat was upon the ground, nothing could have saved the whole from being
destroyed. From this circumstance, however, one good resulted;
precautions against a similar accident were immediately taken, by
clearing the timber for a certain distance round the cultivated land.

[* Some few had been added since the surveyor's return of the 16th
October.]

The stock belonging to the public was kept at Parramatta. It consisted of
three bulls*, two bull calves, fifteen cows, three calve