urnished to them from the stores; and they were allowed
each the use of ten convicts. From their exertions the lieutenant-governor
was sanguine in his hopes of being enabled to increase considerably the
cultivation of the country; they appeared indeed to enter vigorously into
these views, and not being restrained from paying for labour with spirits,
they got a great deal of work done at their several farms (on those days
when the convicts did not work for the public) by hiring the different
gangs; the great labour of burning the timber after it was cut down
requiring some such extra aid.

On the 5th of the month the _Bellona_ was discharged from government
employ. Twenty-one days were allowed for the delivery of her cargo; but,
by taking off the people from the brick carts, and from some other works,
she was cleared within the time. This ship was of four hundred and
fifty-four tons burden, and was paid by government at the rate of four
pounds four shillings per ton per month. A clause was inserted in the
charter-party, forbidding the master to receive any person from the
colony, without the express consent and order of the governor. The
governor was also empowered to take her up for the purposes of the colony
should he want her; but as the _Daedalus_ was expected, and the _Kitty_
was already here, both in the service of government, it was not necessary
to detain her, and she sailed on the 19th for Canton.

The master having been permitted to receive on board two convicts (the
number he requested) whose terms of transportation had expired, consented
to his ship being smoked, when four people were found secreted on board,
two of whom had not yet served the full periods of their sentences.

To prevent this ship's coming on demurrage while her cargo was
delivering, the convicts worked in their own hours, as well as those
allotted to the public, under a promise of having the extra time allowed
them at a future day. While this labour was in hand, the building of the
barracks stood still for want of materials; it therefore became
necessary, when the brick carts could again be manned, to lose no time in
bringing in a sufficient number of bricks to employ the bricklayers. This
having performed, they claimed their extra time, which now amounted to
sixteen days. As it would have proved very inconvenient to have allowed
them to remain unemployed for that number of days, the lieutenant-governor
directed the commissary to issue to e