ettlement. By an order from Governor Phillip, all persons on the
island were to be put to two-thirds allowance of provisions,
which commenced on the 5th: the settlement at Port Jackson went
to this allowance in November. Having received every thing from
the Supply, that vessel sailed for Port Jackson on the 7th.

All the labourers were now employed in reaping, stacking, and
thatching the wheat, which business was all finished by the 24th.
Four acres of the wheat were greatly damaged by some very heavy
rain, which fell from the 14th to the 18th, and caused it to
shoot out; but this was put into a stack by itself for present
consumption. The wheat now reaped had been sown at different
periods, notwithstanding which, it was ripe nearly at the same
time; but the last sown did not stock so well as that which was
put more early in the ground: that which was sown in drills,
suffered much from the blighting winds; and, as this island is
subject to these winds at all times of the year, the method of
drilling wheat or barley in rows, will not answer so well as when
sown at a broad cast. The best time for sowing wheat, is from the
latter end of May to the middle of June; indeed, that which was
sown in August, yielded a very large sound grain; but, (as I have
already observed) it did not stock so well as the other.

At sun-rise on the 25th, the colours were hoisted, in
observance of Christmas-day; divine service was performed at ten
o'clock, and I ordered two hogs, belonging to the crown, to be
killed and issued out to the free people and convicts, at the
rate of one pound and an half to each person: and, as the crop of
wheat had turned out tolerably well, I ordered two pounds of
flour to each man, and the women one pound each, to celebrate the
festival.

During the month of January, the weather was very variable,
with frequent strong gales of wind from the south-east. The
general employment of the labourers was clearing away ground for
the next season, and turning up the fifteen acres of wheat
stubble, threshing, making shingles, cutting logs, to make a
log-house for the store-keeper, and other necessary business.

The small union flag had hitherto been used as a signal for
landing, but as it could not easily be distinguished from the
roads, on the 11th, I had a flag-staff fixed in the front of my
house, the lower mast of which was 20 feet long, and the top-mast
36 feet; on which a large union was occasionally to be
hoisted