hemselves, to be held in each district, for the purpose of settling the
rate of wages to labourers in every different kind of work; that, to this
end, a written agreement should be entered into and subscribed by each
settler, a breach of which should be punished by a penalty, to be fixed
by the general opinion, and made recoverable in a court of civil
judicature. It was recommended to them to apply this forfeiture to the
common benefit; and they were to transmit to the head-quarters a copy of
their agreement with the rate of wages which they should from time to
time establish, for the governor's information; holding their first
meeting as early as possible.

It must appear from this, that every necessary and useful regulation was
suggested that could promote the convenience and advantage of these
people, who being in possession of land that yielded the most ample
returns, nothing but the greatest worthlessness on their part could have
prevented their getting forward, and becoming men of property. That too
many of them were of this description will appear evident, from its being
notorious that their crops were no sooner gathered, than they were
instantly disposed of for spirits, which they purchased at the rate of
three, nay, even four pounds per gallon, and of a spirit often lowered
one fourth or more of its strength with water. It was also equally
notorious, that some of them, when too idle and dissipated to hoe and
properly prepare their ground for seed, have carelessly thrown the grain
over the old stubble, and afterwards chipped it in, as they termed it,
going lightly over the ground with a hoe, and barely covering the seed.
Yet, with no greater assistance than this, the lands thus slovenly
prepared have been known to yield abundant crops.

On the 11th arrived the _Mercury_, an American brig, from Manilla,
bound to the NW coast of America. Being extremely weak and leaky, the
master put in here to refit, which he requested he might be allowed to
do. He brought no other news than the detention of several English ships
at Manilla, which seemed strongly to indicate the approach of hostilities
between the two nations, the effect, no doubt, of French fraternity with
the Spaniards.

The infant part of the settlement having at this period become very
numerous, with a view to save them, if possible, from that ruin in which
the infamous examples of their abandoned parents were but too likely to
plunge them, the clergyman, t