vernor's departure: viz

LIVE STOCK
Horses 60
Mares 143
Horned Cattle
Bulls and Oxen 332
Cows 712
Hogs 4017
Sheep
Male 2031
Female 4093
Goats
Male 727
Female 1455

LAND IN CULTIVATION
Acres of Wheat 46653/4
Acres for Maize 2930
Acres of Barley 82

And a considerable quantity of garden ground, in potatoes, etc and vines.

The poverty of the settlers and the high price of labour occasioned much
land to be unemployed this year. Many of the inferior farmers were nearly
ruined by the high price they were obliged to give for such necessaries
as they required from those who had been long in the habit of
monopolising every article brought to the settlement for sale; a habit of
which it was found impossible to get the better, without the positive and
immediate interference of the government at home.

Many representations had been made on this distressing subject; and they
seemed in some degree to have been attended to, as in several of the last
arrivals from England, certain articles, consisting of implements of
husbandry, clothing, and stores, had been consigned to the governor, to
be retailed for the use of the colonists: and it was understood that this
system, so beneficial to the settlement, was to be pursued in all the
ships which were in future to carry out convicts or stores to that
country.

October.] The _Buffalo_ sailed for England on the 21st of October*,
and as the governor had intended to touch and land at Norfolk Island, for
the purpose of learning, from his own observation, something of the state
of that settlement, some few of the Irish prisoners, who were suspected
of laying plans of insurrection and massacre, were taken in the
_Buffalo_, and landed there. This settlement wore a most unpromising
appearance. All the buildings were in a state of rapid decay, and but few
symptoms of industry were visible. Of stock, only a few hogs and a small
quantity of vegetables were to be procured. On Phillip Island, which had
formerly fed a great number of hogs, not one was to be found alive, they
having, for want of better food, destroyed each other. A few fields of
wheat, which were ready for reaping, looked tolerably well; but on the
whole Norfolk Island by no means promised to repay the expense which it
annually cost the government.

[* The _Buffalo_ arrived at Spithead, with a co