errible manner.

In the evening of the 27th, the ship _Britannia_ anchored between
the heads from Ireland, having on board 150 male and 50 female convicts
from that kingdom, with an officer and 25 recruits for the New South
Wales corps. She got up to the settlement the following day, and the
prisoners were all landed on the 30th. A part of them were immediately
sent up to Parramatta.

On the same day the Colonial schooner, and a long-boat named the
_Eliza_, sailed to the southward, to bring away the remainder of the
ship's company belonging to the unfortunate _Sydney Cove_.

Among other works in which the people were employed in this month, was
the necessary one of erecting paling round the new gaol, now nearly
completed, and round the fresh water, the original enclosure of which had
gone to decay, by which means the stream was so exceedingly polluted, as
to endanger the health of the inhabitants. Some necessary regulations
were published to counteract this evil, and indeed they had long been
loudly called for.

The want of cordage has been already mentioned. The settlement was
likewise so much distressed for canvas, that, the largest and best boat
being in the Hawkesbury, it became necessary to dismantle another boat,
in order to furnish sails to bring her round, those belonging to her
having been split in some bad weather which she met with in her passage
thither. The people were directed at the same time to procure some of the
bark of the tree lately discovered, to be manufactured into cordage; for
which purpose it was reckoned superior to any of the flax that had been
brought from Norfolk island.

The _Mercury_ sailed about the middle of the month; and, as some
return for the liberty of refitting his ship, and remaining four months
in the Cove, the master took away a female convict without the governor's
permission.

Very little rain fell during this month.

June.] On the 2nd of June, the ship _Ganges_ arrived from Ireland,
with convicts from that kingdom, and a detachment of recruits for the New
South Wales corps. This ship had touched at the Cape of Good Hope, and
was commanded by Mr. Patrickson, who had visited the settlement in the
year 1792, in the _Philadelphia_, a small American brig. The
convicts in this ship were observed to be in much better health than
those on board of the _Britannia_. These people, indeed, complained
so much of having been treated with great severity during the passage,
that th