Though all was ready for debarkation, and for found ing the projected colony, it appeared, on more minute examination of the bay, that no part of it was free of objections. On one side, the shipping would be too much exposed to the violence of easterly winds,and its immediate environs were,in many places,too marshy for cultivation. It was therefore resolved to establish the settlement at Port Jackson, five miles distant, one of the finest harbours in the universe, stretching thirteen miles inland, provided with numerous creeks, and suf ficiently capacious for a thousand ships of the line. Here, therefore, the whole individuals composing the colony, amounting to 1030, were landed. A town called Sydney was founded in a favourable situation, at the base of two hills, and with a rivulet running through its centre : rapid progress was made in the houses and public works ; and soon after another town, called by the same name that the natives give its site, Paramatta, was also built.
In the next place, different small settlements were portioned out for private persons, as well as for the use of government, the ground cleared, land enclosed, and crops sown. A quantity of live stock was intro duced into the colony, and preserved with the utmost care, for the purpose of supplying future wants ; and the whole began, in a time wonderfully short, to ex hibit a pleasing picture of industry and activity.
But the successes of the colony were far from be ing uninterrupted. Notwithstanding the laudable exertions of government, and the fruitful returns of agricultural occupations, many vexations arose, from the conduct of the colonists. Accustomed to an idle and dissolute life, and familiarized with wickedness, they in general showed an aversion to labour ; and by the commission of new crimes interrupted the peace of the settlement. Sometimes, also, the government stores were likely to fail, or were wantonly and wick edly destroyed, and supplies from the mother coun try were so precarious, that oftener than once the whole colony was threatened with the miseries of famine.
The difficulties which' an infant colony must expe rience can easily be conceived ; and the history of 13o tany Bay is so much the more interesting, because its state can be traced from day to day, during its whole existence, and affords a useful example of the progress of a settlement labouring under innumerable disadvantages. Sonic of the colonists at length de clared themselves able to subsist without the aid of government stores ; and many convicts, reclaimed to a virtuous life, willingly lent their assistance to wards the general welfare. According as the num bers augmented, the territory was extended ; houses were built far in the interior of the continent ; a spirit for traffic commenced, which was encouraged by the arrival of vessels belonging to all nations ; and manu factures were even established. Cattle imported from Britain, or the southern climates, which had run wild in the woods, proved wonderfully prolific ; and the rapid increase of sheep had, after the lapse of a few years, produced more wool than was sufficient to clothe the whole inhabitants of Botany Bay.
The pernicious use of spirits, which over all the civilized parts of the globe may truly be denomi nated the bane of virtue, was equally prejudicial here ; and the governor in 1800 judiciously imposed a tax upon them, to defray the expence of a new stone prison at Paramatta. A remarkably strong building
of wood, devoted to that purpose, had recently before been maliciously set on fire, and the convicts were with great difficulty rescued from the flames. In September of the same year, the Irish criminals, trans ported for sedition at home, were not idle in the set tlement, which rendered the utmost precautions ne cessary for internal safety, and volunteer associations were established.
In 1801, the live stock of the colony had surpri singly augmented, there being nearly 7000 sheep, and 5000 hogs, besides horses, cattle, and goats ; and above 11,000 acres of land were under cultivation with wheat and maize. The live stock and cultiva ted grounds have ever since gradually increased in more than an equal proportion ; and at this day, the colony is visited by vessels from all foreign ports, for the purpose of procuring refreshments. At the same time also shipbuilding had begun, and the plantations on distant islands, forming so many branches of the settlement, were in a flourishing condition.
During this spirit of improvement, an extensive garden was formed, wherein not only many useful plants indigenous to the climate were cultivated, but many brought from remote countries to be naturali zed, under the superintendance of skilful persons ap pointed by government. From thence, numerous rare and curious vegetable productions have been transmitted to the mother country.
The French expedition of discovery visited the co lony in the year 1802 ; and from the naturalists and officers who composed it, there has proceeded a more interesting account than any, excepting one, in our own language. Even then the settlement had made such rapid progress, as to impress the French with astonishment. Batteries were erected for its defence ; public buildings for the troops and government, schools, prisons, and hospitals. Port Jackson had become familiar to the American nation, and expedi tions for the purposes of traffic were carried on to China, and the channel which separates Asia from America. The utmost activity prevailed, and the ma nufactures of different kinds had increased to a very considerable extent. Roads were made through the centre of immense forests, for facilitating the carriage by land, and docks on the shore, for the use of repair ing the shipping. A great revolution had been effected in the morals of the people ; many of the most notorious criminals now gained an honest liveli hood, and the most abandoned women made reputa ble wives, and tender mothers. The commission of crimes had greatly diminished, and the strangers na turalising in the woods wandered about in safety, and were hospitably entertained in the distant cottages. To guard the children of those parents that still re mained dissolute from their contagious example, they were removed to schools under the protection of go vernment, and educated in the principles of virtue and industry. On the whole, the French exhibit a flat tering picture of the improvement and growing im portance of the colony; and their accounts are more worthy of credit, as proceeding from persons entirely unbiassed.