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with a military button, and they so much resembled
11* regimental undress unifotms of the army, that on
the application of the chief engineer they were dyed
before they were issued to the convicts. The black
military caps that accompanied these uniforms were
considered to be sqoally unfit fur the use of con•
victs in a place where it was important to preserve
every external mark that might serve to distinguish
them, and to obliterate every mark that might tend
to confound them with the military the caps were
therefore reduced into the shape of common hats
before they were issued, and the expense was de.
frayed from the police fund.
The management of the clothing of the convicts
was voluntarily undertaken by the chief engineer, at
the desire of Governor Macquarrie, and an account
of the issues is kept at the convict barrack. A re-
two of the clothing issued from the month of June,
in the year 1819, to the 31st of August. 1820, and
from that time to the 24th of January, 18Y1, is to
be found in the Appendix; it is signed by Major
Druitt, the chief engineer, but the recapitulations
ere in many places incorrectly stated. An account
of clothing issued from the lumber yard at Sydney
has been kept by the present storekeeper, since the
month of December, 1819. It had been previously
kept in a very clean and distinct manlier by Wil.
liam Noah, an emancipitated convict, who at the
end of the year 1819 received a pension of 201. per
annum for his services in the office of storekeeper.
The principle that has prevailed in the distribution
of the slop-clothing and bedding has been that of
aftarding a supply, in the first instance, to the road
parties, and to the workmen who were most exposed,
and of allowing a very sparing supply to the settle-
ments in Van Dieman's Land; this last principle
appeared to me to be indefensible, when viewed
either with reference to the comparative value of the
services of the convicts in those settlements, or to
the greutur necessity for good and regular clothing
that exists in s cold than in a mild temperature. At
the suggestion of Major Druitt, the terms upon
which the wool had been manufactured into cloth at
the Parsinatta factory have undergone some change.
It was the custom, until the year 1819, to receive
five pounds of wool from the settlers, who received
in exchange one yard of cloth, as it was calculated
that four pounds of wool would, when manu-
factured, give that quantity of doll). The surplus
of one pound of wool was considered as a remu-
neration to Government for the expense of manu.
facture ; and when made into cloth, was sent to the
commissariat stores, to be issued when required.
Since the period above-mentioned, coarse wool has
been purchased from the settlers by the chief engi-
neer at Sydney, and the acting engineer at Hobart
Town, and it has beers sent to Parematta, and ma-
nufactured there in the factory. Since the period
in which the first purchases of wool were made, the
price rose from 5,1. ■nd 6d. to 10.1. per pound, and
towards the end of the year 1820, none of the in-
ferior quality could be procured in New South
Wales at that price ; it was therefore purchased
and transmitted from Van Diemsn's Land. The
calculation of the cost of two 'nits of slops, made
of the cloth manufactured at Paramatta, of which
a specimen in contained in the case No. 22, and
further comprising four pair of shoes and two caps,
made in the colony, makes it amount to 3/. its. per
annum. To this amount is to be added the cost
of two shirts, not included in the calculation, but
estimated at 12s. ; a bed and bedding, consisting
of two rugs, aad amounting to 21. 15s. ; giving •
total mutual expense of 61. 9s. fur the clothing sad
bedding of each convict.
In consequence of the scarcity of clothing that I
observed generally throughout the Government
establishment., I had frequently recommended to
Governor Macquarrie to purchase cloth from the
manufactory of Mr. Lord, at Sydney, and more
especially for the purpose of completing the issue
of ■lop-clothing to the constables of the different
districts, which bud been for some time greatly in
armor. The objection of Governor Macquarrie to
adopt this recommendation always proceeded from
the heavy expense that it would occasion to the
police fund, and the expectation of receiving early
supplies from England. This expectation was not
realized until the end of the year 1820, when a
part of the suits only arrived, and u regular and en-
tire issue was not practicable.

By the 4th and sth regulations relative to the
convict barrack, dated in May 1819, the care and
management of the clothes and linen of the con-
victs was assigned to the deputy superintendent of
that establishment, but, from want of attention to
this part of his duty, and from want of sufficient
room for storing the linen after it was washed, and
lastly, from the perpetual loss and wilful destruc-
tion of the clothing by the convicts themselves,
very little benefit had been derived from these re-
gulations. The appearance of the convicts ou
Sundays did not mark any want of personal clean-
[Mess, but their dress showed an entire neglect of
it. In this observation, however. I should not in-
clude the convicts of the carters barrack, where
there always prevailed a greater degree of attention
to cleanliness and order than in ally other establish-
ment ; nor to the principal part of the convicts who
were not in barracks. Their general appearance at
the muster before the church doors at Sydney and
Paramatta was cleanly and decent. The hammocks
and bedding in the convict barrack, as well as the
sleeping rooms, were kept in a very clean state,
and, although there was no regular allowance of
soup made to the convicts, yet sufficient was issued
to them for ordinary purposes; long water troughs
and towels were always kept in readiness in the
mornings before they went to their work, and bar-
bers were attached to the barrack, who were made
to shave the convicts regularly twice a week. At
Hobart Tows, at the muster of the convicts on
Sundays, I observed a greater variety of dress ;
and, as there existed no order for obliging the con.
victs to appear in that which is issued on their ar-
rival, those who can afford it purchase ordinary ap-
parel, or wear that which they bring out with them.
This distinction appeared to me to prevail chiefly
amongst the convicts transported for forgery, sod
for uttering forged notes, and it has given rise to
the use of a term that is applied in derision to all
such convicts as can afford, or are permitted to wear
their own coats, instead of the short jackets provided
by Government.
At George Town the want of clothing has already
been observed upon; by the evidence of Lieute-
nant Vandermeulen, it appears to have prevailed to
such a degree as to have diminished the quantity of
work, although it did not affect the health of the

convicts. At the period °f int! visit to George
Town, in the month of April, 1820, fifty convicts,
out of these who were mustered on • Sunday morn-
ing, were without shoes, and 27 were without
jackets.
The weekly rations issued to the convicts em-
ployed by Government have undergone many vati-
talons since the arrival of Governor Macquarrie in
New South Wales. Oa the 21st of January, of the
year 1810, an order was made for llilbs. of wheat,
71bs. of beef, or 41bs. of pork, 6oz. of sugar, or
11h. of wheat, or 2lbs. of maize. In the month of
March of that year, an alteration was made in the
quantity of wheat to settlers, free persons, and pri-
soners, and 61bs. of wheat and 131bs. of maize were
issued. In the month of January, 1814, the same
ration was reduced to 61bs. of bread, 111 b. of sugar,
and 11b. of rice. In July of that year it was in-
creased to 71hs. of bread, 1416. of sugar, and half
a pound of rice ; and in the month of September
this ration of bread was ordered to be composed of
one-third of Indiau corn meal. In the month of
March, 1815, the ration issued to the troops con-
sisted of 13 lbs. of wheat ; and to every other class
it consisted of 101ba. of wheat and 61b,. of maize;
and in the month of August of the same yea►, the
first of these rations was reduced to 1 !Vbs. of
wheat, with 6os. of sugar; and to the other classes
comprising convicts. 811bs. of wheat, 61bs. of In-
dian corn, and 6oz. of sugar. The same scale of
rations. with similar ■nd occasional deductions,
continued to be issued until the 16th of August,
1817, when, in consequence of a scarcity of wheat,
a general reduction of the rations took place, and
61bs. of wheat, 'Vb. of sugar, and Ilb. of rice were
issued to all classes; but an augmentation was made
in the quantity of meat from 71hs. to !Vbs. On
the 20th September of the same year, a further re-
duction of the wheat ration took place from 6114. to
Sibs. ; with an addition of 6oz. of sugar and Ilb. of
rice. And on the 27th December, 1817, the usual
full ration of 1 of wheat, 71bs. of beef, or
41hs. of salt pork, with 6oz. of sugar, was resumed.
On the Ist May, 1819, when the convict barrack
was established, the weekly ration of every convict
in the employ of Government. was raised at 1011bs.
of meat, and the same quantity of flour ; and in
December of the same yea► (with a view to dimi-
nish the consumption of animal fool) a substitution
was made. for 3 ilbs. of fresh meat, or of salt pork,
in each ration, by giving an additional quantity,
either of flour amounting to 71bs. or a smaller pro-
portion of pease, oatmeal, tea, sugar, or rice, ac-
cording to the state of those supplies in store.
On the 224 September, 1820, the rations issued
by Government to all descriptions of persons were
reduced to 7lbs. of beef or mutton, or 41bs. of
pork, 71b,. of flour, 11b. of sugar, and a quarter of
• pound of tea ; and by • Government and general
order, wherein it is stated, that ■ representation had
been made to the Governor, that the portion of this
ration, consisting of 71bs. of flour, was not adequate
to the support and nourishment of a man, his Ex-
cellency directed that 311bs. of maize, should be
added to that quantity of flour, and that this in-
crease should be made to every ration except those
of the military. Doubts having arisen whether
this quantity of maize was intended to mean the
grain, or the flour of maize. it was declared in a sub-
sequent general order, that a quantity of maize in
grain, equal to Ohs. of maize flour, should con-
stitute the additional ration ; and so constituted
the rations continued to be issued to all convicts in
the employ of Government, from the date of the last
order up to the period of my departure from the
colony in the month of February, 1891. The last
reduction of the quantity of meat in the rations
took place in consequence of the suggestions that I
made to Governor Macquarrie, respecting the dimi-
nutions of the grazing stock of the colony, and to
which I have already adverted. The ration there-
fore. that was ordered to be issued on the Yid Sep-
tember, 1820, continues to be the ration of the con-
victs in the employ of Goverument, at all the
stations in New South Wales, excepting that of
Newcastle ; and it is understood, that in return fur
this ration, the whole of the labour of every day,
except Saturday,•is devoted to the work of Govern-
ment.

At Flobsrt Town, in Van Dieman's Land, in
consequence of the convicts tiering to procure lodg-
ing and washing for themselves, they are disumis►ed
from Government work at three o'clock, ■nd re-
ceive fur their weekly ration only 7165. of fresh
meat, or 4165. of salt pork, and Vbs. of flour, or
what is called the single ration, in contradistinction
to the ration issued to the convicts in New South
Wales, and which is celled the ration and a half,

At George Town, as the system of lodging and
labour is understood to be the same us that iu New
South %Vales, the ration is the same.

At Sydney, and since the establishment of the
convict barrack, the rations for the convicts who
live out of barrack are drawn on Saturdays by the
overseer', and one matt of each of the gangs that are
in Sydney and the neighbourhood, their numbers
having been certified on the preceding evening to
the principal superintendent of convicts, who signs
and entitles the whole, after comparing them with
the former returns in his office. On the Saturday
mornings the overseers attend and receive these ra-
tions, and distribute them to the men, who are in
attendance for that purpose. The rations to the
convicts in the barracks in Hyde Park, the carters
barrack, and at the establishment at Grose Farm,
are drawn by and issued to the deputy superintend-
ent of the convict barrack on Mondays and Thurs-
days; and he certifies to the principal superintend-
ent on Fridays the number of rations that may be
required fur the week. These certificate. and re-
turns are countersigned by the chief engineer.
Wherever the convicts are lodged in barracks,
the rations both of meat and flour are cooked ■nd
baked for them there ; those issued to the road par-
ties are distributed by the overseers, and cooked by
the convicts in their separate huts. Care has not
been always taken to give a regular allowance of
salt to the road parties ; and in the heat of summer
the meat has been touched very soon after it was
issued. With the except ion of one occasion, in which
it happened that some ill-cured pork, imported
from the Society Islands, and some equally ill-cured
beef and mutton from Van Dieman's Land, was
issued as rations in the mouth of January, 180, I
did not observe any defect in the quality of the meat
issued to the convicts, nor did 1 receive auy com-
plaints from those to whom I addressed observations
on the subject. I attended both at Windsor and at
Parantatte, and in Van Diemau's Lando at the die-