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To the PRINTERS of the KENTISH GAZETTE, DEAL, June 6, 1789.
GENTLEMEN,
The inclosed is a letter from a Gentleman of my ac-uaintance at Sydney Bay, Norfolk Island. If you think it worth the putting in your paper, it is at your service. Your obedient Servant, W.P.
Sydney Bay, Norfolk Island, Oct 28, 1788.
"I avail myself of the present opportunity of writing you a few lines, by a Mr. Hart, Mate of the Golden Grove, and from near Sandwich.
"I sailed from Port Jackson, the 14th of February, 1788, in the Supply, for the intended Settlement on Norfolk-Island, with Lieut, King, who is our Commandant, with a party of marine, convicts, provision, stores, &c. &c. which was all landed safe the 6th of March.
"The island is as good soil as any in the world ; it is well watered with fine rivulets of most excellent water ; it is closely covered with excellent wood, and especially the pine which grows to an enormous size, some of them being 12 feet in diameter and 180 in length, and from that down to a foot in diameter, as fine spars as any one would wish to see, and in such abundance on the island, that it would afford an inexhaustible resource for spars and masts for all the navy of England.
"And the flax plant grows spontaneously, and in great abundance; I should think almost enough to supply the navy with cables, cordage, &c. The wild fowl are pigeons, quails, doves, plover, corlieus, parrots, paroquets, and a black-bird with a web foot that burrows in the ground, with a great variety of other smaller birds; the pigeons we used to take as many of them by hand as we chose, but they are now got a little shy.
"The sea abounds with great variety of most excellent fish, as also turtle, of which we have taken a number.
"As to the climate, and air, the latter in general seems pure and salubrious to the human condition, the sea breezes constantly refreshing the island, so that no remarkable inconveniency of the air has hitherto been found, from its southern situation, and the greatest part of the season (as far as I have seen) is dry and pure, with refreshing flowers, not having more than two days rain at any one time since we landed on the island ; all this, together with the healthy state of the settlers, I think I may venture to say that it is a good climate, and a most desirable island. I have not lost a man under my care by sickness since we landed.
"All the seeds sown have a very promising appearance. and I think will very soon supply the settlers with most of the necessaries of life.