escaping from such a natural prison as Western Australia. 0ne man, named Furlong, gave himself up at Perth on 13th February. He had vainly gone to Fremantle to board an outgoing vessel. In January four convicts stole a whaleboat and sundry small articles belonging to the establishment at Fremantle. They proceeded to sea, and were believed to have taken a southerly course. This was not so; after a run of eight days the fugitives reached Sharks Bay, their intention being to make the northern islands. While men from the Hashemy were taking in guano at Sunday Island in Sharks Bay, the mate observed a European watching them. He hailed the stranger, who explained that he had come from Perth on foot and swam across to the island. Unfortunately for him, the fugitive was recognised by several of the crew, who had sailed with him from England. He was arrested, as also were his companions, who were in the neighbourhood. The escapees were taken to Fremantle, and, on 20th March, sentenced to three years' hard labour in chains.
Sickness prevailed among the men herded at Fremantle in January and February, and was imputed to inferior bread, but was subsequently discovered to arise from unwholesome water. The heat was so intense that they had drunk more than was good for them. Taken substantially, colonists were satisfied with the conduct of the ticket-of-leave men; indeed, the Independent Journal somewhat satirically remarked that they were so quiet and orderly as to provide "instances from which our free settlers might take example." This satisfaction remained throughout the year, and was adverted to at intervals by the newspapers. The humane system was praised, and alarm of injurious effects allayed.
In January Governor Fitzgerald wrote the Secretary for the Colonies assuring him that Western Australia could at once receive 500 convicts without inconvenience; no fewer than 803 men were despatched during the year. But before their advent the characteristic spirit of agitation and complaint was manifested. From earliest days Western Australians had justly agitated and complained, and now when some of their requests were being granted they could not apparently put by the habit as they would an old cloak. In March complaints were published concerning the delay in arrival of free labour. All work was said to be at a standstill for want of hands—sawyers, carpenters, and bricklayers particularly—and prices had risen to such an extent as to forbid speculation. While wanting these men, the Independent knew not where, if they came, they were to be lodged, unless the usages of the first few years of the colony were returned to, and they became dwellers in tents. His Excellency spoke of the same matter in the Legislative Council in April, and explained that he had written the Secretary for the Colonies "shortly after" the arrival of the emigrant ship Sophia, informing him that 150 of its passengers were in the depot unemployed, and supported by the colony at a heavy expense. Then when in September, 1850, he learned that they were all employed except a few badly-conducted women, he again wrote Earl Grey, asking for 150 additional emigrants.
It is but just to explain that there was a reason for this seeming inconsistency and vacillation in policy. The colony had but a limited exchequer, and the idiosyncrasies of the labour market rendered difficult to foretell what would happen in the future. Yet Governor Fitzgerald had but taken consideration of the activity in the latter half of the preceding year, and of the new developments that were almost monthly taking place, he might easily have recognised that the demand for free labour would increase. No free emigrants arrived in 1851, and complaint was intermittent on that score, although the market was frequently being relieved by the rapidly-increasing number of convicts out on ticket of leave.
So little was the colony able to cope with its increase in population that it had not sufficient local flour for its own consumption. Many of the largest settlers, though they had lordship over immense areas of land, did not possess large flocks of sheep, or herds of milch cows, or fields of corn. They and the smaller farmers were glad to obtain a good price for what products they had, but were loth to observe that the convict officials were proposing to obtain their supplies of flour from neighbouring colonies. Though there was insufficient for the demand in Western Australia, farmers approached Governor Fitzgerald when they learned that he could, and probably would, get it cheaper in South Australia. They held that the authorities should at any cost encourage local industry, though they might have to pay £5 more a ton for flour. Governor Fitzgerald referred the matter to Earl Grey, who, on June 30, replied that "convicts were not sent to Western Australia in order that the growers might have an opportunity of selling their produce at a price £5 a ton dearer than it could be procured without their aid." The Independent Journal confessed that the Convict Establishment was bound to be extensive, but "so long as the principal article of food has to be imported from another colony we lose the most important portion of the only benefit which the colony can derive from such an establishment—the expenditure." Quantities of wheat were offered the Government by local people at 5s. 6d. a bushel, but the authorities considered the price too high. The farmers retorted that 5s. per bushel was the very lowest at which they could dispose of wheat without loss. Captain Henderson was said to be inclined to support the farmers; but, no matter how high a price was given, wheat and flour had to be imported. Quantities were obtained in neighbouring settlements, and in 1852 250 barrels of wheat were imported from England.
On 7th May, 1851, the convict ship Mermaid arrived. She had on board 208 felons. Among them were 43 youths of ages varying from sixteen to nineteen years, from Parkhurst Prison. Their sentences ranged from seven to fifteen years; one, a boy sixteen years old, was sentenced to seven years' transportation for stealing shoes. A previous conviction told against him. The vessel also conveyed 27 pensioners, and 30 women and children. The Pyrenees landed 293 convicts, 35 pensioners, 35 women, and 30 children on 28th June. On 15th October the Minden arrived with 302 ticket-of-leave men, 40 pensioners, and 71 women and children. All the convicts on the two last vessels had served sentences in the United Kingdom, and were therefore eligible to tickets of leave. After a short probation in the establishment they were allowed to engage themselves to settlers under strict conditions. Their arrival was calculated to take the place of free immigrants, with the additional advantage of supplying cheaper labour to their employers. Those who were not immediately taken into private service were employed on public works. In October the ticket-of-leave men from the Minden presented Dr. Gibson with a flattering address; and, not to be behindhand, the pensioners did likewise.
The pensioners (who were now becoming a numerous class) from the Pyrenees and Minden arrived in the colony under new regulations. They were required to serve for twelve months either for military purposes or on public works without charge to Western Australia. Many of the convicts from the Pyrenees were sent to the Bunbury district, where their services were in great request by the settlers.
With more men the Comptroller-General could complete his
