The 7th of September was marked by the arrival of the governor in chief of these settlements.  The signal was made for two sail between eight and nine o’clock in the morning.  The wind being from the northward, they did not reach the anchorage until late; his Majesty’s ship the Supply, commanded by Lieutenant William Kent, getting in about sun-set; and the Reliance, with the governor on board, about eight at night.  Their passage from Rio de Janeiro was long (fourteen weeks) and very rough, until the ships came off Van Dieman’s Land.  Of our late bad weather they had felt nothing.

Situated as the colony was in point of provisions, we learned with infinite concern, that a storeship which had once been under Governor Hunter’s orders, had, from being overloaded, been unavoidably left behind, and had yet to run the chance of being taken by the enemies’ cruizers; and that by the two ships now arrived we had only gained a few barrels of provisions salted at Rio de Janeiro; a town clock; the principal parts of a large wind-mill; two officers of the New South Wales corps; Mr. S. Leeds an assistant-surgeon, and Mr. D. Payne a master boat-builder.

His excellency did not take upon him the exercise of his authority until the 11th, on which day his Majesty’s commission was publicly read by the judge-advocate, all descriptions of persons being present, His excellency, in a very pertinent speech, declared the expectations he had from every one’s conduct, touching with much delicacy on that of the persons lately sent here for a certain offence, (some of whom were present, but who unfortunately kept at too great a distance to bear him,) and strongly urging the necessity of a general unanimity in support of his Majesty’s government.  He was afterwards sworn in by the judge-advocate at his office.* An address, signed by the civil and military officers on occasion of his return among them as governor, was presented to his excellency a few days after his public appearance in that important capacity.

[* Before Captain Paterson gave up his command, all the prisoners in confinement were pardoned and liberated.  Rayner, under sentence of death, was pardoned by the governor some time after.  In consequence of this act of grace, several runaways gave themselves up.]

That he might as speedily as possible be acquainted with the state of the colony, he ordered a general muster to be taken by the commissary, appointing different days at Sydney, Parramatta, and the Hawkesbury, in order that correct accounts might be obtained of the number and distribution of every person (the military excepted) in those districts; and he purposed in person to inspect the state of the different farms.  He recommended it to all persons who had lands in cultivation to plant with Indian corn as much of them as might not at that time be under any other grain; urging them, as it was the proper season, not to let it pass by, it being an essential article in the nourishment of live stock, the increase of which was of such importance to the settlement, that he could not but advise the utmost care and economy in the use of what might then and in future be in the possession of settlers and other persons.