The Golden Grove sailed for Port Jackson on the 29th.

As an encouragement to the convicts who came by the Golden Grove, I gave them from the time of their landing until the 30th to build houses for themselves, and to clear away a little garden ground.  The huts were very soon built, being composed of logs, and thatched with bullrushes and flaggs, which made them very comfortable; and as a farther encouragement, I gave some of them (who had the best characters) permission to build their houses in the vale, and to clear away ground near them for their own use.

The settlement now consisted of the following persons, viz.

Mr. Stephen Dunnavan, midshipman of the Sirius 1 Mr. Thomas Jamieson, surgeon’s first mate of ditto 1 Mr. John Altree, assistant-surgeon 1 Roger Morley, Robert Webb, Thomas Webb, seamen belonging to ditto 3 John Livington, carpenter, late belonging to ditto 1 Serjeant, corporal, six private marines 8
          
                                                     16 free. 
Male convicts 29 Female convicts 17 The total number, besides two children, 62

Soon after the departure of the Golden Grove, I made public the following extract from Governor Phillip’s letter to me:—­

“You will return any marine, convict, or other person, with whose conduct you are not satisfied; and you are at liberty to permit those, whose good behaviour merits the indulgence, to work one day in the week on lots of land, one or two acres of ground to a convict, which you will cause to be pointed out for that purpose, and which they may consider as their own property while they behave well; after the time for which they are sentenced may expire, lands will be granted them, if they wish to remain as settlers, and you may give them such part of the public stock to breed from, as you may judge proper, forbidding any person on the island ever to sell any fowl, hog, or any other animal, without having first obtained your permission; and you are not to permit the killing of any live stock until you have a sufficient quantity on the island for your support, except in cases of sickness.

“You will make the report to me, when opportunity offers, of such who are not convicts, and who are desirous of settling on the island; and you are at liberty to permit them to cultivate ground for their own benefit, not exceeding ten acres to any one person; they will receive the indulgence of such part of the live stock as you may judge necessary to give them, but neither settler, nor any other person on the island, is to be at liberty to kill any animal without having obtained your permission.  Hereafter, grants will be made to those who wish to remain on the island, of a larger extent of ground.”