a painting of the Death of Captain Cook in that year. The Cap of the Grenadier is from one of those preserved at Forton, and the uniform from various pictures of Grenadier Uniforms at this period. The Lace," Blue with a Red Worm," is from "Millan's Succession of Colonels." Silver lace seems to have taken the place of gold lace for the Officers about 1769, since "New Lace" is referred to and "Silver Gorgets at the same time. The Lace and Gorget were always the same colour. There are a few items regarding the uniform of this period to be found in Divisional Orders :— 1771. (PLYMOUTH), MAY 13. Grenadiers' Hats to have no lace but to be "cocked with White Looping with two White Tassels on the Right Side. (PLYMOUTH), JUNE 7. Officers to wear their Coats hooked back, to have Black Gaiters, White Stocks or Cravats, and their hair queued. 1772. (PLYMOUTH), MAR. 11. Waistbelts are ordered to be altered to Cross Belts. (PLYMOUTH), MAY 17. Surgeons are ordered to wear Red Coats with a Red Cape (Collar), and Cuffs, and Lapels, Marine uniform buttons, White Waistcoats, White Breeches, with Black buckled Garters, "when on duty," Uniform Hats and small swords. (PLYMOUTH), MAY 30. Officers to wear their Coats “long-waisted with short skirts in the present Military Fashion," White Stocks and Black Ribbands round the neck, their hair queued, Hats laced and "cocked smartly with Silver Cord, Band and Tassels." Their Garters are to be made of Black Satin, three-quarters of an inch wide, and lined with white linen." 1773. (CHATHAM), MAY 12. “That Officers on joining Quarters who lately are or shall be appointed to this Division may know the proper uniform they are to appear in upon Guard and in the Field of Exercise on General Field Days, the Comg. Officer finds it necessary to insert the following Mode of Dress which he expects every Officer will strictly observe. Uniform Coat, White Waistcoat and Breeches; Silver-laced Hat with Silver Band and Loopings; Black Stock, Black Silk Buckle Garters, Sash Gorget, Uniform Sword and Knot. Half Gaiters except when long ones are particularly ordered. Shoulder Sword-Belt with Clasp. Belt and Pouch to be worn over the Coat same as Private Men. Battalion Officers' Hair queued. Grenadiers and Light Infantry platt'd and tucked." 1775. (PLYMOUTH), Feb. 8. Officers of the Battalion ordered to America are instructed to provide themselves with "Long leather Gaiters with Hessian tops." The Men who are going are to have long Black Gaiters "with buttons," and also "short ones." They are to have Knapsacks and a Manchester Velvet Stock with Buckle for the Grenadiers and a Clasp for the rest." There are a few other directions as to uniform in the Order Book of the Battalions in America :— 1775. (BOSTON), Dec. 19. "The Captains to receive the Arms, Cloathing and Accoutrements of their effectives, the cloathing to be fitted by Compys. agreeable to the Pattern, but no part of it to be worn till the whole are furnished, when an Order will be given for that purpose; a Pattern Hatt will be fixed upon from one of those already cock'd, and each Battn: will find Proper Persons to cock the rest, as nearly like as possible." "No man to be brought to the Parade or Guard, that has not got his Hatt Laced, and a Band, Black Stock and Leggings." Black Garters are ordered for the Men off Duty, and Captains are recommended to see their men's hair properly cutt and their Hatts cleaned with Spruce Beer." 1776. (HALIFAX), APRIL 17. The O.C. desires the Captains will take care to have the Arms, Accoutrements and Appointments of their men in perfect order, on Tuesday next, as the General intended to see both Battalions on that day, when it's expected that every man will have a Clean Shirt with a Frill to it, a good Black Stock, and a pair of Half-Gaiters. The Pouches to be slung and polished as soon as possible. (HALIFAX), APRIL 21. "The Officers of the 1st Battalion to wear White Roses in their Gorgets and to provide themselves with them immediately; they are likewise to wear their Hair (when under Arms, or on Duty) in a short Club." 66 SYDNEY IN AUGUST, 1788.-From Capt. Jon Hunter's Historical Journal of Transactions at Port Jackson. CHAPTER XII. THE MARINES FOUND THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA. "Where Sydney Cove her lucid bosom swells, There shall broad streets their stately walls extend, 'There, ray'd from cities o'er the cultur'd land, 'Shall bright canals and solid roads expand. HE issue of that monstrous and unhappy contest which afflicted the ill-advised Motherland by bloodily wresting from her the North American Colonies, caused the Imperial Authorities to enlarge their outlook. Piercing past the Atlantic, their eyes beheld, beyond the barred American gates, sparkling like a great jewel upon the broad breast of the vast Pacific, that ilen terra incognita where Cook1 and British territorial rights had posed so prominently a few years before. The time was very opportune. Draconian laws were too operative in Britain in those days. For a very small offence, political or otherwise, prisoners were haled off to the American tobacco plantations and actually sold to the planters for such sums as their services and the periods of their sentences were held commercially worth. For some years prior to the American struggle, 2,000 offenders were annually sold at an average rate of £20 1 Cook had hoisted the British flag at Botany Bay, in May, 1770. 2 In Sydney Harbour, where refractory convicts were imprisoned. each. By the uprising of the "Thirteen Colonies," this traffic was abolished, and after an experiment on the West Coast of Africa which was almost as fatal in its effects upon the ostracised wrongdoers as if they had been directly guillotine d, the system was abandoned. Something, however, was necessary, and the conception of the Penal Settlement at Botany Bay was the result." So writes the author of an article appearing in the Centennial number of a Sydney newspaper.1 It is probable, all the same, that the Government of the day had some idea of colonisation before it, if the country should be found suitable, and the initial Penal Settlement was to be an experimentum in corpore vili. If the island Continent turned out to be a fertile and valuable asset it would be merely a pioneer settlement-as indeed it eventually turned out to be. On the other hand the more disagreeable and unkindly region it should prove to be, the better suited for a permanent place of banishment for those who "left their country for their country's good. As a matter of fact the settlement of what is now New South Wales-or rather its colonisation, had been proposed to the Government in 1773 by a gentleman of the name of James Maria Matra. The owner of this somewhat peculiar cognomen worked out the initial cost to be £3,000, and suggested that two companies of Marines and a score of artificers would be sufficient as an advanced guard to prepare a place of settlement for the colonists who would follow them. There was not a word about convicts in his proposals. No notice seems to have been taken of them, and it was not till 1786 that in a letter to the Lords of the Treasury, dated 18th August, Lord Sydney, the Secretary to the Colonies, announced that "His Majesty had thought it advisable to fix on Botany Bay, situated on the coast of New South Wales," for a convict station, and ordered them to make the necessary arrangements for the transport of 750 convicts to that place. They were further advised that three Companies of Marines were to be stationed there "as long as it may be found necessary." The Companies were to be but small ones as their total strength was estimated at 180 besides a staff of 15. They were to be provided with provisions and agricultural implements, and in making this provision 200 extra mouths were to be taken into consideration. These were "females which your Lordships will see by a sketch of the plan for forming this new settlement, herewith transmitted, are likely to be procured from places in its neighbourhood, as companions for the men." One cannot help wondering if the concocter of the "plan plan" had the smallest idea of what the Australian beauties of those days2 were like. Captain Arthur Phillip, R.N., was appointed to take charge of the expedition, and to be Governor of New South Wales upon its arrival at its destination under the Southern Cross. This officer set himself to master every detail of the scheme and at once discovered that the condition of the ships in which this long voyage was to be made was filthy, the arrangements for both Marines and convicts most insanitary, and the victualling very unsatisfactory. He strained every nerve to get an improvement made, and had it not been for the constant and persistent representations he made to the Admiralty it is quite possible that the greater portion of the expedition would have been either lost on the voyage or at any rate landed in a 1 Illustrated Sydney News," 26th January, 1888. 2 This part of the programme was not, apparently, carried out. helpless condition. "And putting the convicts out of the question," he wrote in one letter, "which humanity forbids, the sending of the Marines that are on board the transports such a voyage as they are going in a worse state than ever troops were sent out of the kingdom, even to the nearest garrison, cannot, I am certain, be the intention of His Majesty's Ministers; yet it is absolutely the case, and I have repeatedly stated the fact." The transports were fitted up for the convicts the same way as for carrying troops, except that for the sake of security, very strong and thick bulkheads "filled with nails " were built athwartships abaft the mainmast, and pierced with loopholes in order that the Marines might fire upon the convicts in case of mutiny or serious irregularities. The hatches were secured by cross-bars, bolts and locks, and were likewise railed round from deck to deck with stout oak stanchions. Sentries were posted at the different hatchways, and a guard was always under arms on the quarter deck of each transport. The store-ships were loaded with sufficient provisions to last all hands for two years from the time of their landing in New South Wales. On the 13th May, 1787, all was supposed to be ready, and the little fleet consisting of the Sirius, commanded by Captain Arthur Philip, the armed tender Supply, six transports, and three storeships, sailed from Portsmouth. The transports carried 775 convicts, including about 190 women, and distributed among the various ships were the Marines carried as a guard, consisting of 21 officers and 192 N.C.O'S and men. The following table shews the numbers and distribution of the Marines in "the First Fleet": |