Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), Saturday 19 October 1811, page 3


SYDNEY.

ERRATUM in Last Week's Gazette.—In the List of

Fees and Charges in the Public Departments officially notified, an OMISSION took place in the List of Duties to the Naval Officer, which unfortunately passed unperceived until the Pa-per was published : To atone for which Over-sight no other means remained than to publish the List correctly in this Gazette.

Major CLEAVELAND and Lieutenant OVENS, of the 73d, and Captain PIPER, of the 102d Regi-ment, embarked for England this evening, on board the Providence, via China ; and were ac-companied by HIS EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR and Mrs. MACQUARIE, and a large party, com-posed of the principal Officers. The boats went from the Government Wharf at half past six, and reached the vessel about seven ; where the dis-tinguished Visitors remained until half past eight, when they took a final leave of those Officers, whose polished manners and benevolence of dis-position had endeared them to all classes of Inha-

bitants, and consequently must have rendered the Adieu ! peculiarly interesting to the feelings of those who in an elevated sphere enjoyed the plea-sure of a more intimate acquaintance. On re-turning to their boats, a Salute was fired from the ship in honour of HIS EXCELLENCY, and at nine the Company returned to Government House.

On Monday last Thomas Welch was executed pnrsuant to his sentence : on which awful occasion he gave no signs of contrition for his offence ; but unhappily appeared to be little affected at his me-

lancholy situation.

The long succession of dry weather at the pre-sent season has heretofore been unexampled, and the field and garden languish for the want of rain. The last refreshing shower with which Di-vine Providence was pleased to favour us was upon the 27th of August : it was very general, and grate-fully acceptable throughout the vanous settlements, —its continuance was about 24 hours : since which period, however, we have scarcely had one passing shower. From this great cause the grow-ing wheat has in situations naturally dry received much injury ; while in moister grounds, that have

the advantage of a humid atmosphere, the appear-ance is far more promising. The produce of the late sown fields depends much upon the weather for a few weeks to come : the farmers hope for rain, without which they can form no expectation of the latter crop, nor save the season for planting maize, some former disappointments in the crops of which have been felt severely, as the rapid decline of stock was among the certain consequences.—From the best information we can collect, so intense a

drought at this time of the year has not been wit-nessed since the year 1789, when the new colonists suffered a parching thirst for several months, the springs from which they had been before supplied either failing totally, or yielding scarcely a suffi-ciency to support nature : numbers of flying foxes and squirrels, parrots, and birds of all the various species, flocked from the interior to the sea-coast, and perished as they flew.—A visitation of so dreadful a calamity in the present state of the Co-

lony would be incalculably severe, owing to the numerous, and in many instances extensive herds that must participate a disaster, from which it is our duty fervently to pray that Providence may defend those creatures that instinctively lay claim to her benign consideration and protection. By

every aid that human art can give, those neverthe-less that are immediately interested in their in-crease should to the best of their ability most certainly provide: but if, without any preparation whatever against the withered herbage or rivu-

lets suspended flow, to varying chance some still confide their care, they cannot well complain should chance at some eventful period deceive

them.

A cautious use of what we have remaining of the last year's produce from the field must at the present period of uncertainty be esteemed a moral duty ; as in the event of disappointment in the growing crops, the best economist will be the greatest profiter in two material points of view, the first in comfort to himself, and the second, if inferior it can possibly be deemed, in the dispen-sation of Charity to those on whom poverty may have intailed the sad necessity of accepting that which generosity with lively pleasure would be-stow.