A Voyage to Botany Bay by George Barrington

IN the morning a general muster took place; when the whole were assembled, to the amount of near four hundred; they were informed by the officer of the trust the governor had been pleased to repose in me, and that any misbehaviour or disobedience of orders issuing from me would be as severely punished as tho' they proceeded from the governor himself: they were then dismissed to their several employments. I proceeded through the different gangs of people at their respective occupations; and found them much more attentive to their business and respectful to those over them than I could possibly have imagined. Some were employed in making bricks and tiles; others, building store-houses, huts, &c. a great number clearing the grounds, bringing in timber, and making roads. Others at their different callings, such as smiths, gardeners, coopers, shoemakers, taylors, bakers, attendants on the sick, &c. The hours of work are from sunrise to half past seven, when they breakfast; at half past eight they resume their work 'till half past eleven, when they are rung to dinner; at two they recommence their labours, and the setting of the sun is the signal that terminates their daily toil, and which is announced by the drum beating a retreat. In order to encourage the cultivation of gardens, Saturday is appropriated to clear away and cultivate spots of ground for themselves; and those who have been industrious now find the benefit, by having plenty of vegetables, which saves their salt provisions, and enables them to truck with the natives for fish. Indedendent of this advantage, those who rear the greatest quantities of vegetables and plants, receive premiums from the governor, who, at the proper season of the year, distributes seeds among them for that purpose. The women sweep round the huts every morning, and cook the victuals for the men, collect all their dirty cloaths, and return each man his respective linen, washed and mended, on the Sunday morning.

No person is excused from attending divine worship, which is performed every Sunday morning at eleven o'clock, when all the convicts are obliged to attend in clean linen, and, indeed, behave in a more orderly and devout manner than would be naturally expected: indeed, the indefatigable zeal and wise measures pursued by the worthy governor in the formation of this infant colony is beyond all praise.