Having thus explained the nature and effect of the punishment inflicted on convicts, through the medium of the Hulks, and also the expence attending these establishments; it will be necessary in the next place, to examine the authentic documents, as they relate to the transportation of Felons to New South Wales. From the Appendix, page 122, of the 28th Report of the Select Committee on Finance, printed the 26th of June 1798, it appears that the number of Convicts sent to New South Wales and Norfolk Island[148] from the year 1787 to the year 1797 inclusive, stood thus:-- Men and Women. Children. TOTAL. 1787 778 17 795 1789 1251 22 1273 1790 2029 9 2038 1791 408 11 419 1792 412 6 418 1794 82 2 84 1795 133 3 136 1796 279 13 292 1797 393 10 403 ---- -- ---- 5765 93 5858 [Footnote 148: Norfolk Island is a small fertile spot, containing about 14,000 acres of land, situated about 1200 miles distant from Sydney Cove in New South Wales, where the seat of Government is fixed.] It appears also from another document in the same Report (being the last return of Convicts in the two Settlements) that their numbers stood as stated in the following Table,-- Convicts |Convicts |Convicts |Total |Total |Victualled|Emancipated| |Men | | | |and Men Women|Men Women|Men Women|Men Women|Women ----------+----------+-----------+----------+----- In New South } | | | | Wales on the } | | | | 31 Aug. 1796 } 1633 755| 78 5| 20 9|1731 769|2500 | | | | In Norfolk } | | | | Island on the} | | | | 22 Oct. 1796.} 379 167| 53 0| 12 3| 444 170| 614 ---- ---| --- -| -- --|---- ---|----- 2012 922| 131 5| 32 12|2175 939|3114 To which add the Convicts sent in 1796 and 1797, including Children 695 ---- Total 3809 The diminution of Convicts from 5858 to 3809 is to be accounted for, by a certain proportion leaving the Settlement after the expiration of their time, and also by deaths,[149] which in the natural course of things must be expected. [Footnote 149: In 21 months after the arrival of the first Convicts in May 1788, there were 77 deaths and 87 births in the whole Settlement.]