T h e f ic k lift, n o w co n fift in g o f o n ly three h und red and th ir ty - tw o
pe rfon s , w a s fo u n d to be d a ily d ecreasing, and th e m o r ta lity w a s in fin
ite ly lefs at th e end , than at th e b e g in n in g o f th e month.
A u g u f t .] T h e Su rp r ife tran fp or t failed on th e firft o f A u g u f t fo r
N o r fo lk Ifland , h a v in g on board th ir ty - fiv e male and one hundred and
f i f t y female co n v ic t s , tw o o f th e fuperintendants la te ly ar r iv ed , and one
d e p u ty com m ifla ry , M r . T h om a s F re em an , ap p ointed fu ch b y th e g o v
e rn o r ’ s w a r ran t. T h e r e came ou t in th e N ep tu n e a p e r fon o f th e
nam e o f W e n tw o r th , w h o , b e in g d efirous o f fom e em p lo ym en t in this
c o u n t r y , w a s n o w fen t to N o r fo lk Ifland to a d as an affiftant to th e
fu rg e o n th e re , b e in g rep u ted to h a v e th e n e ce flary requifites fo r fu ch a
fitu a tion .
O n th e 8th, th e S c a rb orou gh failed fo r C an to n , and the N ep tu n e was
p rep a r in g to fo llo w h e r as fo on as fhe cou ld be cleared o f th e ca rgo ih e
h ad o n board u p o n a c coun t o f g o ve rnm en t. W h i le this w a s d eliv erin
g , fom e o f the c o n v id s w h o came ou t in th a t Ihip p u t in be fo re th e
ju d g e -a d v o c a te th e ir claims u p on th e matter, M r . D o n a ld T r a i l, n o t
o n ly fo r c lo th in g and otht»,- ar tic les, but fo r m o n e y , w h ic h th e y ftated
to h a v e be en tak en from th em at th e tim e o f th e ir em bark ation, and
h ad n e v e r fin c e be en re turn ed to them. M a n y o f thefe claims w e r e
difp uted b y M r . T r a i l , and others w e r e fettled to the fa t is fa d io n #o f th e
claimants ; b u t o f th e ir c lo th in g , k n iv e s , b u ck le s , & c . h e cou ld g iv e
n o o th e r a c co u n t, th an th a t h e was d ir e d e d b y the nav al ag ent, L i e u - ,
ten an t S h ap co te , to d e ftro y th em at th e ir embarkation fo r o bvious rea-
fo n s , ten d in g to the fa fe ty o f th e Ihip and fo r th e p re fe rv a tion o f th e ir
h e alth s .
O n the 19 th th e N e p tu n e w a s cleared and d ifcha rged th e fe rv ice ,
h a v in g land ed th e ca rg o fhe b ro u g h t ou t on g o v e rnm en t ac co u n t in
g o o d con d ition . P rep a ra to ry to h e r fa ilin g fo r C h in a , fhe quitted the
co v e on th e 2 2d ; fo o n after w h ic h , in fo rm a tion b e in g re c e ived that
fev eral c o n v id s p u rp o fed to attempt m a k in g th e ir efcape in h e r from
th e c o lo n y , a fm a ll armed p a r ty o f foldiers w a s fent on board he r ,
u n d e r th e d i r e d io n o f L ieu ten an t L o n g * o f th e marines, to fearch th e
fh ip , w h e n o n e man and one w om a n w e r e fo u n d o n board. T h e man
* Appointed by Governor Philip, after the arrival of the New South Wales corps, to
do the duty of town-adjutant.
' 3'
w a s one w h o had ju f t a r r iv ed in th e c o lo n y , an d , b e in g fo o n tired o f
h is fituation , had p reva iled on fom e o f the p e o p le t o fecrete h im am o n g
th e fire -w o o d w h ic h th e y h ad taken on board. In the n ig h t an o th e r
p e r fon fw am o f f to th e fh ip ,' and was re c e iv ed b y the ' gua rd . H e
p leaded being, a free m an , but as he h ad ta k en a v e r y im prop e r mode
o f q u it tin g th e c o lo n y , h e w a s , b y o rd e r o f th e g o v e rn o r , p u n ifh ed the
d a y fo llow in g , together w i th the c o n v id w h o h ad be en fo u n d concealed
am o n g th e fire -w o o d . T h e N ep tu n e failed on th e 2 4 th , le a v in g b eh in d
h e r o n e mate M r . F o r fa r , and tw o f e am e n ; and th e co v e w a s once
m ore w ith o u t a- fhip-.
A n e x cu r fio a in to th e c o u n t r y had been u nd ertaken th is m on th b y
C ap ta in T e n c h and fom e o th e r officers. T h e y w e r e ab fent f ix days*
and on th e ir return w e lea rned , that th e y had p roceed ed in a d ir e d io n
S . S. W . o f R o fe H i l l ; th a t th e y m e t w i th fre fh w a te r ru n n in g to the
n o r thw a rd ; fo u n d th e traces o f nativ es w h e r e v e r th e y w e n t , and paffed
th ro u g h a v e r y bad c o u n t r y in te r fe d e d e v e r y w h e re w i th deep ra v in e s .
T h e y had rea fon to th in k , that in r a in y w e a th e r th e ru n o f w a te r
w h ic h th e y met w i th rofe ab ov e its o rd in a ry le v e l b e tw e en th ir ty and
fo r t y fe e t. T h e y faw a flo ck o f emu’ s tw e lv e in numb er.
I t h a v in g been fo u n d th a t th e arms and am m u n ition w h ic h w e r e
entru fted to th e c o n v id s re fid in g at th e diftant farms fo r th e ir p ro -
t e d io n ag a in ft th e na tiv e s, w e r e mad e a v e r y different u fe o f, an order
w a s g iv e n re c a llin g th em , and p ro h ib itin g a n y c o n v id s from g o in g out
w i th arms, e x c e p t M ‘ In tire , B u rn , and R a n d a ll, w h o w e r e licen fed
game -k ille rs .
T h e c le rg ym an com p la in in g o f n on-a ttend ance at d iv in e fe rv ic e ,
w h ic h it m uft be ob fe rv ed w a s g en e ra lly p e r formed in th e o pen a ir ,
alik e unfheltered from w in d and ra in , as from th e fe r v o r o f the fum -
mer’ s fu n , it was ordered th a t th re e p oun d s o f flo u r fh o u ld be d e d u d e d
from the ra tion o f each ove rfe e r , and tw o p oun d s from th a t o f each
la b o u r in g c o n v id , w h o fh ould n o t attend p ra y e r s o n ce o n each S u n d
a y , unlefs fome reafonable e x cu fe fo r th e ir ab fence fh ould b e afligned .
T o w a r d the latter end o f th e m on th a cr im in a l co u r t w a s held fo r
th e tr ial o f H u g h L o w , a c o n v id , w h o had be en in th e G u a rd ian , and
w h o w a s in, cu fto d y fo r fte a lin g a fheep, th e p ro p e r ty o f M r . P a lmer
th e com m ifla ry . B e in g m o ft c le a r ly c o n v id e d o f the offence b y the
s 2 e v id en ce