k e ep in e x c e llen t o rd er. T h e i r flig h t w a s n o t d ifcov e red un til th e y
h a d be en fom e h ours w i th o u t th e H e ad s .
T h e y w e r e traced from B r y a n t ’ s h u t to th e P o in t , and in th e p ath
w e r e fo u n d a h an d - faw , a fc a le , and fo u r o r fiv e p oun d s o f r ic e , flu tte
red about in different- p lace s , w h ic h , it w a s e v id en t; th e y h ad d ropped
in th e ir hatyd. A t the P o in t, w h e re fom e o f th e p a r ty m u ff h a v e be en
ta k en in , j$ fe in e b e lo n g in g to g o v e rnm en t w a s fo u n d , w h ic h , b e in g
to o la rg e fo r B r y a n t’ s p u rp o fe , h e h ad e x ch an g e d fo r a fmaller th a t h e
h ad made fo r an office r , and w h ic h h e h ad from tim e to tim e e x cu fed
h im fe lf from c om p le tin g and fen d in g home.
T h e names o f the fe defpe rate ad v en ture rs w e r e ,
Came in the
firft fleet.
William Bryant, - His fentence was expired.
Mary Braud his wife, ^ gjje [jatj two years to ferve.
He had one year to ferve..
He was tranfported for life.
He had one year and four months to ferve.
He was tranfported for life.
He had four years and four months to ferve.
He was tranfported for life. # .
He had five years and one month to ferve.
S o fo o n as it w a s k n o w n in th e fettlement th a t B r y a n t h ad g o t ou t
o f rea ch , w e lea rned th a t D e tm e r Sm ith , th e matter o f th e W a a k fam -
h e y d , h ad fo ld h im a compa fs and a quad rant, and had fu rn ifh ed h im
w i th a ch a r t, to g e th e r w i th fu ch in fo rm a tion as w o u ld afiift h im in his
p afia ge to th e n o r thw a rd . O n fe a rch in g B r y a n t ’s h u t, cavities un d e r
th e boards w e r e fo u n d , w h e r e h e h ad feeured th e compafs and fu ch
o th e r articles as requ ired c o n c e a lm e n t: and h e had co n t r iv e d his efcape
w i th fu ch addrefs, th a t a lth o u g h h e was w e l l k n ow n to be ab ou t m a k in g
a n attemp t, y e t h o w fa r h e w a s prepa red , as w e l l as th e tim e w h e n
h e m eant to g o , rem ain ed a fecret. M o t t o f h is com pan ion s w e re
co n n e c ted w i th w om e n ; but i f th e fe k n ew a n y th in g , th e y w e r e too
fa ith fu l to tho fe th e y liv e d w i th to re v e al it. H a d the w om en be en
b o u n d to th em b y a n y ties o f a f fe d io n , fea r fo r th e ir fa fe ty , o r th e
d iflik e to part, m ig h t h a v e in d u ced fome o f th em to h a v e defeated th e
en te rprife ; b u t n o t h a v in g a n y in te re ft eithe r in th e ir flig h t , o r in th e ir
rem a in in g
and two children,
James Martin,
James C o x , - -
Samuel Bird, - -
("William A llen, gj
Came in the J Samuel Broom, -
fécond fleet, j Nathaniel L illy , -
[.William Morton,
157
rem a in in g h e re , th e y "Were filent on th e fu b je d . F o r on e y o u n g
w om a n , Sarah Y o u n g , a letter w a s fo u n d th e n e x t m o rn in g , w r it te n
b y J ame s C o x , and le ft at a place w h e re he w a s ac cuftomed to w o r k
i n his leifure hou rs as a .cab inet-maker , co n ju r in g h e r to g iv e o v e r th e
p u r fu it o f th e v ice s w h ic h , he to ld h e r , p re v a iled in th e fe ttlem en t,
le a v in g to her- w h a t little p ro p e r ty h e d id no t ta k e w i th h im , and
a flign in g as a rea fon fo r his flig h t th e fe v e r ity o f h is fitu a tion , b e in g
tranfported fo r life , w ith o u t th e p r o fp e a o f a n y m itig a tion , or h o pe o f
e v e r q u it tin g th e - c o u n t r y , b u t b y the means h e w a s ab out to adopt.
It- w a s c o n je d u r e d th a t th e y w o u ld fle e r fo r T im o r , o r B a ta v ia , as
th e ir afliftance and in fo rm a tion we re d e riv ed from the D u tc h fn ow . |
T h e fitu ation o f th e fe p eo p le w a s v e r y different from that o f T a r -
w o o d and h is aflociates, w h o w e r e b u t ill p ro v id ed fo r an u n d e r ta k in g
fo perilous ; b u t B r y a n t h ad lo n g a v a iled h im fe lf o f th e o p p or tu n itie s
g iv e n h im b y fe llin g fifh to c o l le d p ro v ifio n s to g e th e r , and h is bo a t
w a s a v e r y g o o d o n e , and in e x c e llen t o r d e r ; fo th a t the re w a s little
rea fon to d oubt th e ir re a ch in g T im o r , i f n o d iflenfion p re v a iled am o n g
th em , and th e y had b u t p ru d en ce en ou gh to gu a rd a g ain ft th e nativ es
w h e re v e r th e y m ig h t land. W il liam M o r to n w a s faid to k n o w fome-
th in g o f n av ig a tio n ; James C o x had end eavoured to a cqu ire fu ch in fo
rm a tion on th e fu b je d as m ig h t fe rv e h im w h en e v e r a fit occafion
fh o u ld p refent i t f e l f ; and B r y a n t and B ird k n ew p e r f e d ly w e l l h o w
to manage a boat. W h a t f to r y th e y cou ld in v en t on th e ir a r r iv al at
a n y p o r t , fu ffic ien tly p lau fib le to p re v en t fu fp ic io n o f th e ir real ch a -
r a d e r s , it w a s n o t e a fy to im a g ine . ; _
T h e depredations com m itted on th e In d ian co rn a t R o fe H i l l w e r e
n o w fo freq u en t and fq e x te n f iv e , th a t it became ab folu te ly n e ce fla ry to
p u n iih fu ch offenders as w e re d e te d e d w i th a feve'rity th a t m ig h t d eter
o th e r s ; to. th is en d , iro n co llars o f fe v en pound s w e ig h t w e re ordered
as a p uniftim ent fo r fla g fan t offenders, w h o w e r e alfo lin k ed to g e th e r
b y a ch a in , w ith o u t w h ic h p re cau tion th e y w o u ld ftill h a v e con tin u ed
to p lu n d e r th e p u b lic grounds. T h e b a k e r at th a t fettlement abfconded
w i th a q u an tity o f flou r w i th w h ic h h e h ad be en en tru fted , b e lo n g in g
to the m ilita ry on d u ty th e re , and o th e r perfonS. H e w a s taken fom e
d a y s afterw ard in the w o o d s near S y d n e y . I t mutt be rem ark ed ,
however,