W e alfo learned that L ie u ten an t K in g , w h o failed h en ce th e 1 7 th
A p r i l 1 7 9 0 , ar riv ed in L o n d o n th e 20th d a y o f D e c em b e r fo llo w in g ,
h a v in g fuffe red m u ch d iftrefs after le a v in g B a ta v ia , w h en c e h e w a s
o b lig ed to g o to th e M a u r itiu s , h a v in g lo ft n e a r ly all the c r ew o f the
p a c k e t h e was in b y ficknefs. M r . M illa r , th e late com m ilfa ry , died on
th e 2 8 th o f A u g u f t .
W ith grea t fatisfafttion w e h e a rd , th a t from o u r g o v e rnm en t h a v in g
ad op ted a fy ftem o f fen d in g o u t c o n v if t s at tw o embarkations in e v e r y
y e a r , at w h ic h tim e p ro v ifio n s w e r e alfo to be fen t, it w a s n o t p ro b
ab le th a t w e fh o u ld ag a in exp e r ien c e th e m ife r y and w a n t w i th
w h ic h w e h ad be en b u t to o w e l l a cqua in ted , from n o t h a v in g had
a n y re g u la r mod e o f fu p p ly . In tim a tio n w a s lik ew ife g iv e n , that a
c a rg o o f g ra in m ig h t b e e x p e c te d t o a r r iv e from B en g a l, fom e merch
an ts at th a t fe ttlem en t h a v in g p rop o fed to L o r d C o rnw a llis , on hearin
g o f th e lo fs o f th e G u a rd ia n , to f r e ig h t a {hip w i th fu ch a ca rgo as
w o u ld b e adapted to th e w an ts o f th e c o lo n y , and to fu p p ly the different
ar ticles at a ch e ap e r rate th an th e y cou ld be fent h ith e r from E n g land
. W e w e r e alfo to e xp ed i a tranfp ort w i th liv e fto c k from th e
n o r th -w e ft co a ft o f Am e r ic a .
T h e m atte r , M a r k M o n ro e , had. no t a n y p r iv a te letters on b o a r d ;
b u t (w h a t added to th e d ifap p ointm ent e v e r y o n e exp e r ien c ed ) he h ad
n o t b ro u g h t a fin g le n ew fp a p e r ; an d , h a v in g 'b e en b u t a few weeks*-
from G re en la n d b e fo re h e failed fo r this c o u n t r y , h e w a s d eftitute o f
a n y k in d o f in fo rm a tion .
T h e M a r y A n n had a q u ic k p affage, h a v in g be en o n ly fo u r months
and fix te e n d a y s from E n g lan d . S h e to u ched n ow h e re , e x c ep t at th e
ill and o f St. la g o , w h e r e Ihe rem ained ten d ays. T h e matter landed
a b oat in a b a y on this coa ft ab out fifteen miles to th e fo u thw a rd o f
B o t a n y B a y ; b u t made n o o th e r o bfe rv ation o f a n y con fequen ce to
th e c o lo n y , th an th a t th e re w a s a b a y in w h ic h a bo a t m ig h t land.
T h e w om e n , w h o w e r e all v e r y h e a lth y , and w h o fp o k e h ig h ly o f
th e treatment w h ic h th e y had e xp e r ien c ed from M r . M o n ro e , we re 1
lan d ed im m ed ia te ly after the a r r iv al o f th e tran fp or t in th e co v e , and
w e r e diftributed am o n g the huts at S y d n e y , w h ile th e g o v e rn o r w e n t
u p to Parramatta to make fu ch prepa ration as th e tim e w o u ld admit
fo r th e numbers h e e x p e c ted to receive.
T h e
169
T h e c o n v if t s w h o fe te rms o f tranfportation had exp ired w e r e n o w
co lle& ed ," and b y th e au th o r ity o f the g o v e rn o r in fo rm ed , th a t fu ch o f
th em as w ifh e d to become fettlers in this c o u n t r y fh o u ld re c e iv e e v e r y
e n c o u r a g em e n t ; th a t th o fe w h o did not, w e r e to labour fo r th e ir p ro v
ifio n s , ftip u la tin g to w o r k fo r tw e lv e o r e igh te en mon th s c e r ta in ;
and th a t in th e w a y o f fuch as preferred re tu rn in g to E n g lan d no ob -
ftacles w o u ld be th row n , p rov id ed th e y cou ld p rocu re paffages from
th e matters o f fuch fhips as m ig h t a r r i v e ; b u t th a t th e y w e r e n o t to
expe£t a n y affiftance o n th e p art o f G o v e rnm e n t to th a t end. T h e
w i ih to re tu rn to th e ir friend s appeared to b e th e p re v a ilin g id ea , a few
o n ly g iv in g in th e ir names as fettlers, and none e n g a g in g to w o r k fo r
a ce rtain time.
W e had tw ic e in th is m on th fb u n d o cc a fio n to aflemble the cou r t o f
c r im in a l ju d ic a tu re . In th e n ig h t o f S a tu rd a y the 1 6 th, a fo ld ie r o f
th e marine d e ta chm en t w a s d e te tted b y th e patroles in th e fp irit ce llar
ad jo in in g to th e d ep u ty -com m iffa ry ’ s h o u fe , th e lo c k o f w h ic h h e h ad
fo rced . O n b e in g ta k en u p , h e offe red , i f h e could be admitted an
e v id en ce , to convhft tw o o th e r s ; w h ic h b e in g a llow e d , th e co u r t w a s
affembled on th e 1 9 th, w h e n tw o o f h is bro th e r fold iers w e r e t r ie d ;
b u t fo r w a n t-o f e v id en ce fu ffic ien tly ftron g to corrobora te th e te ft im o n y
o f the ac com p lice , th e y w e r e o f n e ce ffity acquitted . G o d f r e y th e accom
p lic e w a s afterw ard s tr ied b y a m ilita ry co u r t fo r n e g le c t o f d u ty
and d ifobed ience o f orders in q u it tin g his p o l l w h e n c e n t in e l ; w h ic h
o ffence b e in g p ro v e d ag a in ft h im , h e w a s fen ten ced to re c e iv e e ig h t
h und red lafhes, and to be d rummed ou t o f th e corps. In th e e v en in g
o f the d a y on w h ic h h e w a s tr ied (the 2 1 ft ) h e re c e iv ed th re e h u n d red
lafhes, and w a s d rum med ou t w i th e v e r y m a rk o f d ifgra ce th a t cou ld
be fh ew n h im . In a fh o r t time afte rw ard s th e tw o fold iers w h o h ad
been acquitted w e r e fen t to do d u ty at th e S o u th H e ad . T h e r e w a s
little ro om to d oubt, b u t that in con ce rt w i th G o d f r e y th e y had av a iled
themfelv es o f th e ir fituations as c entin e ls , an d fr e q u en t ly entered th e
c e l la r ; and it w a s ju d g e d n e ce ffa ry to p lace th em w h e re th e y w o u ld
be difabled from con c e r tin g a n y fu tu r e fchem e w i th h im .
A convift; was tried fo r a b u rg la ry b y th e fame co u r t, but was a c qu
itted . O n th e 2 7 th an o th e r co u r t w a s affembled fo r th e tr ia l o f
James C h apm an , fo r a b u rg la r y com m itted in th e p re ced in g m on th
2 in