T h e num b e rs w h o died b y ficknefs' in the y e a r 1 7 9 1 w e r e , o n e o f
th e c iv il e ftab lilhm ent (H . E . D o d d ) ; tw o fo ld ie r s ; one h u n d red arid
f ifty - fiv e male and e ig h t fem a le c o n v ic t s ; and fiv e c h ild r e n : in a ll
o n e h u n d red and fe v en ty -o n e p e r fon s ( tw e n ty -e ig h t m ore th an h ad
died d u r in g the p re ced in g y e a r ) .
In th e ab ov e tim e o n e male conv iCt w a s e x e c u t e d ; one d r o w n e d ;
fo u r lo ft in th e w o o d s (e x c lu fiv e o f th e I r ilh co n v ic t s w h o had ab-
fcon d ed , o f w h om n o ce rta in a c co u n t w a s p r o c u r e d ) ; one d e ftroy ed
h im f e l f ; and e ig h t m en , o n e w om a n , and tw o ch ild ren , h ad ru n
from th e fe t t lem e n t ; m a k in g a lofs o f one h u n d red and e ig h ty -n in e
p erfons.
C H A P . X Y I .
TH E QUEEN SAILS FOR NORFOLK ISLAND.— WHALERS ON TH EIR FISHING
VOYAGES.----CONVICTS MISSING.— VARIOUS DEPREDATIONS.— DISPENSARY
AND BAKE-HOUSE ROBBED.----PROCLAMATION.---- A CRIMINAL COURT HELD.
----CONVICT EXECUTED.----TRANSACTIONS.— THE P IT T W ITH LIEU TEN A N TGOVERNOR
GROSE ARRIVES;— MILITARY DUTY FIXED FOR PARRAMATTA.
— GOODS SELLING AT SYDNEY FROM THE P IT T .----THE P IT T ORDERED TO
BE DISPATCHED TG NORFOLK ISLAND.— COMMISSIONS READ.— SICKNESS.—
TH E P IT T SAILS.— MR. BURTON KILLED.----STpRMY WEATHER.—-PUBLIC
WORKS.— REGULATIONS RESPECTING PERSONS WHO HAD SERVED TH EIR
TERMS’ OF TRANSPORTATION.----NATIVES.
J a n u a r y 1 7 9 2 .] E A R L Y in this m on th f ix t y - tw o p e o p le , fe ttle rs
and co n v ic t s , w i th M r . B a y n e , th e ch ap lain o f the N ew S o u th W a le s
corps, (w h o o ffe red his fe rv ice s , as th e re n e v e r had be en a c le rg ym an
there,) embarked o n board th e Q u e e n tranfp ort fo r N o r fo lk Ifland,
th e matter o f th a t fh ip h a v in g en g a g ed to c a r r y th em and a ce rtain
q u a n t ity o f p ro v ifio n s th ith e r fo r th e fum o f 1 5 0 1. ' O f the fettlers
tw e n ty - tw o w e r e la te ly d ifcha rg ed from th e m arin e fe rv ic e , and th e
rem ain d e r w e r e c o n v i& s ; fome o f th e la tte r, w h o fe terms o f tran fp or tation
ation h ad e x p ire d , had ch o fen N o r fo lk Wand to fettle in , and o the rs
w e r e fen t to be em p lo y ed fo r th e p ub lic .
T h is fh ip , w i th the A dm ira l B a r r in g to n fo r In d ia , failed o n th e
6 th ; and th e Salamander and B r itannia w h a le rs on the, 7 th , th e matters
o f th e tw o latter flrips f ig n ify in g an in ten tion o f c ru ifin g fo r thre e
mon th s u p on this c o a f t ; at th e end o f w h ic h tim e , a c co rd in g to th e ir
fuc ce fs , th e y w o u ld either return to th is port,' o r p u r fu e th e ir v o y a g e
to th e n o rthwa rd .
S e v e ra l c o n v id s attemp ted to efcap e from th e fe ttlem en t o n b o ard
o f th e fe fhip s, fom e o f w h om w e re difeo ve red b e fo re th e y failed , an d ,
b e in g b ro u g h t on fh o re , w e r e p u n i lh e d ; b u t th e re w a s grea t rea fon
to fu p p o fe th a t others w e re fec reted b y th e co n n iv an c e o f th e feamen,
and e luded th e repeated fearches w h ic h w e r e made fo r them.
In ad d ition to th is ex p o r ta tio n , th e c o lo n y lo ft fom e u fe fu l p eo p le
w h om it cou ld ill fp a r e ; b u t w h o , th e ir terms o f tran fp ortation
h a v in g e x p ire d , w o u ld n o t be in d u ced to rem a in in th e fe ttlem en t,
and cou ld no t be p re ven ted from q u it tin g it.
B y the com m ifla ry ’ s rep or t o f th e m utte r it ap p eared , th a t fo r ty -
fo u r m en and n in e .w om en w e r e ab fent and u n a c cou n ted f o r ; am o n g
w h ic h n um b e r w e r e in c lu d ed th o fe w h o w e r e w a n d e r in g in th e w o o d s ,
fe e k in g fo r a n ew fettlem ent, o r en d e a v o u r in g to g e t in to th e p a th to
C h in a ! O f thefe p eo p le m a n y , after lin g e r in g a lo n g - tim e , and e x ift-
in g m e r e ly on roots and w i ld berries, p e r ilh ed m ife rab ly . O th e rs
fo u n d th e ir w a y in , after b e in g abfent fe v e ra l w e e k s , and repor ted th e
fate o f th e ir w r e tch ed com p an io n s, b e in g th em fe lv e s red uced to n e a r ly
the fame co n d ition , w o rn d ow n and e xh au fted w ith fa tig u e and w a n t
o f p rop e r fuftenance. Y e t , a lth o u gh th e appearance o f the fe p eop le
con firm ed th e ir ac co u n t o f w h a t th e y h ad u n d e rg o n e , others w e r e ftill
fo u n d ign o ran t arid w e a k en o u g h to ru n in to th e w o o d s impreffed
w i th th e id ea o f either re a ch in g C h in a b y lan d , o r fin d in g a n ew fettlem
en t Lw h e r e lab ou r w o u ld n o t be im p o fed o n th em , and w h e re th e
inhabitants w e r e c iv il and peaceable. T w o o f the fe w r e tch e s at th e
tim e o f th e ir ab fcon d in g m e t a c o n v i f t in th e ir w a y n o t fa r from the
n ew g ro u n d s , w h om th e y robbed o f h is p ro v ifio n s , and beat in fo cruel
a manner th a t, after la h g u ilh in g fo r fome tim e , h e died in th e ho fpital
at Parramatta. H e d efcr ibed th e ir p erfons, and m en tion ed th e ir
c c 2 n am e s ,