com m it th e c r im e fo r w h ic h h e fuffered . H e appeared d efirous o f
d e a th , d e c la r in g th a t h e k n ew h e co u ld no t liv e w ith o u t Healing.
In fo rm a tio n h a v in g b e en re c e iv ed , th a t a g rea t b o d y o f conv id ts at
th e n ew g ro u n d s in ten d ed to fe iz e fom e arms w h ic h had be en g iv e n to
th e fettlers fo r th e ir p ro te c tio n a g a in !! th e na tiv e s, and (after ro b b in g
th e ir huts) to p roce ed to th e fea--coaft, w h e r e , d e ftr o y in g e v e r y pe rfon
w h o fh o u ld o p p ofe th em , th e y w e r e to b u ild a v e fle l, a c o n v i f t w h o
w a s faid to be a rin g lead e r w a s ta k en u p , an d , u p on th e in fo rm a tion
w h ic h h e g a v e , fiv e others w e r e ap p reh end ed and cha ined to g e t h e r ; in
w h ic h fitu a tion th e y con tin u ed fo r fom e tim e , w h e n th e ir fcheme h a v in
g been d efeated , and o th e r fteps tak en to p re v en t th e ir p u ttin g it in
e x e cu t io n , th e y w e re lib e rated , and re turned to th e ir ufual labour.
In fo rm a tio n w o u ld h a v e be en at all time s m ore r e a d ily p rocured from
th e fe p e o p le , had th e y n o t been co n ftan tly ap p reh enfive o f r e c e iv in g ill-
tre a tm en t n o t o n ly from th e parties con ce rn ed , b u t from others w h o
w e r e n o t ; and a lth o u gh e v e r y afiirrance o f p ro te c tio n w a s g iv e n b y
th o fe w h o w e r e au th or ifed to hold it o u t, y e t it w a s no t fo u n d fufficient
to d o aw a y th e dread th e y w e r e faid to la b o u r und er. A c c id e n t , o r a
q u a r re l am o n g th em fe lv e s , fom e tim e s fu rn ilh e d in fo rm a tion that w a s
n o t o th e rw ife to b e p r o c u r e d ; and in g en e ra l to one o r o th e r o f the fe
caufes w a s to b e attributed e v e r y in fo rm a tion that w a s re c e ived o f a n y
mal-pra£tices am o n g them .
A p e r fon w h o h ad been em p lo y ed u n d e r on e o f th e fuperintendants
a t Parrama tta , and in w h om , from an u n ifo rm ity o f g o od c o n d u it
d u r in g his re fid en c e in th is c o u n t ry , fom e tru ft w a s at time s p laced ,
w a s d e te c ted in g iv in g co rn to a fettler from the p u b lic g ra n a ry , to
w h ic h h e had o c c afion al accefs. T h e offence b e in g fu l ly p ro v ed , h e
w a s fentenced to re c e iv e th re e hu n d red lafhes, and th e p e r fon to w h om
h e had g iv e n th e co rn tw o h und red lafhes. I t w a s feen: w i th great-
co n c e rn , th a t the re w e r e bu t few am o n g th em w h o w e r e b o n e ft en ou gh
to r e fill a n y tem p ta tion that w a s placed in th e ir w a y .
A c o n v id w h o h ad ab fconded fiv e w e e k s fince w a s apprehended b y
fom e o f th e m ilita ry at th e head o f one o f th e co v e s le a d in g from Parramatta.
H e had b u ilt h im fe lf a h u t in the w o o d s , and faid w h en
b ro u g h t in , th a t h e h ad p r e fe rv e d his e x illen e e b y e atin g fu ch fifh as
h e w a s fo r tu n a te en o u g h to ca tch , ro ck o y fte r s , an d w i ld berr ies ; and
that
th a t th e natives had m ore th an once p urfued h im w h e n em p lo y e d in
th e fe refearches. B u t v e r y little credit w a s g iv e n to a n y a c coun t he
g a v e , and it w a s g en e ra lly fup po fed that he h ad .liv e d b y o c c a fio n a lly
v ifit in g and ro b b in g th e huts at S y d n e y and Parramatta. H e had
ta k en to th e w o o d s to av o id a p u nifhm en t w h ic h h u n g o v e r h im , and
w h ic h h e n o w received.
E a r ly in th e mon th e ig h t fettlers from th e m arines re c e iv ed then-
grants o f land fituated on the n o r th fid e o f th e h a rb ou r near th e Plats,
and named b y th e g o v e rn o r th e F ie ld o f M a rs .
T h e c o n v ia s em p lo y e d in cu ltiv a t in g and c le a r in g p u b lic g ro u n d be y
o n d Parramatta, h a v in g be en landed in a w e a k and fie k ly ftate, w o re
in g enera l a m o d miferable and emaciated ap p earance, and numbers o f
th em died d a ily . T h e red uced ra tion b y n o means con tr ibu ted to then-
am en dm en t; th e w h e a t that w a s raifed laft y e a r , ( fo u r h und red and f ix t y -
o n e bufhels,) after re fe rv in g a fu ffic ien c y fo r feed , w a s iffued to them
a t a p ou n d p e r man p e r w e e k , and a p ou n d o f ric e p e r w e e k w a s iffued
to each male c o n v ic t at S y d n e y .
-O n T u e fd a y th e 14 th th e fign a l .w a s made fo r a fa il, and fh o r t ly
after the P itt, C ap tain E dw a rd M a n n in g , an ch ored in th e .cove from
E n g lan d . S h e failed th e 1 7 th o f la ft J u ly from Y a rm o u th R o a d s , and
h ad ra th e r a lo n g paffa ge, to u c h in g a t St. Ia g o , R io de J an e iro , and the
C a p e o f G o o d H o p e . Sh e h ad on b o ard Franc is G r o fe , E fq . th e lie u ten
a n t-g o v e rn o r o f th e fe ttlem en ts , and m a jo r rcom m an d ant o f the N ew
S o u th W a le s co rp s , on e com p a n y o f w h ic h , to g e th e r w i th th e adjutant
an d .fa rgeon’ s mate, came ou t w i th h im .
S h e b ro u g h t ou t th re e h u n d red and n in e te en male and. fo r ty -n in e
fem ale ;convi£ts, fiv e ch ild ren , and fe v en f r e e w om e n ; w i th fait p ro v ifion
s calculated to fe r v e th a t n um b e r o f p eop le te n m on th s , b u t w h ic h
w o u ld o n ly fu rn ifh the c o lo n y w i th p ro v ifio n s fo r fo r ty d ay s . T h e
fu p p ly o f p rov ifion s w a s co n fin ed to fait meat, u n d e r an id ea th a t th e
c o lo n y w a s n o t in immediate w a n t o f flo u r , and that a fu p p ly h ad been
fen t from C a lcutta , w h ic h , to g e th e r w i th w h a t h ad be en p rocu red from
B a ta v ia , th a t w h ic h h ad b e e n feast b e fo re from E n g la n d , and th e gra in
th a t m ig h t h a v e been raifed in -the fe ttlem en ts , w o u ld be adequate to
o u r con fum p tion fo r the prefent. T h e difp atche s , h ow e v e r , w h ic h had
be en fo rw a rd e d from th is place b y the Ju ftin ian in J u ly 1 7 9 0 h a v in g
D d be en