o f f from th e p u b lic flo r e , fom e o n e , and others tw o co n v ic t s , to affift
in p rep a r in g th e ir g ro u n d s fo r th e n e x t fea fon. T h e fait p rov ifion s
w i th w h ic h th e y fu p p lied th em th e y p ro cu red b y ba rtering th e ir co rn
fo r th a t ar tic le , re fe rv in g a fu ffic ien c y fo r th e fu p p o r t o f them fe lv e s and
fam ilie s , and fo r feed. M r . S ch a ffe r from a fmall p atch o f g round g o t
in about tw o h u n d red bu fh e ls o f In d ian co rn ; and w i th the affiftance
o f fo u r c o n v id s e x p e d e d to h a v e th ir ty acres in cu ltiv a tio n the n e x t
fe a fon . B u t others o f th e fettlers, in a tten tiv e to th e ir ow n in te re fls , and
m o r e d efirous o f a cq u ir in g fo r the p refent w h a t th e y d eemed com fo r ts ,
th an flu d io u s to p ro v id e fo r th é fu tu r e , n o t o n ly n e g le d e d th e cu ltiv a tio
n o f th e ir lands, b u t fo ld th e b re ed in g f lo c k w i th w h ic h th e y h ad
b e en fu p p lied b y o rd e r o f th e g o v e rn o r . T w o fettlers o f th e fo rm e r
d e fc r ip tio n h a v in g c le a r ly fo r fe ited th e ir g ran ts , and it b e in g u n d e r fto o d
th a t th e y d id n o t in ten d to p roce ed to cu ltiv a tio n a n y fu r th e r than to
fa v e appearances till th e y cou ld g e t aw a y , th e ir grants w e r e ta k en from
th em , and o th e r fettlers placed on th e groun d s . B u t e x c lu fiv e o f th e
id le p e o p le , o f w h ic h th e re w e r e but few , th e fettlers w e r e fo u n d in
g en e ra l to be d o in g v e r y w e l l, th e ir farms p rom ifin g to place th em
lh o r t ly in a ftate o f in d ep end en ce on th e p u b lic flo re s in th e articles o f
p ro v ifio n s and g ra in ; and it m u ll n o t be omitted in th is a c cou n t, th a t
th e y h ad to com b a t w i th th e bad e f fe d s o f a fh o r t and red uced ra tion
n e a r ly th e w h o le o f th e tim e th a t th e y h ad be en em p lo y ed in cu ltiv atin
g g ro u n d o n th e ir o w n ac count.
M a n y complaints h a v in g been made b y th e fettlers, o f depredations
com m itted on th e ir In d ian co rn b y fom e o f th e c o n v id s , it w a s o rd
e red , th a t e v e r y c o n v id re fid in g at Parramatta, w h o fh ould be fu l ly
c o n v id e d b e fo re a magiftra te o f Healing In d ian co rn , fh o u ld , in ad d ition
to fu ch co rp o ra l p u n ifhm en t as h e m ig h t th in k it n e ce fla ry to ad ju d g e ,
b e fen t from P a r ram a tta to the N ew G ro u n d s , th e re to b e em p lo y ed in
cu ltiv a tio n . M r . R ic h a rd A tk in s , w h o came o u t in th e Pitt; and w h o
h ad b e en fw o rn a ju f t ic e o f the p e a c e , w e n t u p to Parramatta to refid e
th e re , th e c o n fla n t prefence o f a magiftra te b e in g d eemed b y th e g o v
e rn o r in d ifp en fab le at that fettlement.
I t w a s fo o n p e rce iv ed , th a t th e p u n ifhm en t o f b e in g fen t from Parram
atta w a s m o r e dreaded b y th e c o n v id s than a n y co rp o ral c o r r e d io n ,
h ow e v e r fe v e re , that could h a v e be en in f lid e d o n them. T h e b e in g
d ep r ived
d ep r iv ed o f a com fo rtable h u t and ga rd en, and q u it tin g a p lace w h e n c e
th e com m u n ica tion w i th S y d n e y w a s frequent, p a r ticu la r ly w h en {h ip p
in g we re in th e c o v e , operated fo p ow e r fu lly w i th one o ffender, w h o
w a s ordered out to th e N ew G ro u n d s , that h e ch o fe ra th e r to m ak e an
a ttem p t to d e flro y h im fe lf than be fent th i th e r ; and h ad v e r y n e a r ly
e f fe d e d his p u rp o fe , h a v in g made an in c ifio n in his n e ck o f fu ch d epth
as to la y bare the carotid ar te ry .
In ad d ition to the depredations o f ou r o w n p e o p le , th e n ativ e s h ad
fo r fome tim e been fu fp e d e d o f Healing the co rn at th e fettlements b e y
o n d Parramatta. O n the 18 th a p a r ty o f th e tr ibe in h a b itin g th e
w o o d s , to th e n um b e r o f fifte en o r fix te e n , w a s o bfe rv ed c om in g o u t
o f a h u t at th e m id d le fe ttlem en t, dreffed in fu ch c lo th in g as th e y fo u n d
th e re , and ta k in g w i th th em a q u a n tity o f co rn in nets. T h e p e r fon
w h o faw th em im agined at fir fi from th e ir appearance th a t th e y w e r e
c o n v id s ; b u t p e r c e iv in g on e o f th em p rep a r in g to th r ow a fp ear a t h im ,
h e le v e lled h is p ie c e , w h ic h w a s loaded w i th fmall fh o t, and fired a t
h im . T h e n ativ e in fia n tly dropp ed his fp e a r , and th e w h o le p a r ty ran
aw a y , le a v in g b eh in d th em th e nets w i th th e c o rn , fom e blankets, and
o n e o r tw o fpears. I t w a s fup po fed th a t th e n a tiv e w a s w o u n d e d ; fo r
in a few d a y s in fo rm a tion w a s re c e ived from Parramatta, that a c o n v id
w h o w a s em p lo y ed in w e ll-d ig g in g at P r o fp e d H i l l , h a v in g com e in
from th en ce to re c e iv e fom e flops w h ic h w e r e iffu ed , w a s o n h is re tu rn
m e t m idw a y and murd ered , o r ra the r bu tch e red b y fom e o f th e n atives.
W h e n th e b o d y w a s fo u n d , it w a s n o t qu ite co ld , and h ad at le a fi
th ir ty fp ear w o u n d s in it. T h e head w a s cu t in fe v e ral places, and
m o fi o f th e teeth w e r e k n o ck e d out. T h e y had ta k en his c lo th in g and
p ro v ifio n s , and th e p ro v ifio n s o f an o th e r m an w h ic h h e w a s c a r r y in g
ou t to h im . T h e nativ es w i th w h om w e h ad in te r courfe faid , th a t th is
m urd er w a s com m itted b y fom e o f the p eop le w h o inhab ited th e w o o d s ,
and w a s done p ro b a b ly in re v en g e fo r th e fh o t that w a s fired at th e native
s w h o fome tim e b efore w e r e Hrip ping th e hut.
T o w a rd the end o f th e m on th th e co rn w a s all g o t in and h ou fed at
Parramatta. A s the ground s w e r e cleared o f the fia lk s , th e depredations
w h ic h had been committed became v i f ib le ; and fe v e ra l o f th e c o n v id s
w e r e d etected b y th e n ig h t-w a tch in b r in g in g in la rg e quantities o f
fhelled co rn w h ic h h ad b e en fio le n , buried o r concealed in th e w o o d s ,
an d