*30
S u c h as fh o u ld be de firous o f re tu rn in g to E n g lan d w e r e in fo rm ed ,
th a t no o bftacle w o u ld be th row n in th e ir w a y , th e y b e in g at lib e r ty
to fh ip th em fe lv e s on board o f fu c li v effels as w o u ld g iv e th em a p af-
fa g e . A n d th o fe w h o p re fe rred la b o u r in g fo r th e p u b lic , and r e c e iv in
g in return fu ch ra tion as fh ould be iffued from th e p u b lic ftores,
w e r e to g iv e in th e ir names to the c om m iffa ry , w h o w o u ld v ic tu a l and
clo th e th em as lo n g as th e ir fe rv ice s m ig h t be required.
O f th o fe , he re and at Parramatta, w h o had fulfilled the fentence o f
th e law , b y fa r th e greater part fign ified th e ir in ten tion o f re tu rn in g to
E n g lan d b y the firft o p p o r tu n i t y ; b u t the g e t tin g aw a y from the
c o lo n y w a s n ow a matter o f fom e d ifficu lty , as it w a s un d e rfto od th a t
a c lau fe w a s to be inferted in all fu tu r e co n tra& s fo r fla p p in g fo r this
c o u n t r y , lu b je f t in g the matters to ce rtain p enalties, on certificates b e in g
re c e iv e d o f th e ir h a v in g b ro u g h t aw a y a n y con v ibts o r o th e r perfons
from th is fettlement w i th o u t th e g o v e rn o r ’ s p e rm iffio n ; and as it
w a s n o t p rob ab le th a t m a n y o f th em w o u ld , on th e ir re tu rn , refra in
from the v ic e s o r a v o id th e fo c ie ty o f th o fe com pan ion s w h o h ad
b e en th e caufes o f th e ir tran fp ortation to th is c o u n t ry , n o t m a n y could
h o p e to o b ta in th e fan£tion o f th e g o v e rn o r fo r th e ir return.
W i th v e r y few e x c ep tio n s , h ow e v e r , th e u n ifo rm good' b eh a v io u r
o f th e conv id ts w a s ftill to be noted and commend ed .
S e p tem b e r .] T h e m on th o f Sep tem be r was u fh e red in w i th ra in ,
and ftorms o f w in d , th u n d e r , and lig h tn in g . A t Parramatta and
T o o n g a b b e to o , as w e ll as at S y d n e y , m u ch ra in fe ll fo r fe v e ra l d ay s .
O n th e re turn o f fine w e a th e r , it w a s feen w i th g enera l fa tis fa& io n,
th a t th e w h e a t fo w n at th e la tter fettlement lo o k ed and p rom ifed w e l l,
and had n o t fuffered from the rain.
E a r ly in th e m on th th e cr iminal cou r t w a s aflembled fo r the tr ial o f
B en jam in In g ram , a man w h o had fe rv ed th e term fo r w h ic h h e w a s
o rd e red to be tranfp orted . H e had bro k en in to a hou fe b e lo n g in g to
a fem ale convidk, in w h ic h h e w a s detedled p a c k in g u p h e r p ro p e r ty
fo r rem o va l. B e in g fo u n d g u il ty , h e re c e iv ed fentence o f death ; b u t ,
o n th e re com m en d ation o f the co u r t, th e g o v e rn o r w a s in d u ced to
g ra n t h im a pard on, u p on co n d it io n o f h is re fid in g fo r life on N o r fo lk
Ifland . W i t h th is e x ten fio n o f m e r c y th e cu lp r it was no t made acquainted
quainted till th a t m om en t h ad ar riv ed w h ich h e th o u g h t w a s to fep a-
rate»him from th is w o r ld fo r ever. U p o n th e lad d e r, and e x p e& in g
to be turn ed o ff, th e co n d ition on w h ich his life w a s fpared w a s c om m
un ica ted to h im ; and w i th gratitude both to G o d and the g o v e rn o r ,
h e re c e iv ed th e w e lcom e tidings. H e afterw ard s con fe ffed , th a t h e
had fo r fome time p aft been in the hab it o f .com m ittin g burg laries and
o th e r d ep red a tion s ; fo r , h a v in g tak en h im fe lf o f f th e ftores to a v o id
w o r k in g fo r the p u b lic , h e w a s fr e q u e n t ly diftreffed fo r fo o d , and w a s
th us com pelled to fu p p o r t h im fe lf at the e x p en c e p e rh ap s o f th e h o n e ft
and in d uftr ious . H e re a d ily fo u n d a rafcal to re c e iv e w h a t p r o p e r ty
h e could p rocu re fo r fale, and fo r a lo n g time efcaped d e te ftio n . T h is
d ep rav ed man had tw o b ro thers in th e c o lo n y ; one w h o came ou t
w i th h im in th e firft fleet, and w h o h ad b e en fo r fom e time a fo b e r ,
h a rd -w o r k in g , in d u ftr iou s fettler, h a v in g alfo fe rv ed th e te rm o f his
tran fp o r ta tio n ; the o th e r b ro th e r came o u t in th e laft y e a r , and bo re
th e cha rac te r o f a w e ll-b eh a v ed m a n .. T h e r e w a s alfo a fo u r th b r o th e r ;
b u t h e w a s e x e cu ted in E n g lan d . I t w a s faid; that th e fe u n fo r tu n a te
m en h ad h one ft and in d u ftr iou s p eop le fo r th e ir p a r e n t s ; th e y co u ld
n o t , h ow e v e r , h a v e p aid m u ch a ttention to th e morals o f th e ir fam
ily ; o r , o u t o f fo u r , fom e m ig h t fu r e ly h a v e laid c laim to th e ch a -
r a f te r o f th e parents.
T h e cr im in a l co u r t w a s ag ain aflembled on th e 20 th o f th is m on th ,
fo r th e tr ial o f W il liam G o d f r e y , w h o w a s ta k en up o n a fu fp ie io n o f
h a v in g fe ized th e o p p o r tu n ity o f fom e fe f t iv it y on board o f the B r itan n ia ,
th en n e a r ly re a d y fo r fea, and tak en h a l f a b arrel o f p ow d e r o u t o f
th e g u n - ro om , ab out n in e o ’ c lo c k at n ig h t. P r o o f h ow e v e r w a s n o t
b ro u g h t home to h im ; alth o u gh m a n y circumftances in d u ced e v e r y
on e to fup pofe h e w a s th e g u i l ty perfon.
T h is m on th w a s fix ed fo r b e g in n in g th e n ew barracks. F o r th e
p r iv a te foldiers there w e r e to. be E v e b u ild in g s , each on e hun d red fe e t
b y tw e n ty - fo u r in fro n t, and co n n e c ted b y a flig h t b r ick w a ll. A t
each end w e r e to be tw o apartments fo r officers, fe v e n ty - fiv e fe e t b y
e ig h t e e n ; each apartment con ta in in g fo u r ro om s fo r th e ir a c com m o d
ation, w i th a paffage o f fix te en feet. O f th e fe b a rrack s , one at each
e n d w a s to h e c o n f t ru a e d at r ig h t angles w i th th e fro n t, fo rm in g a
w in g to th e centre b u ild in gs . K itch en s w e r e to b e b u ilt, w i th o th e r
co n v en ien t