p e r ty to a in a g iftra te , g iv in g at th e fame tim e an ac co u n t h o w h e came
b y th em . A l l the fe c ircum ftan ce s w e r e produced, in e v id en cé b efore a
cr im in a l c o u r t ; b u t th e p r ifo n e r , p r o v in g an a lib i that w a s fatisfad tory
to th e co u r t , w a s acquitted . W i t h th e e v id en ce th a t h e p rod uced
1,1 his d e fen ce it w a s im p o flib le to c o n v ic t h im ; b u t th e court and the
auditors w e r e in th e ir con fc ien ce s p e rfuaded th a t th e p r ifo n e r had com m
itted th e b u rg la r y and th e ft, an d th a t he in ten d ed to h a v e em p loy ed
W illiam s to d ifp ofe o f th e p r o p e r t y ; w h ic h th e la tter h ad 'u n d e r ta k en ,
and w o u ld h a v e p e r fo rm ed , had th e watGh p ro v e d to h a v e be en a timep
ie ce w h ic h th e p r ifone r im a g in e d h e had be en lu c k y en o u g h to fe -
cure.- W illiam s , had h e be en p u t to p ro v e w h e r e h e w a s at th e v e r y
tim e th e h o u fe w a s entered, had p eop le re a d y to depofe th a t h e w a s on
h is w a y b y w a te r to h is farm n ear Parramatta. T h i s man had fo r m
e r ly be en remarkable fo r p ro p r ie ty o f c o n d u c t ; b u t, after h e became
a fe ttle r, g a v e h im fe lf u p to idlenefs and d iflip a tion , and w e n t aw a y
from th e co u r t in w h ic h h e had been g iv in g h is te ft im o n y , m u ch deg
rad ed in th e o p in io n o f . e v e r y man w h o heard him.
T h e B r ita n n ia failed on the 2 4 th fo r th e C ap e o f G o o d H o p e , M r .
R a v e n ta k in g w i th h im G o v e rn o r P h ilip ’ s difpatches fo r E n g lan d , (in
w h ic h w a s contained a fp e cific d emand fo r tw e lv e m on th s p ro v ifio n s
fo r th e co lo n y ,) and th e tv ifhes as w e l l o f th o fe w h om h e confid ered
as h is em p lo y e r s , as o f th o fe w h o w e r e n o t, fo r th e fa fe and fp e ed y
e x e cu t io n o f h is c om m if f io n ; as h is re turn to th e c o lo n y w o u ld in tro d
u ce m a n y articles o f com fo r t w h ic h w e r e n o t to b e fo u n d in th e p u b lic
ftores am o n g th e articles iffued b y go v e rnm en t.
A t S y d n e y and at Parramatta lh o p s w e r e opened fo r ,th e fale o f th e
a r tic le s o f p r iv a te trade b ro u g h t ou t in th e R o y a l A dm ira l. A lic en ce
w a s g iv e n fo r thé fale o f p o r t e r ; b u t , u n d e r th e co v e r o f th is , fp irits
fo u n d th e ir w a y among the p eop le , and m u ch in to x ic a tio n w a s th e
co n feq u en c e . S e v e ra l o f th e fettlers, b re a k in g ou t from .th e reftraint
to w h ic h th e y had been fubjeCt, c o n d u c e d th em fe lv e s w i th th e grea teft
im p ro p r ie ty , bea ting th e ir w iv e s , d e ftr o y in g th e ir f lo c k , tram p lin g on
an d in ju r in g th e ir crops in th e g ro u n d , and d e ftr o y in g each o th e r’ s
p ro p e r ty . O n e w om a n , h a v in g claim ed th e p ro te c t io n o f th e m a g if-
trates, th e p a r ty com plain ed o f, a fe ttle r , w a s bo u n d o ve r to th e g o od
b eh a v io u r fo r tw o y e a r s , h im fe lf in tw e n ty p ou n d s , an d to find tw o
fureties
2 4 *
fure tie s in ten p ou n d s each. A n o th e r fettler w a s at the fame time fe t an
h o u r in th e flo c k s fo r d runkennefs. T h e in d u lg en c e w h ic h w a s intend ed
b y th e g o v e rn o r fo r th e ir benefit was m o d fh am e fu lly a b u fe d ; and w h a t
h e differed them to p urchafe w ith a v iew to th e ir fu tu re com fo r t, w a s
retailed am o n g themfelves at a fcandalous p r o f i t ; fe v e ra l o f th e fettlers
houfes b e in g at this time lite ra lly n o th in g elfe but p o r te r -h ou fe s , w h e r e
r io tin g and drunkennefs p re va iled as lo n g as th e means rem ain ed . It
w a s m u ch to be regretted that the fe p eo p le w e r e fo b lin d to th e ir o w n
ad v antage, m oft o f th em fa c r ific in g to th e d iflipa tion o f th e mom en t
w h a t w o u ld h a v e afforded th em m u ch com fo r t and „ con v en ien ce , i f re-
fe rv ed fo r re fre fhm en t after th e fa tig u e o f th e d ay .
T h e o n ly ad d ition made to th e w e e k ly ra tion in confequence o f the
a r r iv a l o f the R o y a l A dm ira l w a s an allow an ce o f f ix oun ce s o f o il to
each p e r fo n ; a la rg e q u a n tity , n in e th ou fan d tw o hun d red and fe v en ty -
e ig h t g a llo n s , h a v in g been p u t on board that Chip and th e K i t t y tran f-
p o r t , to be iffued in lie u o f b u t te r ; as an eq u iv a len t fo r w h ic h it
c e r ta in ly w o u ld h a v e an fw e red w e ll, had it ar r iv ed in th e ftate in w h ic h
i t w a s repor ted to h a v e been p u t o n b o a r d ; b u t it g r ew ran cid on th e
p affa ge , and w a s in g enera l made m ore ufe o f to bu rn as a fu b ftitu te fo r
cand les, than fo r a n y o th e r purpo fe s to w h ic h oil m ig h t h a v e be en
ap p lied .
T o w a r d th e latter end o f th e m o n th , th e co n v ic t s re c e iv e d a g enera l
fe r v in g o f c lo th in g , and o th e r n e ce ffa ry articles. T o each male w e r e
iffued tw o fro c k s made o f coa rfe and Unfubftantial o fnaburg s, in w h ic h
the re w e r e feld om fo u n d m ore th an th re e w e ek s w e a r ; tw o pairs o f
trow fe rs made o f th e fame flig h t materials as th e fro ck s , and o p en to
th e fame o bferv ation as to w e a r ; on e p a ir o f y a rn fto ck in g s ; one h a t ;
o n e p a ir o f fh o e s ; one p ou n d o f foap ; th re e needles ; a q ua rte r o f a
p oun d o f thread, and o n e com b.
T h e . fem ale s re c e iv ed each o n e c lo th p e t t i c o a t ; o n e co a r fe f h i f t ;
o n e p a ir o f fh o e s ; one p a ir o f y a rn fto c k in g s ; one p ou n d o f fo a p ; a
qua rter o f a p oun d o f thread ; tw o o u n ce s o f p in s ; f ix needles ; on e
th im b le , and one p air o f feiflars.
T h e fe articles w e re fup plied b y com m iffion ; and M r . D a v ifo n , th e
pe rfon em p lo y ed b y g o v e rnm en t, w a s lim ited in th e price o f each artic
le , w h ic h w a s fix ed to o lo w to admit o f h is fu rn ifh in g , th em o f th e
1 1 q u a lity