R ic h a rd S u tto n w a s ftabbed w i th a kn ife in th e b e l ly b y one
A b rah am G o rd o n , at th e h o u fe o f a female c o n v ic t , on fom e quarrel
re fp e iS in g the w om a n , and at a tim e w h en b o th w e re in flam ed w i th
liq u o r . In th e ftru g g le S u tto n w a s alfo d an g e rou fly cu t in th e arm •
and w h e n th e fu rg eo n came to drefs h im , h e fo u n d f ix inches o f th e
om en tum p ro tru d in g at th e w o u n d in his b e lly . G o rd o n w a s taken
in to cu fto d y .
S om e p eop le w e r e ta k en u p at Parramatta on fu fp id o n o f h a v in g
m urd e red one o f th e w a tchm en b e lo n g in g to that fe tt lem e n t; th e c i r -
cumftance s o f w h ic h affair on e o f th em had been o ve rhea rd re la tin g to
a fe llow -co n v iC t, w h ile b o th w e r e u n d e r con fin em en t f o r fom e o th e r
offence. A w a tchm an c e r ta in ly had been m iffin g fo r fome tim e p a f t ;
b u t after m u ch in q u ir y a n d in v e ftig a tio n n o th in g appeared that could
fu rn ifh matter fo r a cr im in a l p ro fe cu tion a g a in ft them.
A fo ld ie r , w h o h ad b e en fen ten c ed b y a co urt-ma rtial t o re c e iv e
th re e hun d red lafhes, o n b e in g led o u t to re c e iv e h is p u nifhm en t, attem
p ted to cu t h is throa t, w o u n d in g h im fe lf u n d e r th e ear w i th a
k n ife . T h e p u n ifhm en t w a s p u t o f f u n til th e e v en in g , w h e n h e declared
th a t h e w a s th e p e r fon w h o k il le d the w a tchm a n a t Parramatta,
w h ic h h e effec ted b y fh o o t in g h im ; and th a t h e w o u ld lead a n y on e
t o ‘th e p lace w h e r e th e b o d y la y . T h is , h ow e v e r , n o t p re v en t in g his
r e c e iv in g as m u ch o f his p u n ifhm en t as h e co u ld bea r, h e a fte rw ard s
d eclared th a t h e k n ew n o th in g o f th e m urd er, and h a d accufed h im fe lf
o f p e rp e tra tin g fo h o r r id a c r im e fb le ly in th e h o p e o f d e fe r r in g his
p u n ifhm en t.
T h e n a tiv e s , w h o n ow and th en fh ew ed th em fe lv e s a b ou t th e diftant
fe tflem ents , tow a rd 'the latter end o f th e month w o u n d ed a co n v id t
w h o w a s ta k in g p rov ifion s ‘from P a rram a tta to a fettfer at Profpedt H i l l .
T h e w o u n d w a s not d angerous ; b u t it occafion ed th e lofs o f the p ro v
ifio n s w i th w h ic h h e w a s entrufted.
T h e ra in s o f this month ‘Game to o -late to la v e th e 'Indian co rn o f
th e fe a fon , w h ic h n ow w o r e a m o ft u n p rom ifin g appearance. A g ra in
h ad been la te ly in trod uced in to th e fe ttlem en t, and g r ow n at T o o n -
g a b b e , and o th e r p la c e s , w h ic h p rom ifed to an fw e r v e r y w e l l fo r
flo c k . I t w a s the caffre co rn o f A f r ic a , and h ad e v e r y appearance o f
p ro v in g a u fe fu l g ra in .
A n e x tra o rd in a ry appearance in the f k y w a s o bferved b y fe v e ra l
p eo p le b e tw e en fiv e and f ix o ’ c lo ck in th e e v en in g o f F r id a y th e 12 th
o f this month. I t w a s noticed in the n o r th -w e ft , and appeared as i f a
r a y o f fo rk e d lig h tn in g had been fta tion a ry in that q u a rte r o f th e f k y
fo r ab out fifteen minutes, w h ic h w a s th e tim e it w a s v ifib le . I t w a s
n o t to be d ifcerned , h ow e v e r , after the fu n had quitted th e h o r izo n .
M a y .] T h e d ay s b e in g co n fid e ra b ly fh o r ten ed , and. th e w e a th e r
h a v in g la te ly been bad, it became n e ce fia ry to alter th e hou rs o f labour.
O n th e firft o f M a y , th e re fo re , th e lie u ten an t-g o v e rn o r d ire c ted th a t the
c o n v i& s em p lo y ed in cu ltiv a t io n , th o fe em p lo y e d u n d e r th e matter
b r ic k la y e r , and th o fe w h o w o rk e d at th e b r ic k carts and tim b e r ca rr
ia g e s , ffiould labour from fe v en in th e m o rn in g un til ten , reft from
th a t tim e u n til th re e in th e a fte rn o on , and co n tin u e at th e ir w o r k till
funfet. T h e carpenters, w h o fe bu fin e fs m o ft ly la y w ith in d oors, and
w h o w e r e th e re fo re no t e x p o fed to th e w e a th e r , w e r e d i r e a e d to w o r k
on e h o u r m ore in th e a fte rn o on , b e g in n in g at on e inftead o f tw o o c lo c k .
O n th e 4 th th e w e e k ly ra tion w a s altered , th e male c o n v ia s r e c e iv in g
(inftead o f f tv e n ) fo u r pound s o f flour, to w h ic h w e r e added fo u r
p ou n d s o f w h e a t and fo u r p ou n d s o f m aize ; th e a llow an ce o f fait p ro v
ifio n s continued th e f am e ; b u t, th e oil b e in g e x p en d ed , f i x o u n ce s o f
fu g a r w e r e iflued in lieu o f th a t article. T h e w h e a t w a s th a t re c e ived
from B en g a l, and th e m a iz e w a s iflu ed the firft w e e k (h e lled , b u t u n g
ro u n d ; on the fecond th e p eop le re c e ived it in th e c o b , g e t tin g fi^
p ou n d s in th a t ftate in lie u o f fo u r (helled. T h is w a s u a q u e ftio n a b ly
a g o od ration, and w h e n a fuffic ient n um b e r o f mills w e r e p u t up to
g r in d th e maize and th e w h e a t, th e p eop le th em fe lv e s allow ed it to be fo.
W i th a ra tion th a t th e y admitted to be a g o o d one, w i th ahout f ix
h o u r s lab ou r d u r in g fiv e d a y s o f th e w e e k , and w i th the ad vantages o f
ga rd en s and g o od h u ts , th e fitu a tion o f th e e o n v i& s m ig h t at this p e r iod
b e d eemed com fo rtable , and fu ch as p re c lu d ed all e x cu fe fo r m ifcond ud t.
G a r d e n robberies w e r e , n o tw ith fta n d in g , o ften com m itted at S y d n e y ;
and at th e other fettlements th e m aize w h ic h w a s ftill in th e fie ld fu ffe r -
c d confiderable depredation.
A d iftimftion w a s made in th e ra tion fe rv ed to th e c iv il and m ilita r y ,
th e y re c e iv in g w e e k ly f ix inftead o f e igh t p ou n d s o f flo u r , tw o p ou n d s
o f w h e a t, and four pound s o f maize p er man.