th e a r r iv a l o f the B r itan n ia , a lm oft as fo on as th e y h ad re c e ived tho fe
a r tic le s , and that fom e ar tful p eo p le had av a iled them fe lv e s o f th e ir
in d ifc re tio n , in m a n y in ftan ce s b a r te r in g a bottle o f fpirits (Cape
b ra n d y ) fo r f ix times its v a lu e , h e ju d g e d it n e c e fla ry to g iv e n o tic e ,
th a t a n y co n v id t detedted in e x ch a n g in g liq u o r w i th th e foldiers fo r
a n y ar ticle fe rv ed o u t to th em b y th e ir officers, w o u ld im m ed ia te ly be
p u n iffied , and the ar ticles purcha fed taken a w a y : and fu r th e r , (n ow
be com e a m o ft n e ce fla ry reftrid tion,) that a n y pe rfon s a ttem p tin g to
fe ll liq u o r w ith o u t a lic en ce m ig h t r e ly on its b e in g fe ized , and th e
houfes o f th e o ffen d in g parties p u lled d ow n .
A b o u t th e mid d le o f th e m on th all th e w h e a t w h ic h was to be fow n
on th e p u b lic a c coun t w a s g o t in at and n e ar T o o n g a b b e ; th e q u a n tity
o f grou n d w a s ab ou t th re e hun d red and e ig h ty acres. T h e w h e a t o f
laft feafon b e in g n o w n e a r ly th ra fo ed o u t, fom e ju d gm e n t w a s fo rm ed
o f its p rod u c e , and it w a s fo u n d to h a v e averaged, b e tw e en fe v en te en
and e igh te en b u f te ls an acre. A la rg e q u a n tity o f w h e a t w a s alfo
fow n th is fe a fon b y in d iv id u a ls , am o u n tin g to ab ou t one th ou fan d
th re e h u n d red and e ig h ty -o n e bufhe ls , e v e r y 'e n c o u r a g em e n t h a v in g
been g iv e n to th em to fo w th e ir grou n d s w i th th a t grain.
S e v e ra l h o u fe s h a v in g b e en la te ly bro k en o p en , the cr im in a l cou r t
o f ju d ic a tu re w a s aflembled on the 1 5 th , w h e n Samu e l W r ig h t , a con v
ic t w h o ar r iv ed i n ' 1 7 9 1 , w a s tr ied fo r b re a k in g in to a h u t in th e
d a y - t im e , and Healing fe v e ra l ar ticles o f w e a r in g a p p a r e l; o f w h ic h
offence b e in g fo u n d g u il ty , h e re c e iv ed fentence o f death; .and w a s to
h a v e be en e x e cu ted on th e M o n d a y fo l lo w in g ; b u t the cou r t h a v in g
re com m en d ed h im to m e r c y on a c cou n t o f h is y o u th , b e in g o n ly f ix -
te en y ea r s o f a g e , th e lie u ten an t-g o v e rn o r as re a d ily fo rg a v e as the
co u r t had re com m en d ed h im ; bu t, th a t th e p r ifo n e r m ig h t h a v e all
th e b enefit o f fo aw fu l a fitu a tion , th e ch a n g e in his fate was n o t im p
arted to h im u ntil th e v e r y m om en t w h e n h e w a s .about to afcend
th e lad d e r from w h ic h h e w a s to be p lu n g ed in to e te rn ity . H e had '
ap p eared fince his co n v ic t io n as i f d e v o id o f fe e l in g ; but on re c e iv in g
th is in fo rm a tion , h e fe ll on his knees in an a g o n y o f j o y and gratitud e.
T h e fo lem n fcene appeared lik ew ife to m ake a fo rc ib le impreffion o n
all his fe llow p r ifo n e r s , w h o w e r e p refent,
Thft
T h e we a th e r o f this w in te r h a v in g been co ld e r than a n y th a t w e
h ad b efore e x p e r ien c ed , great ex ertions w e r e made to clo th e all th e
la b o u r in g c o n v if t s ; and fo r that purpofe th e w o r k o f the ta y lo rs h ad
fo r fom e time be en confined to them. E v e r y male c o n v i f t re c e iv ed
o n e clo th ja c k e t , tw o canvas fro ck s, one p a ir o f ffioes, and one leath
e rn cap. T h e females alfo had been clothed .
T h e v effei w h ic h had be en re c e iv ed in frame b y th e P itt w a s n o w
com ple ted , an d , to a vo id th e la b ou r w h ic h w o u ld h a v e attended h e r
b e in g launched in th e u fu a l m an n e r , M r . R a v e n , th e m a ile r o f th e
B r itan n ia , offered his o w n fe rv ice s and th e affiftance o f h is ffiip to la y
h e r d ow n u p on h e r b ilg e , and p u t h e r in to th e w a te r on ro lle r s ., T h is
m od e h a v in g b e en ad op ted , in th e fo ren o o n o f W e d n e fd a y th e 24 th
o f this m on th fo e w a s fa fe ly le t d ow n u p on th e rollers,' and b y d u ik ,
w i th th e affiftance o f the B r itan n ia , w a s h o v e d ow n to low -w a te r m a rk ,
w h e n c e , at a q ua rte r be fo re e ig h t o’ c lo ck , fo e floated w i th th e tid e , and
w a s hauled fa fe ly afong-fid e th e B r itan nia. T h e ce rem o n y o f ch r iften -
in g h e r was p e rformed at fun -rife th e n e x t m o rn in g , when, ih e w a s
named T h e Franc is, in com p lim en t to th e lie u ten an t-g o v e rn o r ’ s fo n ,
w h o fe b ir th -d a y this w a s ; an d , M r . R a v e n coinc id ing, w i th th e g en e ra l
o p in io n th a t fo e w o u ld be m u ch fafe r i f r ig g e d as a fch o o n e r th an as a
flo o p , fo r w h ic h fo e h ad been o r ig in a lly in ten d ed , th e carpenters w e r e
d irec ted to fit h e r a c c o r d in g ly ; and th a t , g en tleman v e r y o b lig in g ly
fu p p lied a fpar, w h ic h he had p rocu red fo r th e B r ita n n ia at- D u lk y B a y ,
to make he r a foremaft.
T h e com m an d o f this little v e ffe i, o f w h o fe u tility g rea t e x p e& a tio n s
w e r e fo rm ed , was g iv e n b y th e lie u ten an t-g o v e rn o r to M r . W il liam
H o u fe , late, bo a tfw a in o f th e D ifc o v e r y , w h o ar r iv ed he re in th e
Dtedalus fo r the p urpo fe o f p ro c e ed in g to E n g lan d as an in v a l id ; bu t
b e in g ftr o n g ly re com m en d ed b y C ap ta in V a n c o u v e r as an e x c e llen t
feaman, w i th w h om h e w'as v e r y u n w i llin g to p a r t, and fig .n ify in g a
w i fo to be em p lo y ed in this c o u n t r y , th e com m an d o f this v e ffe i w a s
g iv e n to h im , w ith th e fame a llow an ce th a t is made to a fu p e r in ten d -
,a n t ; on w h ic h lift h e w a s placed. T h e tw o b o y s w h o w e r e le ft behind
from the K i t t y w e r e alfo entered fo r h e r , and: fo e was ordered to be
fitted fo r thw ith fo r fea. A s it. w a s w e ll k n o w n th a t m an y p eop le h ad :
th e ir e y e s u p on this v e ffe i as th e means o f th e ir e fcap in g from th e
a. c o lo n y ,.