T h e B r ita n n ia and F ranc is fch o o n e r failed on S u n d a y th e 8th fo r
D u f k y B a y . T h e Franc is w a s manned w i th feamen and b o y s w h o had
b e en le ft .h e r e from {hips, and th e mafte r had fo r his affiftant as mate
R o b e r t W a t fo n , w h o fo rm e r ly be lon g ed to h is M a je f ty ’ s {hip S ir iu s ,
and w a s a fte rw ard s a fe ttle r at N o r fo lk I i la n d ; b u t his a llotment h a v in g
be en e r ro n e o u fly fu r v e y e d , h e , b e in g o b lig ed to re fign a p art o f it,
g a v e up th e w h o le , and g la d ly re turn ed to, h is fo rm e r w a y o f life.
O n e o f th e th re e feamen w h o had be en tak en o u t o f th e K i t t y , and
p u n iflied , w a s p e rmitted to en te r on board th e f c h o o n e r ; another- o f
th em w a s taken: b y th e . cap tain o f the B o d d in g to n s ; W illiam s , th e
p r in c ip a l, rem ained in th e c o lo n y , n o t b e a r in g that fo r t o f c h a ra d e r
w h ic h w o u ld re com m en d h im to a n y m afte r o f a {hip.
C ap ta in N ich o la s N ep e an , th e fen io r captain in th e N ew S o u th
W a le s co rp s , h a v in g been fo r fom e tim e p a ft in an ill ftate o f health,
o bta in ed th e lie u ten an t-g o v e rn o r ’ s le a v e to re turn to E n g lan d b y the*
w a y o f B en g a l, and qu itted th e c o lo n y in th e Br itannia. T h r e e men
and on e w om a n alfo re c e iv ed p e rm iffion to lea ve the fettlement. ■
I t m ig h t h a v e be en fu p p o fed , th a t th e fatal confequences o f endeav
o u r in g to fe e k a p lace in th e w o o d s o f th is c o u n t r y w h e re th e y m ig h t
liv e w i th o u t la b o u r h ad been fu ffic ien tly fe lt b y th e c o n v id s w h o arr
iv e d h e re in th e Q u e e n tran fp or t from Ire lan d , to d e fe r others from
ru lh in g in to th e fame e r ro r , as th e y w o u ld , d oubtlefs, a cq u a in t th e
n ew com e rs w i th th e ill fuc ce fs w h ic h attended th e ir fchemes o f that
nature. S e v e ra l o f th o fe , h ow e v e r , w h o came ou t in th e B od d in g ton s
w e n t o f f in to the' w o o d s fo o n after th e ir la n d in g ; and a fmall p a r ty ,
com p o fed o f fom e defperate ch a rad e r s , ab out the fame time fto le a
b o a t from M r . Schaffe r, th e fettler, w ith w h ic h , as th e y w e r e n o t
h e ard o f fo r fome d ay s after, it w a s fup po fed th e y h ad eithe r g o t o u t
o f th e h a rb ou r , o r w e r e ly in g concealed u n til, b e in g jo in e d b y th o fe
\vho h ad ta k en to the w o o d s , th e y cou ld p ro cu re a la rg e r and a fafer
co n v e y a n c e from th e co u n t ry .
A flig h t ch an ge to o k place in th e ra tio n th is month;; th e fu g a r b e in g
■ expended, molaffes w a s ordered to be fe rv e d in lie u o f that ar tic le ; in
th e p ro p o r tio n o f a p in t o f molaffes to a 'poun d o f iu g a f.
O n S u n d a y the 1 5 th died James N a tio n , a fold ier in th e N ew S o u th
W a le s co rp s , in to w h ic h h e had entered from th e m arin e detachment.
H e
H e fu n k un d e r an in flam m a to ry com plaint b ro u g h t on b y hard d r in k in
g . W i th th is pe rfon M a r th a T o d d cohab ited at th e time o f h e r de-
ceafe, w h ic h , as b e fo re related, w a s occafioned b y th e fame c ir cum -
ftance, and w h ic h , to g e th e r w i th he r d eath, N a tio n h ad be en fre q
u e n t ly heard to fa y w a s th e caufe of. m u ch u n h ap p ine fs to h im .
O n T u e fd a y th e 1 7 th th e fign a l w a s made at th e S o u th H e a d , and
about f ix o’ c lo ck in th e e v en in g th e S u g a r -C an e tranfp ort an ch ored in
th e co v e from C o rk , w h en c e fhe fa iled th e 13th o f la ft A p r i l , h a v in g
on board one h u n d red and ten male an d f i f t y fem ale c o n v id s , w i th a
ferjeant’ s p a r ty o f th e N e w S o u th W a le s corp s as a gu a rd . N o th in g
had hap pen ed on b oard h e r un til th e 2 5 th o f M a y , w h e n in fo rm a tion
w a s g iv e n to M r . B a t i d W a k e B e ll, th e ag ent on th e p a r t o f G o v e rn m
en t, th a t a m u t in y w a s in ten d ed b y th e c o n v id s , and that th e y had.
p roce ed ed fo fa r as to faw o f f fome o f th e ir irons. In fin u ation s w e r e
at th e fame tim e th row n out, o f the p ro b a b ility o f th e ir b e in g jo in e d
b y ce rtain o f th e failors and o f th e gua rd . T h e a g ent, after m a k in g
th e n e ce ffa ry in q u ir y , th o u g h t it ind ifp enfab le to th e fa fe ty o f the Ihip
to caufe an in ftan t e x am p le to be made, and ord e red o n e o f the c o n v id s
w h o w a s fo u n d ou t o f iron s to be e x e cu ted that n ig h t. O th e rs h e
p u nifh ed th e n e x t m o rn in g ; and b y the fe meafures, as m ig h t w e l l
be e x p e d e d , th r ew fu ch a damp on th e fpirits o f th e re ft, th a t h e
heard n o m o r e d u r in g th e v o y a g e o f attempts o r in ten tion s to ta k e
th e fh ip .
S in c e the a r r iv al o f th e B o d d in g ton s m a n y c ircum flan ce s r e fp e d in g
th e in ten d ed m u t in y in th a t {hip h ad b e en difc lofed b y th e c o n v id s
th em fe lv e s w h ic h w e r e n o t b e fo re k n ow n . T h e y did n o t h efita te to
fa y , th a t all th e officers w e r e to h a v e be en m u rd e red , th e firft * mate
and th e a g ent e x cep ted , w h o w e r e to be p re fe rv ed aliv e fo r th e p u rp o fe
o f c o n d u d in g th e {hip to a p o r t , w h e n th e y lik ew ife w e r e to be p u t
to death.
A s in ten tion s o f th is k in d h ad b e en ta lk ed o f in' fe v e ral {hips, th e
m ilita ry g u a rd ffiou ld n e v e r h a v e be en lefs th an an o fficer’ s com m an d ,
and th a t g u a rd (e fp e c ia lly w h e n embarked fo r th e fe c u r ity o f a Ihip
* Mr. Duncan M'Ever. He belonged to the Atlantic, whith {hip he quitted at
Bengal.