p ofed th a t th e y w e r e forne o f th e n ew -c om e r s , and m eant to ro b th é
h o u f e ; and this th e y w o u ld h a v e e ffe c ted , b u t fo r th e a c t iv ity o f the
tw o m en w h om th e y atta ck ed, and fo r th e re fin an ce which* th e y met
w i th from them. A t th is tim e fe v en o f th e male co n v ic ts la te ly arr
iv e d from Ire lan d , w i th one w om a n , had abfconded in to th e wo od s .
S om e o f thefe p eo p le w e r e afterw ard s b ro u g h t in to Parramatta, w h e re
th e y confeffed th a t th e y had p lan n ed th e ro b b in g o f th e m ill-h o u fe ,
th e g o v e rn o r ’ s, and o th e r h o u fe s ; and th a t th e y w e r e to be v ifited
from tim e to tim e in th e ir places o f con c ea lm en t b y others o f th e ir
affociates w h o w e r e to refid e in th e tow n , and to fu p p ly th em w ith
p ro v ifio n s , and fu ch occafion al in fo rm a tion as m ig h t appear to be
n e ce ffa ry to th e ir fa fe ty . T h e y alfo a ck n ow le d g e d that th e affault at
R a n d a ll’ s h u t w a s com m itted b y th em and th e ir companions.
A b o u t th e fame tim e th e h o u fe o f M r . A tk in s at Parramatta waS
b ro k en in to , and a la rg e q u a n tity o f p ro v ifio n s , and a c a lk o f w in e ,
rem o v ed from his fto re -ro om to th e g a rd en fen ce , w h e re th e y le ft th em
on b e in g d ifco v e red and p u r ified . T h e y , h ow e v e r , g o t clear o ff,
th o u g h w i th o u t th e ir b o o ty .
A t S y d n e y , in th e n ig h t o f th e 2 6 th , a b o x b e lo n g in g to J o h n
S p a r row f a c o n v ic t ) w a s b ro k e o pen , and three w a tch e s fto len o u t,
o n e o f w h ic h w i th th e feals had c o l l th ir ty - tw o gu in e a s , and be lon ged
to an officer. T h is th e ft w a s com m itted at th e h o fp ita l, w h e r e Sparr
o w w a s at th e tim e a p a tien t, a lth o u g h able to w o r k o e ca fio n a lly at
h is bu fin e fs ; and b e in g a y o u n g man o f abilities as a w a tchm a k e r , and
o f g o o d ch a ra c te r , w a s em p lo y ed b y m o l l o f th e g en tlem en o f the
fe ttlem en t. S u fp ic io n fe ll up on a no to rious th ie f w h o w a s in the fame
w a rd , and w h o had fom e time be fo re p rop ofed to an o th e r man to take
th e b o x . O n h is ,e x am in a tio n h e ac cufed tw o others o f th e th e ft, but
w i th fu ch eq u ivo ca tion in his tale as c le a r ly p ro v e d the fa lfeh oo d o f it.
A s th e re w a s n o e v id en c e a g a in ll h im , e x c e p t th e p rop o fal ju f t mentio
n e d , h e w a s d ifcha rged , an d d u r in g th e m on th n o th in g w a s heard
o f th e wa tche s . A n old man b e lo n g in g to th e h o fp ita l was robbed at
th e fame tim e o f e ig h t gu in e a s and fom e dollars, w h ic h h e had g o t
to g e th e r fo r th e p u rp o fe o f p a y in g fo r h is paffage and p ro v ifio n s in
a n y Ihip th a t w o u ld ta k e h im home.
D u r in g
D u r in g a ftorm o f ra in and th u n d e r w h ic h h ap p en ed in th e aftern
o on o f S a tu rd a y th e 2 6 th , tw o co n v ic t la d s 'D e n n is R e a rd on and
W il liam M e r e d ith , w h o w e r e em p lo y ed in p u t t in g w o o d ju f t b y th e
tow n w h e n th e ra in com m en c ed , ran to a tre e fo r Ihelter , w h e re th e y
w e r e fo u n d the n e x t m o rn in g ly in g dead, to g e th e r w i th a d o g w h ic h
fo llow e d them. T h e r e was no d oub t th a t th e Ihelter w h ic h th e y
fo u g h t had p rov ed th e ir d e ftruG ion , h a v in g been ftru ck dead b y lig h tn
in g , one or tw o Ealhes o f w h ic h had .been o b fe rv ed to b e v e r y v iv id
and near. O n e o f th em , w h e n h e re c e ived the ftrok e , h ad his hand s
in his b o fom ; th e hands o f th e o th e r w e r e acrofs h is b re a ft, and he
feemed to h a v e h ad fom e th in g in th em . T h e p upils o f th e ir e y e s
w e r e co n fid e ra b ly dilated, and th e to n g u e o f each, as w e ll as th a t o f
th e d o g , w a s fo rced ou t b e tw e en th e teeth. T h e i r faces w e r e liv id ,
and th e fame appearance w a s v ifib le on fe v e ral parts o f th e ir bodies.
T h e tre e at th e fo o t o f w h ic h th e y w e r e fo u n d w a s barked at th e to p ,
and fom e o f its branches torn o ff. In th e e v en in g th e y w e r e d e c en t ly
h uried in one g ra v e , to w h ic h th e y w e r e attended b y m a n y o f th e ir
fe llow -p r ifon e rs . M r . J o h n fo n , to a d ifcou rfe w h ic h h e a fte rw a rd s
p reached o n th e fubjeCt, p r e fix ed as a te x t the fe w o rd s from th e firft
b o o k o f Samu e l, chap. x x . v e r fe 3. “ T h e r e is b u t a Hep b e tw e en me
“ and d eath.”
T h i s w a s th e fir ft a c cid ent o f th e k in d th a t, to ou r k n ow le d g e , h ad
o ccurred in the. c o lo n y , th o u g h lig h tn in g m ore v iv id and a la rm in g .
had often been feen in ftorms o f lo n g e r duration.
W h i le e v e ry one w a s e x p e c t in g o u r co lon ia l v e ffe l, th e F ranc is , from
N ew Z e a lan d , th e fign a l fo r a fail w a s made on th e 2 9 t h ; and Ih o r tly
after th e F a i r y , an Am e r ic a n fn o w , anchored in th e co v e from B a llo n
in N ew E n g lan d , and laft from th e ifland o f St. P a u l, w h en c e ftie had.'
a paffage o f o n ly fo u r w e e k s . T h e mallei;, M r . R o g e r s , to u ch ed at
F alfe B a y ; b u t from th e re n o t h a v in g be en a n y re cent ar rivals from .
E u r o p e , h e p rocured n o o th e r in te llig en c e at' th a t p o r t, th an w h a t w e ■
h ad a lread y received. A t th e ifland o f St. P au l h e fo u n d fiv e feamen
w h o had been left there from a £hip tw o y e a r s b e fo re , an d w h o had
procured fe v e ral thoufand fea l-lk in s . T h e y in fo rm ed h im , that Lord.'
M a c a r tn e y in h is M a je fty ’ s Ihip th e L io n , and th e H in d o ftan E a ft-
In d iam a n ,.