11* 793-
T h i s w a s u n iv e r fa lly fe lt as th e w o f f t ration th a t had e v e r been
fe rv ed from h is M a je f ty ’ s f to r e s ; and b y th e la b o u r in g c o n v i a p a r ticu
la r ly fo , as n o one ar ticle o f g ra in w a s fo p repared fo r h im as to be
im m ed ia te ly made u fe o f. T h e q u a n tity th a t w a s n ow to b e ground )
and th e num b e rs w h o b ro u g h t g ra in to th e m ill, k ep t it em p lo y ed all
th e n ig h t as w e l l as th e d a y ; and as, from th e fc a r c ity o f mills, e v e r y
m an w a s compelled to w a it fo r h is tu rn , th e d a y had b ro k e , ancl the
d rum beat fo r la bou r , b e fo re m a n y w h o w e n t in to the m ill h ou fe at
n ig h t h ad been able to g e t th e ir co rn g ro u n d . T h e con feq u en c e w a s ,
th a t m an y , n o t b e in g able to Wait, con fum ed th e ir a llow an ce un pre pared
. B y th e n e x t S a tu rd a y , a q u a n tity o f w h e a t fuffic ien t fo r one
fe r v in g h a v in g been pafled th ro u g h th e la rg e m ill at Parramatta, the
conv id ts re c e ived th e ir ra tio n o f th a t ar tic le g ro u n d coarfe.
T h e lum b e r y a rd near S y d n e y b e in g com ple ted , th e c o n v ic t m illw
r ig h t W ilk in fo n w a s p rep a r in g his n ew m ill w i th as m u ch exp ed ition
as h e cou ld ufe 5 and J o h n B a u g h an , an in g en io u s man , fo rm e r ly a con v
ic t , h ad un d e rtak en to build an o th e r m ill u p on a conftruCtion fom e -
w h a t d iffe ren t from th a t o f W ilk in fo n ’ s, in w h ic h h e w a s affifted b y
fom e ar tificers o f th e re g im en t. B o th the fe m ills w e r e to be eredted
o n th e o pen fp o t o f g ro u n d fo rm e r ly ufed as a parade b y th e marine
ba ttalion.
S h o r t as w a s th e q u a n tity o f flo u r in fto re , w e d id n o t, h ow e v e r ,
d e fpa ir o f b e in g able to iffue fom e meal o f th is fe a fon’ s g row th be fo re
it cou ld b e e n tir e ly exp en d ed . A b o u t th e m id d le o f th e m on th , the
w h e a t th a t w a s fow n in A p r i l la ft, ab ou t n in e ty acres, b e in g p e r fe c t ly
r ip e , th e h a rv e ft com m en c ed , and from th a t q u a n tity o f grou n d it w a s
ca lcu la ted th a t upw a rd s o f tw e n ty - tw o bufhels am acre w o u ld be rec
e iv ed . M o l t o f th e fettlers h ad alfo b e gu n to r e a p ; and th e y , as w e l l
as o th e r s w h o had g r o w n th a t g ra in , w e r e in fo rm ed , th a t “ W h e a t
“ p ro p e r ly dried and cleaned w o u ld be re c e iv ed at S y d n e y b y th e
“ com m ifla r y at ten {hillings th e bufhel j b u t th a t n o n ^ could be
■ p urcha fed from a n y o th e r fperfons th an tho fe w h o ham g r o w n it
“ o n th e ir ow n fa rm s ; n e ith e r cou ld a n y be ta k en in to th e ftores at
“ Parrama tta .”
T h e p re caution o f r e c e iv in g w h e a t o n ly from th o fe p e rfons w h o had
raifed it o n th e ir o w n farms w a s in ten d ed to p re v en t th e p e tty and
ra fca lly
ra fc a lly traffic w h ic h w o u ld o th e rw ife hav e be en ca rried on b e tw e en
fre e p eop le o f f th e ftores and perfons w h o m ig h t em p lo y th em to fell
th e fru its o f th e ir depredations on the p ub lic and o th e r grounds.
D e c em b e r .] E a r ly in this mon th a cr im in a l co u r t w a s aflembled,
a t w h ic h Char les W illiam s , a b o y o f fo u r te en y e a rs o f a g e , and J o h n
B e v a n , a notorious o ffend er, th o u g h alfo v e r y y o u n g , w e r e tr ied fo t
b re a k in g in to a houfe at T o o n g a b b e ; b u t , fo r w a n t o f e v id en c e , w e r e
acquitted. J o h n C r o w w a s alfo tr ied fo r th e b u rg la r y in th e h u t at
Parramatta, out o f w h ic h h e h ad fto len a q u a n tity o f w e a r in g apparel
and p ro v is io n s ; an d , b e in g c le a r ly c o n v i& e d , h e re c e iv ed fentence o f
death.
A n id ea v e r y g en e ra lly p re v a iled am o n g th e ign o ran t p art o f th e
c o n v if t s , th a t the lie u ten an t-g o v e rn o r w a s n o t auth or ifed to caufe a
fentence o f death to be carried in to e x e cu t io n , a n o tio n th a t w a s in
th e ir minds co n firm ed b y the m e r c y w h ic h h e had ex ten d ed to Samu e l
W r ig h t , w h o w a s p ard oned b y h im in J u ly . I t becam e , th e re fo re ,,
ab fo lu te ly n e ce fla ry , fo r th e ir ow n fak e s , to let th em fee th a t h e was
n o t o n ly p oflefled o f the p ow e r , b u t th a t h e w o u ld alfo e x e r c ife it.
O n this a c coun t th e p rifone r , after p e tit ion in g more th an o n ce fo r a
fe fp ite , w h ic h h e re c e iv ed , w a s ex e cu ted on T u e fd a y th e 10 th , e ig h t
d a y s after h is tr ial. T h e r e did n o t e x ift in th e c o lo n y at th is tim e a
fitter o b je f t fo r e x am p le th an J o h n C r o w . U n fo r tu n a te ly , th e p o o r
w r e tc h to his laft m om en t cher ifhed th e id ea th a t h e fh o u ld n o t fu f f e r ;
and c o n fe q u en t ly cou ld h a v e been b u t ill prepared fo r th e ch an g e h e
w a s ab out to exp e r ien c e . H e had en d ea v o u red to effedt his e fcape
b y jum p in g d ow n a p r iv y a f e w h ours b e fo re his e x e c u t io n ; and it
w a s afterw ard s fo u n d , th a t he had w i th m u ch in g e n u ity rem o ved fom e
br ick s in th e w a ll o f th e h o le in w h ic h h e w a s con fin ed , w h en c e , had
h e obtained the refpite o f an o th e r d a y , h e w o u ld e a fily h a v e efcaped.
Ind epend ent o f th e co n fid e ra tion • th a t th is m an had lo n g b e en a
p rop e r o b je f t o f fe v e re p u n ifhm en t, to h a v e p ard on ed h im (e v en on
a n y con d ition ) w o u ld o n ly h a v e tend ed to ftren g th en the fup po fition
th a t th e lieu ten an t-g o v e rn o r h ad n o t th e p ow e r o f life and death ; and
m a n y d a r in g burg laries and o th e r en o rmitie s w o u ld h a v e fo llow ed .
C r o w pretended that h e w a s in th e fecret re fp e£tin g th e wa tches w h ic h
w e r e ftolen from th e h o fp ita l in Od tob e r la ft ; b u t all that h e k n ew
am ou n ted