C«793*
L a b o u r w a s alfo p ro p o r tio n a b ly h ig h . F o r faw in g one hu n d red feet
o f timb e r , in th e ir ow n tim e , fo r in d iv id u a ls, a p air o f faw y e r s dem
and ed fe v en k i l l i n g s ; a ca rp enter fo r h is d a y ’ s w o r k cha rged three
{h i llin g s ; and fo r fp litt in g p a lin g fo r fen ce s , and b r in g in g it in from
th e w o o d s , th e y ch a rged from one {hillin g and fix -p en c e to tw o {hillin
g s a n d fix -p en c e p e r h und red . A n o ffice r w h o had an allotment o f
on e hu n d red acres o f land near th e tow n o f S y d n e y h a v in g occafion
fo r a h u n d red th o u fan d b r ick s to bu ild a dw e llin g -h o u fe , contracted
w i th a b r ick -m ak e r and his g a n g , and fo r th a t n um b e r o f bricks paid
h im th e fum o f fo r ty - tw o p ou n d s ten {hillings, In th e fields, fo r
cu ttin g d ow n th e tim b e r o f an ac re o f g ro u n d , b u rn in g it o ff, and
afte rw ard s h o e in g it fo r co rn , th e p rice w a s fo u r p ou n d s . FfVe-and-
tw e n ty {hillings w e r e demanded and p a id fo r h o e in g an acre o f g ro u n d
a lre ad y cleared.
F o r all this la b ou r , w h e re m o n e y w a s p aid , it w a s tak en at its re p
u ted v a lu e ; b u t w h e re articles w e r e g iv e n in lie u o f labour, th e y w e r e
ch a rg ed a c co rd in g to th e prices ftated.
T h e matters o f m e rch an tm en , w h o g en e ra lly mad e it th e ir bufinefs
im m e d ia te ly o n th e ir ar riv al to learn th e prices o f com m od itie s in th e
c o lo n y , fin d in g th em fo e x tra v a g a n t ly h ig h as be fo re fe la ted , th o u g h t
it n o t th e ir con c e rn to red uce th em to a n y th in g lik e a fa ir equitable
v a lu e ; b u t, b y aflring themfelv es w h a t mutt be confidered a h ig h p r ice ,
after e v e r y p ro p e r a llow an ce fo r r i f t , infurance , and lofs, k e p t up the
e x tra v a g an t n om in a l v a lu e w h ic h e v e r y th in g bo re in the c o lo n y .
C H A P . X X I V .
A MURDER COMMITTED NEAR PARRAMATTA.----TH E FRANCIS SAILS FOR
NORFOLK ISLAND.— PROVISIONS.— STORM OF WIND AT PARRAMATTA.—
CROPS.----A SETTLEMENT FIXED A T TH E HAWKESBURY.----NATIVES.—
A BURGLARY COMMITTED.— SAMUEL BURT EMANCIPATED.----DEATH OF
WILLIAM CROZ1ER COOK.----TH E WATCHES RECOVERED.----TH E FRANCIS
RETURNS FROM NORFOLK ISLA ND .— INFORMATION.----TH E NEW ZEALAND
NATIVES SENT TO TH EIR OWN COUNTRY.— DISTURBANCE A T NORFOLK
ISLAND.— COURT OF INQUIRY AT SYDNEY.— THE FRANCIS RETURNS TO
NORFOLK ISLAND.— NATIVES TROUBLESOME.— STATE OF PROVISIONS.
J a n u a r y 1794*] T h e rep o r t th a t w a s fpread in A p r i l la ft, o f a
mu rd e r h a v in g be en com m itted on a w a tchm a n b e lo n g in g to th e
tow n ffiip o f Parramatta, n e v e r h a v in g b e en con firm ed , e ith e r b y fin d in
g th e b o d y am o n g th e ftalk s o f In d ian co rn as w a s e x p e d e d , o r b y
a n y o n e fubfequent c ircum ftan ce , it w a s ho p ed that th e f to r y h ad b e en
fab ricated , and that mu rd e r w a s a c r im e w h ic h fo r m a n y y e a rs to
com e w o u ld not ftain the annals o f th e c o lo n y . In p ro p o r tio n , in d
eed , as o u r numbers in c reafed , and th e inhab itants b e g a n to poffefs
th o fe com fo rts o r neceffaries w h ic h m ig h t p ro v e temp ta tions to th e
id le and the vicious^ th a t h ig h and h o r r id offen ce m ig h t , in com m o n
w i th others o f th e fame ten d en c y , b e e x p e d e d to e x i f t ; b u t at this
m om en t all th o u g h t th e ir pe rfon s fe cu re , th o u g h th e ir p ro p e r ty w a s
fr e q u en t ly inv ad ed . O n th e 5 th o f th is m on th , h ow e v e r , J o h n
L ew is , an e ld e r ly c o n v id , em p lo y ed to g o o u t w i th th e cattle at Parramatta,
w a s m o ft barbaroufly. murd ered . T h e ca ttle, h a v in g lo ft
th e ir c o n d u d o r , rem ained th a t n ig h t in th e w o o d s ; and w h e n th e y
w e r e fo u n d , th e abfence o f L ew is e x c ite d an ap p reh enfion th a t fom e
ac cid ent h ad happened to h im . H is b o d y w a s n o t d ifeo ve red h o w e
v e r un til th e W e d n e fd a y fo llow in g , w h e n , b y th e fn o r tin g and great
uneafinefs o f th e cattle w h ic h had been d r iv en o u t fo r the p u rp o fe , it
w a s p e rce iv ed ly in g , in a h o llow o r ra v in e , in to w h ic h it had been
th row n b y th o fe w h o h ad b utchered h im , co v e red w i th lo g s , b o u g h s ,
an d