t 1794-
ce rtain p e r io d , i f th en considered as d e fe rv in g o f his M a je f ty ’ s m e r c y as
at th e time o f m a k in g the p rom ife . In th e h o pe o f th is rew ard th e y
■ continued to co n d u c t th em fe lv e s w ith o u t in cu r r in g the flig h te d cen-
fu r e ; and o n e o f th em ; Samu e l B u r t, w a s deemed , th ro u g h a co n -
fc ien tiou s and r ig id difcha rge o f h is d u ty , to h a v e merited the pardon
h e lo o k ed up to. A c c o r d in g ly , on th e laft d a y o f th e mon th he was
d eclared ab fo lu te ly fre e . In the in ftrum en t o f his em an c ipa tion it was
ftated, “ .that th e rem ain d e r o f his te rm o f transportation w a s remitted
Jg in consid eration o f his g o od conduCt in d ifc o v e r in g and th e re b y p re -
■“ v e n t in g th e intend ed m u tin y on board th e S carb orough in h e r v o y a g e H to th is c o u n t r y in th e y e a r 1 7 9 0 , and h is faith fu l Services in the
“ p u b lic Bores u n d e r th e c om m iffa ry Since his a r r iv a l.” Ind epend ent
o f h is in te g r ity as a Storekeeper, h e w a s c e r ta in ly d e fe rv in g o f fome
d ift in g u iih in g m a rk o f fa v o u r fo r h a v in g be en th e means o f Saving the
tran fp o r t in w h ic h h e came ou t at th e r i lk o f his ow n life.
A t th e end o f th is m on th n e a r ly fo u r hundred acres w e re g o t read y
fo r w h e a t at S y d n e y , and e v e r y e x e r tio n w a s m a k in g to inc reafe that
qu an tity .
A la rg e n um b e r o f flops h a v in g been p repared , a fro c k , Ihirt, and
trow fe r s , w e r e fe rv ed o u t to e ach male c o n v ic t at S y d n e y and the inte
r io r Settlements. Sh o e s w e r e b e com e an ar tic le o f e x c e e d in g S c a r c ity ;
and the co u n t ry had h ith e r to afforded n o th in g th a t cou ld be fubftituted
fo r them . A conviCt w h o u n d e r flo o d th e bufinefs o f a tanner had
Ih ew n th a t th e fk in o f th e k an g o o ro o m ig h t be ta n n e d ; but th e animal
w a s n o t fo u n d in fuffic ient abund ance to an fw e r th i s ' pu rp o fe fo r a n y
n um b e r o f p eop le ; and th e fk in it fe lf w a s no t o f a fubftance to be app
lied , to th e fo ljn g o f fhoe?. ,
A m o n g the n um b e r o f deaths th is m on th w a s th a t o f W illiam
G ro z ie r C o o k , w h o e xp ired in con fequ en ce o f e a tin g tw o p oun d s o f
u n g ro u n d w h e a t, w h ic h w a s fo rced , b y his im m ed ia te ly d r in k in g a
q u an tity o f w a te r , in to th e inteftines, w h en c e jt co u ld n o t p a f s ; and
th o u g h th e m o d ac tiv e medicines w e r e adm in ifle red a mor tification
to o k p lace in th e low e r p art o f his inteftines, w h ic h p u t an end to his
life . C o o k had , fo r a len g th o f tim e after his ar rival in this c o u n t r y ,
been a w o r th le fs v a g a b o n d ; b u t had la tte r ly appeared fenfible h ow
m u ch m ore to h is ad v an ta g e a d ifferent cha ra c te r w o u ld p ro v e , and
had
had g a in ed th e g o o d w o rd and o p in ion o f th e ove r fe e r s and fu p e r in -
tend ants u n d e r w h om h e laboured.
F e b ru a ry .] O n the 4 th o f this m on th th e wa tch e s w h ic h had remained
fo lo n g u n d ifcov e red w e r e b ro u g h t d ow n from Parramatta b y
L ie u ten an t M ‘A r th u r . B y a chain o f c ircum ftan ce s it appeared that
th e y had been ftolen b y J o h n B e v a n , who- at th e tim e had b ro k en ou t
o f th e p r ifo n h u t at T o o n g a b b e , and com in g im m e d ia te ly d ow n to
S y d n e y , in co n ju n c tio n w i th S u t to n , (the m an w h o w a s tr ied fo r
ftea lin g M r . R a v e n ’ s w a tc h in O c to b e r 1 7 9 2 ,) com m itted th e th e ft ,
re tu rn in g w i th th e fp oil to h is h u t at T o o n g a b b e b e fo re h e had been
miffed from it b y a n y o f th e w a tchm en . H e a fte rw ard s p la y e d at
cards w i th an o th e r conv iCt, and e x ch an g e d th e w a tch e s fo r a n an k e en
w a iftco a t and trow fe rs . F rom th is man th e y g o t in to th e p offeflion o f
tw o o r th re e o th e r p e o p le , an d w e r e at la ft, b y grea t a c c id en t, fo u n d
t o .b e in th e p o ffe flion o f on e B a t t y , a n o v e r fe e r , in th e th a tch o f
w h o fe h u t th e y , to g e th e r w i th ten dollars, w e r e fo u n d fafe and u n in ju
r e d . T h e dollars w e r e fu p p o fed to be p art o f th e m o n e y fto len at
th e fame tim e from W a lfh at th e ho fpital * , w i th w h om B e v a n , fom e
time b e fo re , had made a cqu a in tance , w in n in g from h im n o t o n ly a
hun d red w e ig h t o f flour, w h ic h h e h ad a-Imoft fta rv ed h im fe lf to la y
b y , b u t d e lu d in g h im alfo out o f th e fec ret o f h is m o n e y , w i th e v e r y
p a r ticular th a t w a s neceffa ry to h is d e fign o f fte a lin g it..
T h is w a s the in fo rm a tion g iv e n ag a in ft B e v a n b y th e p eop le th ro u g h
w h o fe hands th e w a tch e s h ad p a f fe d ; b u t as it w a s en tir e ly u n fu p -
p or ted b y a n y co r rob o ra tin g c ircum ftan ce , he w a s d ifcha rged w ith o u t
p u n i fhm e n t ; b u t B a t ty and another m an , L u k e N o rm in g to n , o f w h o fe
g u ilt there w a s n o t a d oubt, re c e iv ed each a fe v e re co rp o ra l p u nifh r
men t b y ord e r o f th e lie u ten an t-g o v e rn o r . In all th e e x am in ations
w h ic h to o k p lac e , n o th in g appeared th a t affeCted S u tto n , fa r th e r th an
th e unfup ported affertions o f one o r tw o o th e r GOnviCts ; but i f B e v a n
w a s affifted b y a n y one, S u t to p , from his g en e ra l ch a rac te r , h a v in g
a lread y dealt in th e ar ticle o f w a tch e s , w a s v e r y p ro b a b ly h is fr ien d
on the occafion.
T h e co n ftan c y o f th is w r e tch ed y o u n g man (B e v a n ) w a s . a fton ilh -
iog.. H e m oft ftead ily d enied k n ow in g a n y th in g o f th e tran fa ftio n ,
* This wretched old man did not long furvive the lofs of his money..
treating.