[ i 794-
co n fin em en t w h e n th e p la y w a s en d ed , the d e ta thm en t repaired to
th e ir o w n com m an d in g -o ffice r , and demanded th e re lea fe o f th e ir
com rade . O n h is d e c la r ing h is in a b ility to c om p ly w i t li fuch req u e ft,
th e y fignified a re fo lu tion to releafe h im th em fe lv e s ; u p on w h ic h the
o fficer remonftrated w i th th em , and th e y difperfed. I t did n o t appear
th a t th e y made a n y attelnpts to releafe th e p r ifo n e r ; bu t o n th e fo llo
w in g m o rn in g , w h e n th e lie u ten an t-g o v e rn o r w a s made acquainted
w i th th e a b o v e circum ftance s , h e co n v en ed all th e officers in th e fe t-
tlem en t, and la id b efore th em w h a t he had heard , to g e th e r w i th an
a c co u n t o f a d etermina tion am o n g the foldiers, to releafe from th e
halberts a n y o f th e ir comrades w h o Ihould be ordered p u n ilhm en t fo r
a n y offen ce o r in ju r y done to a fe t t le r ; all o f w h ic h h e had caufed
to be authenticated u p on oath. T h e re fult o f th is m e e tin g w a s , that
th e d e ta chm en t Ihould be d ifa rmed , and that the fettlers late o f the
marines,' and S ir iu s ’ s Ihip’ s c om p a n y , Ihould be embodied and armed
as a m ilitia. T h is re fo lu tio n w a s a c co rd in g ly p u t in e x e cu t io n on the
2 i f f , b y fen d in g th e d eta chment from th e ir quarters un armed , u p on
d iffe ren t d u t ie s ; w h ile th e n ew - ra iled m ilitia to o k poffeffion o f th e ir
arms . O n th e ir re tu rn , twfenty w e r e feleCted as mutineers to be fen t
to this p lac e , th e rem ain d e r re tu rn in g to th e ir d u ty im m ed ia te ly .; (but
o f th a t n um b e r ten w e r e , after a few day s confinem ent, p ardoned and
lib e r a t e d ;) and tw o day s a fte r M r . K in g had re ftored g o od o rd e r in
th e fettlement th e F ranc is appeared. B y he r h e feh t th e ten p rifone rs
u n d e r a g u a rd o f an o ffice r and as m an y fold iers as the v e ffe l could
c o n v e n ie n t ly receive.
A co u r t o f in q u ir y , com po fed o f th e officers o f th e reg im en t p refent
at S y d n e y , w a s affembled im m ed ia te ly after th e a r r iv al o f th e Franc is,
to in q u ire in to th e com p lain t w h ic h had ac com panied the foldiers from
N o r fo lk I l la n d ; w h en , a fte r fiv e d a y s d e lib e ration, and ex am in a tio n
o f papers, witn e ffe s , & c . th e y rep or ted , th a t th e c o n d u d o f th e fo ldiers,
in d ifo b e y in g th e orders o f th e ir officers, w a s r e p r eh en fib le ; b u t,
o n con fid e r in g th e p ro v o ca tio n s w h ic h had g iv e n bir th to th a t d if-
o b ed ien ce , th e y re com m en d ed th em to th e ir com m an d in g o ffice r’ s
c lem en c y .
O n th e 2 7 th th e fch o o n e r failed a fe con d tim e fo r N o r fo lk I llan d ,
f o r th e p u rp o fe o f c o n v e y in g tw o officers o f the N ew S o u th W a le s
1 4 corps,
co rp s , and fom e n on-commiffiOned officers and p riva te s , in lie u o f
th o fe w h o h ad been fent h ith e r , and w ith o u t w h om th e d e ta chm en t
on d u ty th e re w o u ld h a v e been too m uch w ea k en ed .
T h e nativ es w e r e again troublefome th is m on th . T w o feveral acco
u n ts w e r e fen t d ow n from Parramatta, o f th e ir h a v in g attack ed,
ro bbed , and beaten fo.me o f 'th e fettlers’ w iv e s w h o w e r e rep affing betw
e en th e ir farms and P a r ram a tta ; and grea t quantities o f c o rn con tinu
ed to be fto le n .b y them. O n e .o f the fe w om e n (married to T r a c e ,
a fettler at. the fo o t o f P ro fp ed l H i l l ) w a s fo fe v e r e ly w o u n d e d b y a
p a r ty w h o robbed and ftr ipp ed h e r o f .fome o f he r w e a r in g ap p arel,
th a t Ihe la y fo r a lo n g tim e d an g e ro u fly ill at the h o fpital. It w a s
faid , th a t th e p eop le w h o com m itted th is and o th e r a ft s o f v io len c e
and c ru e lty w e r e occafion al vifitors1 w i th others at S y d n e y . C o u ld
th e ir perfons h a v e be en p ro p e r ly id en tified , th e lie u ten an t-g o v e rn o r
w o u ld h a v e ta k en ferious n o tic e o f th e offenders.,
N o tw ith fta n d in g th e w o o d s w e r e infefted b y th e fe people,, numbers
o f the male c o n v ia s , id le , and d read in g la b o u r as a .g reate r e v il than
th e r i lk o f b e in g m u rd e red , abfented from th e n ew fettlements, an d ,
after w a n d e r in g ab out fo r a few d ay s , g o t at len g th to S y d n e y alm o ft
n ak ed , and fo n e a r ly ftarved,' th a t in m o ll cafes h um a n ity in te r fe red
b e tw e en th em and th e p u n ilhm en t w h ic h th e y merited. T h e y .in
g enera l pleaded th e in fu ffic ien c y o f th e p refent ra tion to fu p p o r t a
la b o u r in g m a n ; b u t it w a s w e ll k n o w n , th a t th e la b o u r requ ired
w a s in fin ite ly Ihort o f w h a t m ig h t have, be en ju f t ly e x a c te d from
th em , e v en h ad th e ra tion be en m u ch lefs. T h e y m o ft ly w r o u g h t b y
ta lk s , w h ic h , w e r e fo p ro p o r tio n ed to th e ir fitu a tion , th a t after th e h o u r
o f ten in th e fo ren o o n th e ir tim e w a s le ft at th e ir o w n d ifp o fa l; and
m a n y fo u n d em p lo ym en t from fettlers and o th e r in d iv id u a ls w h o h ad
th e means o f p a y in g th em fo r th e ir lab our. A t th is p e r io d , it w a s
tru e , th e la b o u r in g con v id t w a s menaced w ith th e p ro b a b ility o f fu ffe r -
in g greater w a n t than h ad e v e r b e en b e fo re exp e r ien c ed in th e fettlement.
O n S a tu rd a y th e '2 2 d (the laft p ro v ifio n -d a y in this m on th )
th e re remained in ftore a q u a n tity o f fait m eat o n ly fuffic ient fo r the
inhabitants un til the m id d le o f the fe con d w e e k in th e n e x t m on th ,
at w h ic h tim e there w o u ld n o t be an o u n ce o f p ro v ifio n s le ft, i f fom e
fupplies did n o t ar r iv e b e fo re th a t p e r iod . B u t e v en this fitu a tion , bad
‘ B f s as