4* z
T h is b e in g the ftate o f th e ftores, fupplies -were a rd ently to be defined.
I t w a s t ru ly u n fo r tu n a te , that M r . Bam p ton had no t been able
to p rocu re a n y falted p rov ifio n s at B om b a y , but in lie u th e r e o f had
b ro u g h t us a q u a n tity o f rice. W e n o w b eg an to g r o w g ra in fufficient
fo r ou r con fum p tion from crop to c ro p , and gra in that was at all times
p re fe rred to th e im po rts from India. D h o l l and r ic e w e r e n e ve r w e ll
re c e ived b y th e p rifone r s as an eq u iv a len t fo r flo u r , p a r ticu la r ly w h en
p e a fe fo rm ed a p art o f th e ration ; and it w a s to be lamented that a
n e ce ffity e v e r e x ifte d , o f fo r c in g u p on th em fu ch trafh as th e y had
from time to tim e been o b lig ed to digeft.
T h e effects o f this ration fo o n appeared ; fe v e ra l attacks w e re made
on in d iv id u a ls ; th e h o u fe o ccupied b y M r . M u ir w a s bro k en in to , and
all o r n e a r ly all th a t g en tlem an ’ s p ro p e r ty fto len : fom e o f h is w e a r in g
ap p arel w a s la id in h is w a y th e n e x t d a y ; but h e ftill rem ain ed a co n -
fiderable fufferer b y th e v ifit . S om e p r iv a te fto ck y a rd s w e re attacked ;
b u t fin d in g th em to o v ig ila n t ly w a tch ed , a fe llow p la y ed o ffia tr ick
.that h e th o u g h t w o u ld g o d ow n w ith th e h u n g r y ; h e Hole a v e r y fine
g r e y h o u n d , an d , inftead o f fe c re tly em p lo y in g h im in p ro cu r in g occa-
f io n a lly a fr e lh m e al, h e ad tually k illed th e d o g , and fold it to different
p e o p le .in th e to w n fo r k an g o o ro o at nin e -pen ce p e r p ound . B e in g
d e ta ile d in this v illa in ou s traffic, h e w a s fe v e r e ly p unifhed.
A cr im in a l co u r t w a s affembled o n the 20th fo r the tr ial o f M a r y
P aw fo n , a fettler’ s w i fe at the r iv e r , fo r the cr ime o f arfon. O n the
tr ial the re w a s ftro n g e v id en ce o f malice in the p r ifone r ag ain ft th e
w i fe o f th e ow n e r o f th e h o u fe ; b u t not a n y that led d ired lly to co n v
ic t h e r o f h a v in g fet th e h o u fe on fire. S h e .w as th e r e fo r e a c q u i t te d ;
b u t the ad jo in in g fettlers d iflik in g fuch a charadler in th e ir n e igh b o u r h
o o d , the h u fb an d , w h o had n o th in g a g ain ft h im b u t this w i fe , fold
a v e r y g o od farm w h ic h he poffeffed on a c re ek o f the r iv e r , and w ith d
rew to an o th e r fituation , remote and lefs ad vantageous. A t th e fame
time a no to rious offen d e r, James B a r r y , w a s tried fo r a ttem p tin g to
b re ak in to a fettler’s hou fe at th e Ponds w i th an in ten t to Ileal, th e
p r o o f o f w h ic h w a s to o clear to admit o f h is efcape. H e w a s fentenced
to fuffer one th o u fan d lafties, and on th e S a tu rd a y fo llo w in g received
tw o hundred and fe v en ty o f then;.
O n
O n the fame d a y a c iv il cou r t was held fo r the p urpo fe o f g ra n tin g
p rob ate o f the w i ll o f T h om a s D a v e n e y , late a fuperintendant o f
co n v ic t s , w h o died on the 3d o f the month. T h e caufe o f his death
w a s ex tra ord ina ry . P ie had been appointed a fup e rintend ant o f the.
con v icts em p lo y ed in ag riculture at T o o n g a b b e b y th e late G o v e rn o r
P h illip , w h o , co n fid e r in g him t ru ft-w o r th y , placed grea t con fid en c e in
h im . ' S ome time after G o v e rn o r P h illip ’ s departure, his con d ud l w a s
reprefented to the lieu ten an t-g o v e rn o r in fuch a lig h t , that he difmiffed
h im from his fituation, and he retired to a farm w h ic h h e had at T o o n -
gabbe; H e had been a lw a y s ad d ic ted to the ufe o f fpi-rituous l iq u o r s ;
bu t he n ow applied h im fe lf m ore c lo fe ly to th em , to d r o w n the re colle
c tio n o f his d ifgra ce . In this vice, he continued un til the 3d o f M a y
laft, on w h ic h d a y h e cam e to S y d n e y in a ftate o f in fan ity . H e w e n t
to th e h ou fe o f a fr ien d in th e to w n , d e te rmin ed , as it feemed, to
d e ftro y h im fe lf ; fo r h e there d rank , u n k n ow n to the p eop le o f the
h o u fe , as faft as h e could fw a llow , n e a r ly h a l f a g a llo n o f Gape brandy*.
H e fe ll d ired lly u p on the flo o r o f the room he was in (w h ich happened
to be o f b r i c k ) ; w h e re the p eop le, th in k in g n o th in g w o r fe than in to
x ic a tio n ailed h im , fuffered h im toT ie fo r ten o r tw e lv e h o u r s ; in
confequence h e was feized w ith a v io len t inflamma tion w h ic h b r o k e
ou t on th e arm, and th a t part o f the b o d y w h ic h la y n e x t the g ro u n d ;
to this, after fup puration h ad taken p lace, and feveral operations had.
be en p erformed to ex trad l the pus, a m or tification fuc ce ed ed , and a t
laft carried h im o f f on the 3d o f J u ly . A few hours b efore his. death
he requeftSd to fee th e ju d g e -ad v o c a te , to whom- h e declared,, that it.
had been to ld h im that he had been fu fp ed ted .o f h a v in g improperly,
and ty ran n ic a lly abufed the confidence- w h ic h he had en jo y ed , under.
G o v e rn o r P h i l l ip ; but that h e could fa fe ly declare, as he was fh o r tly
to appear b efore the laft tr ibunal, th a t n o th in g la y on his confidence,
w h ich could m ake his laft moments in th is life p ainful.. A t his. ow n
requeft h e w a s interred in th e b u r y in g ground, at Parramatta. H e had:
been ad v an c in g his means, p re tty r a p id l y f o r , . - a f t e r his deceafe, his.
fto c k o f goats, co n fiftin g o f e ig h ty - f ix males and females, fold b y
public- auction. for. three h und red and fifty - fe v en p ou n d s fifteen fh illin g s ..
H e le ft a w id ow ( fo rm e r ly C a tharine H o u n fo n ,) ' w h o had'.for feveral
yea rs been deranged in h e r intellects.
In.