th e y admired h im . H e ar r iv ed in a v e r y w e a k and impaired Hate o f
health. W e learned that tw o o th e r fhips w i th c o n v if t s , th e M a rq u is
C o rnw a llis and th e M a r ia , m ig h t be ‘ e x p e c ted to ar rive in th e courfe
o f th is fummer .
O n the y th , a cr iminal cou r t was afiembled, w h e n th e fo llow in g p e r-
fons w e re t r i e d ; v iz . Samu e l C h in n e r y (a b lack ) fe rv an t to M r . A r n -
d e ll * , th e affiftant fu rg e o n , fo r ro b b in g that g e n t lem a n ; b u t h e was
acquitted : ----- —„Sm ith and A b ra h am W h ite h o u fe , fo r b re a k in g in to th e
dw e llin g -h o u fe o f W il iam P o tte r , a Pettier at P ro fp e ft H i ll , and after
c ru e lly tre a tin g th e o n ly p e r fon in th e h o u fe , W il liam T h o rn , (a ferv
a n t,) ftr ip p in g it o f all th e moveables th e y could fin d , and k illin g and
ta k in g a w a y fom e valuable f lo c k ; th e fe w e r e fo u n d g u il ty , and co n demned
to d i e ; and tw o fettlers, and f ix c o n v if t s , fo r an affault o n
on e M a r ia n n e W ilk in fo n , (attended w i th lik e circumftances o f in fam y
as th a t on M a i y H a r t le y in A p r il la ft,) o f w h ic h th re e w e r e fo u n d
g u i l ty ,, and fen ten c ed , ------- M e r ch an t , alias J on e s , th e p r in c ip a l, to
re c e iv e one th ou fan d lafhes ; th e o th e rs , L a d le y and E v e r it t, e ig h t
h u n d red each.
T h e fe u nm a n ly attacks o f fe v e ra l m en on a fin g le w om an h ad f r e q
u en t ly h ap pen ed , and h ad hap pened to fom e females w h o , th ro u g h
fh am e , con cealed th e circum ftance. T o fu ch a h e ig h t ind eed w a s th is
d iflo lu te and abandoned p r a ft ic e ca rried , th a t it had obta ined a can t
n am e ; and th e p o o r un fo r tu n a te o b je fts o f this b ru ta lity w e r e d iftin -
gu ifh ed b y a title e x p re ffiv e o f th e in fu lts th e y h ad received .
O n th e 16 th th e tw o p rifone rs Sm ith and W h ite h o u fe w e r e led o u t
to e x e cu tion . Sm ith fu ffe red , after w a rn in g th e c row d w h ic h attended
h im to gu a rd ag a in ft b re a k in g th e Sabbath. W h ite h o u fe , b e in g e v id
en tly the to o l o f Sm ith , and a m u ch y o u n g e r man , w a s p ardoned b y
th e g o v e rn o r . H is e x c e lle n c y , a fte r th e e x e cu t io n , expre lfed in p ublic
orders, h is “ h o p e th a t neither th e e x am p le h e h ad th a t d a y fo u n d
“ h im fe lf com pe lled to m ak e o f one o ffend er, n o r th e le n ity w h ie h
“ h e h ad fh ew n to an o th e r, w o u ld be w ith o u t th e ir e ffe ft : it w o u ld
“ a lw a y s be m ore g ra te fu l to h im to fpare than to p u n i f l i ; but h e fe lt
* This gentleman had, on the arrival of Mr. Leeds, been permitted to retire from the
civil duties of the colony with a falary of fifty pounds per annum.
“ it
“ it n e ce ffa ry o n th a t occafion to declare, th a t i f n e ith e r the ju f t ic e
“ w h ic h had been d one , nor th e m e rcy w h ic h h ad been fh ew n , tend ed
“ to decreafe th e perpetration o f offences, it w a s h is d etermina tion in
“ fu tu r e to put in e x e cu tion w h a te v e r fentence fh o u ld be p ron ou n ced
| o n offenders b y the court o f cr im in al ju d ic a tu r e .”
A fmall p r in tin g -p re fs , w h ic h had been b ro u g h t in to the fe ttlem en t
b y M r . P h illip , and had remained from th a t tim e u n em p lo y e d , w a s
n o w foun d v e r y u f e fu l ; a v e r y d ecent y o u n g man , o n e G e o r g e
H u g h e s , o f fom e abilities in th e p r in tin g lin e , h a v in g been fo u n d
equa l to c o n d u ft in g th e w h o le b u fin e fs o f th e prefs. A l l orders w e r e
n ow p r in ted , and a n um b e r th row n o f f fu ffic ien t to enfure a m ore
genera l p u b lic a tion o f th em than h ad h ith e r to be en ac com plifhed .
S om e time after th e ar riv al o f th e S o v e r e ig n th e fu ll a llow a n ce o f
fait meat w a s iffued , and the- h o u r s o f p u b lic lab ou r regu la ted , m ore
to the ad v an tage o f ‘ g o v e rnm en t th an had fo r a con fid e ra b le time ,
o w in g to th e fhortnefs o f th e ra tion , been th e cafe. Inftead o f com p
le tin g in a few hours th e w h o le lab ou r w h ic h w a s req u ired o f a man
fo r the d a y , th e c o n v if t s w e r e n o w to w o r k the w h o le d a y , w i th th e
intermiffion o f tw o h ours and a h a l f o f reft. M a n y ad vantages w e r e
g a ined b y this regu la tion ; am o n g w h ic h not th e lea ft w a s , th e d im in
u tion o f id le tim e w h ic h the p rifoners be fo re had , and w h ic h , em p h a tic
a lly te rm in g their own time, th e y ap p lied as th e y ch o fe , fom e in -
d u ftr io u lly , b u t b y fa r th e greater p art in .improper p u r fu its , as g am in g ,
d r in k in g , and ftea ling.
T h e fu ll ra tion o f flou r w a s iffued to th e m ilita ry , on ac co u n t o f th e
“ hard d u ty w h ic h had la te ly fa llen u p on th e r e g im e n t b u t th e y
w e r e in fo rm ed , that th e q u a n tity o f flo u r in th e p u b lic ftore w o u ld
n o t admit o f th e ir r e c e iv in g fu ch a llow a n c e fo r a n y len g th o f time .
F o u r pound s w e r e iffued to the p r ifone r s , and fom e o th e r g ra in g iv e n
to them to mak e up the difference.
O n the 2'oth h is M a je fty ’ s fh ip S u p p ly returned from N o r fo lk Ifland,
h a v in g -b e en abfent fo u r w e e k s and fo u r d ay s . S h e had a lo n g paffage
b a ck o f feventeert d ay s . W h e n M r . K e n t le ft th e ifland , th e lieuten
an t-g ov e rn o r was d an g e rou fly ill w i th th e g o u t in h is ftomach. W e
und erftood that cu ltiv a tio n w a s n e a r ly at a ftand there. T h e grou n d s
w e re fo o v e r - ru n w i th tw o grea t en em ie s to a g r icu ltu re , rats, and a
3 ^ 3 p e rn ic io u s