ation on this fu b je f t w a s to b e g iv e n to th e neareft magiftra te , w h o
w a s to fend th e ear lieft n otice in his p ow e r to th e ju d g e -ad v o c a te at
S y d n e y .
In p urfuance o f thefe d ire c tion s le v e ra l Hills w e re fo u n d and de-
ftro y e d , to th e grea t re g re t o f th e owners^ w h o from a b u lhe l o f
w h e a t (w o r th at the p u b lic fto re ten Ih illin g s) diftilled a g a llon o f a
n ew and p o ifon ou s fp ir it, w h ic h th e y retailed d i r e a i y from- the ftiil at
fiv e Ihilling s p e r q ua rt b o tt le , and' fome tim e s more. T h is was not
m e re ly p aid aw a y fo r la b o u r , as w a s p retend ed , b u t fo ld fo r th e p ur-
p ole s o f in to x ic a tio n to w h o e v e r w o u ld b r in g re a d y m on e y .
L i t t le o r n o a ttention h a v in g be en p aid to th e ord e r ifl'ued in O c to
b e r la f t refpeCting r em o v in g th e p a lin g ab out th e fir e am , th e g o v
e rn o r fo u n d it n e ce ffa ry to repeat it, and to d eclare in. p ublic orders,
“ to e v e r y d e fcr ip tion o f p e rfon s , that w h e n an ord er w a s g iv e n b y
<e h im , it w a s g iv e n to be o b e y e d .” T h i s h ad b e com e a b fo lu te ly
n e ce fla ry , as th e re w e r e fome w h o , in open defiance o f his- d irec tions,
n o t o n ly ftiil opened th e p a lin g , but to o k w i th d ir ty veffe ls th e w a te r
w h ic h th e y w a n ted ab ov e th e tan k s , th e r e b y d iftu rb in g and p o llu tin g
th e w h o le ftream be low .
S e v e ra l attempts had b e en made b y th e c om m ifla ry to afcertain the
n um b e r o f arms in th e p ofle flion o f in d iv id u als ; it b e in g fe a red , that,
in fte ad o f th e ir b e in g p ro p e r ly diftributed am o n g th e fettlers fo r th e ir
p ro te c t io n , m an y w e r e to be fo u n d in th e h an d s o f p erfons w h o ufed
th em in Ih o o tin g , o r in com m ittin g depredations. It w a s once more
attemp ted to d ifc o v e r th e ir n um b e r , b y d ir e ft in g all p e rfons (the m ilita
r y e x cep ted ) w h o w e r e in p ofle flion o f arms to b r in g th em to the
com m iffa ry ’ s office, w h e re , after re g ifte r in g th em , th e y w e r e t o 'r e ce
iv e certificates fign ed b y h im , o f th e ir b e in g p ermitted to c a r ry fuch
arms.
S om e few fettlers; w h o v a lu ed th e ir arms as n e ce fla ry to th e ir
d efence ag ain!! th e nativ es and ag ainft th ie v e s , haftened to the office
fo r th e ir c e r tific a te ; b u t 'o f b e tw e en tw o and th re e hun d red Hands
o f arms w h ic h b e lon g ed to th e c row n n o t f i f t y w e r e ac counted for.
T h e m an y robberies w h ic h were- almoft d a ily and n ig h t ly com mitted
rendered it exp ed ien t th a t fom e fteps Ihould be ta k en to p u t a
flo p to an e v il fo deftrudtive o f th e happinefs and com fo r t o f th e in -
d uftr ious
d uftr ious inhabitants. Csefar w a s ftiil in th e w o o d s , w i th fever'al o th e r
v ag a b ond s , all o f w h om w e re rep or ted , b y p eo p le w h o faw th em
from tim e to tim e , to be a rm e d ; and as he h ad fen t us w o rd , th a t h e
n e ith e r w o u ld com e in , n o r fu ffe r h im fe lf to be ta k en aliv e , it became
n e ce fla ry to fe cu re h im . N o tic e w a s th e re fo re g iv e n , th a t w h o e v e r
Ihould fecure and b r in g h im in w i th h is arms Ihould re c e iv e as a rew
a rd fiv e ga llons o f Ipirits. T h e fettlers, and th o le p eo p le w h o w e r e
o c c a fio n a lly fup plied w i th am m u n ition b y th e officers, w e r e in fo rm e d ,
th a t i f th e y Ihould be hereafter d ifcov e red to h a v e fo abufed th e c o n fid
en ce placed in th em , as to fu p p ly th o fe com m on p lu n d e re rs w i th
a n y part o f th is am m u n ition , th e y w o u ld be d eemed ac com p lice s in
th e robberies com m itted b y th em , and fteps w o u ld b e ta k en to b r in g
th em to p u n ilhm en t as ac ceflaries.
T o re lie v e th e m ind from th e co n tem p la tio n o f c ircum ftan ce s fo
irk fom e to h um a n ity , on th e 2 3 d th e Ce re s ftore-Ihip a r r iv ed from
E n g lan d . It w a s impoffible th a t a Ihip cou ld e v e r rea ch this diftant
part o f his M a je f ty ’ s d om in ion s , from E n g la n d , o r from a n y o th e r
p a r t o f th e w o r ld , w ith o u t b r in g in g a ch an g e to o u r id ea s, and a
v a r ie ty to o u r amufements. T h e in trod u c tio n o f a ftran g e r am o n g us
had e v e r be en an o b je c t o f fom e m om e n t ; fo r e v e r y c iv i l i t y w a s c o n -
fidered to b e due to h im w h o had left- th e c iv iliz e d w o r ld to v if it us.
T h e p erfona l intereft h e m ig h t h a v e in th e v if it w e fo r a w h ile fo r g o t ;
and from o u r fo lic itud e to hear n ew s h e w a s in v ite d to o u r h o u fe s and
treated at ou r tables. I f h e a fte rw ard s fo u n d h im fe lf n e g le d e d , it
w a s n o t - to be w o n d e red a t ; his in te llig en c e w a s e xh au fted , and he
h ad fu n k in to th e mere tradefman.
T h is Ihip, w h o fe m a ile r ’ s name w a s H e d le y , had on board ftores
and p rov ifion s fo r th e fettlement. S h e failed from E n g lan d on th e
5 th o f A u g u f t l a f t ; to o k th e route o f m o d o th e r Chips w h ic h had
preceded h e r , an ch o r in g at R io de J ane iro o n th e 18 th o f O c to b e r ,
w h en c e Ihe failed on th e 2 2d o f the fame m on th , and made V a n
D iem an ’ s L a n d on th e 9 th in ftan t, h e r p a fla g e o c c u p y in g fom e th in g
more than fiv e months..'
W e foun d that a Ihip (the M a rq u is C o rnw a llis ) h ad failed fo r C o rk
to take in h e r co n v ic ts three w e e k s b efore th e Ceres le ft E n g lan d ; and
3 m 2 th a t