[1796.
In th e e v en in g o f th e 18 th his M a je f ty ’ s Ihip S u p p ly returned from
N o r fo lk Ifland , h a v in g be en abfent o n ly th re e w e ek s and fo u r d a y s ,
th e qu ick e ft p afla ge that h ad y e t been made to and from th a t ifland.
A t n ig h t w o rd w a s fent u p from th e -L o o k -o u t , that another v e ffe l was
o ff, and on th e fo llow in g e v en in g the fn ow Sufan ar r iv ed from R h o d e
Ifland , h a v in g been at fea tw o hun d red and th ir ty -o n e ' d a y s , not
to u c h in g a n y w h e re on h e r paflage.
T h e Am e r ic an s w e re obfe rv ed to make thefe k in d o f v o y a g e s from
m otiv e s o f f ru g a lity , fa ilin g d ire c t fo r th is p o r t ; but th e y we re
at th e fame time o bferved to b r in g in th e ir p eop le e x tr em e ly h e alth y .
O n o u r en q u ir in g w h a t methods th e y to o k fo to fe cu re th e health ó f
th e ir feamé’n , th e y to ld us, that in g enera l th e y fo u n d eXêrcife th é beft
p r e v e n t iv e ' agaittft th e fe ir r v y , and confid ered idlenêfs 4S th e fureft
means o f in trod u c in g it. In addition ro exèTclfé, h ow e v e r , th e y made
freq u en t u ié 'o f acids in th e diet o f th e ir feameO, atid o f Fumigations
fro n t to ba cco in th e ir betwe en-d e ck s. C e r ta in it w a s that n one o f ou r
fh ip s, w h ic h tou ched in th e ir w a y Out at Other p or ts , ar riv ed fo g en e r
a l ly h e a lth y .
A M r . T r o t te r w a s th e m a fte t o f th is Veffel. H e Was an M lhm a n
b y b ir th , b u t h ad fo r fom e tim e be en a c itizen o f th e U n ite d States.
S t ro n g cu rrents and fo u l w in d s ' had bepn h is enemies in th e late
v o y a g e . H is Cargo con fid ed o f fp ir its , bro ad -c lo th , and a v a r ie t y o f
u fe fu l and defirable articles,_ adapted to the nèeeffities o f this co u n t ry .
O n th e laft d a y o f th is m on th th e Ind ifpenfable t r an fp o r t ar riv ed
from E n g lan d , w i th one h u n d red ahd th ir ty -o n e female e'oh'viCts, and
■ a fmall qu an tity o f p rov ifion s on board fo r th e ir con fum ption .
M r . W ilk in fo n , w h o command ed th is Ih ip , w e fo u n d , to ou r
g rea t regre t, had no t to u ch ed at th e C ap e o f G o o d H o p e ; h e had
flo p p ed o n ly at th e p o r t o f R io de J ane iro. T h is w a s u n fo r tu n a te ,
as it w a s in ten d ed that th e k in g ’ s Ihips Ihould fail e a r ly in th e en fu in g
m o n th o f Sep tem b e r fo r th a t p art o f th e ,w o r ld . T h a t the .w a r ftill
ra ged in E u ro p e w e h ea rd w i th con ce rn , fe e lin g as e v e r y humane
m in d muft do fo r th e fu ffe r in g s o f its fe llow - c r e a tu r e s ; but it w a s in
th e h ig h e ft d egree g r a t ify in g to us to k n ow that o u r fituation w a s n o t
w h o l ly fo rg o tten at h om e , p r o o f en o u gh o f w h ic h w e exp e r ien c ed in
th e la te fre q u en t ar riv als o f Ihips from E n glan d .
A t
A t a cr im in a l co u r t w h ic h w a s held in th is m on th fo u r p rifone rs
w e r e tr ied fo r fo r g in g , and utte r in g w i th a fo rg e d in d o rfem ent, th e
n o te w h ic h had been paffed at M r . H o g a n ’ s fto re in F eb ru a ry la ft,
w h e n James M ‘C a r th y was con v ic ted o f th e fam e , and re ce ived fen-
ten c e o f death ; th e others w h o w e re tr ied w i th h im w e re acquitted .
T h is tr ial had been d e la y ed fo r fom e tim e , M ‘C a r th y h a v in g fo u n d
means to break out o f th e ce lls, and rem ain fo r fom e w e e k s Iheltered
at th e H aw k e fb u r y , the re fu g e o f all th e S y d n e y ro g u e s w h e n in
d an ge r o f b e in g apprehended.
T h r e e p rifone rs w e r e tr ied fo r Healing fom e articles o u t o f th e fto re
at th e r iv e r , one o f w h om w a s fo u n d g u il ty , v iz . James A lh fo r d , a
y o u n g lad w h o h ad b e en fo rm e r ly d rum med ou t o f th e N ew Sou th
W a le s corps. H e w a s fen ten c ed to fe v en y e a rs la b o u r at N o r fo lk
Ifland. O n e fo ld ie r w a s ac cufed b y an old m an , a fe ttle r at th e r iv e r ,
o f an unnatural c r im e , b u t acquitted .
T w o p eop le o f f th e fto re w e r e fo u n d g u i l t y o f Healing fom e g e e fe ,
th e p ro p e r ty o f M r . C har le s G r im e s , th e d e p u ty - fu r v e y o r , and fen tenced
to re c e iv e co rp o ra l p u nifhm en t. A n o th e r o f th e fame clafs w a s
fo u n d g u il ty o f cu ttin g and w o u n d in g a . fe rv an t o f th e com m iffa ry ,
w h o h ad p re ven ted his com m ittin g a t h e f t , . and w a s fen ten ced to
re c e iv e e ig h t h u n d red la lh e s ; and one m an , G e o r g e H y f o n , fo r an
attempt to com m it th e ab ominable c r ime o fb e f t ia li t y , w a s fen ten ced to
ftand th re e tim e s .in th e p illo r y , an h o u r each time .
H o w u n p le a fin g w e r e th e re fle c tion s th a t arofe from th is ca ta logue
o f cr im in als and th e ir o ffen ce s ! N o p u n ilhm en t h o w e v e r e x em p la r y ,
n o rew ard h ow e v e r grea t, cou ld operate o n th e m ind s o f the fe u n th
in k in g p eop le. E q u a lly in d iffe ren t to th e p a in w h ic h th e fo rm e r
m ig h t occafion, and th e g ra tification th a t th e 'other m igh t, a fford, th e y
b lin d ly p urfued the dictates o f th e ir v ic io u s in c lin a tio n s , to w h a te v e r
th e y p rom p te d ; and w h e n flo p p ed b y th e arm o f ju f t ic e , w h ic h fom e -
times reached th em , th e y end ured th e con fequen ce s w i th an hard ened
o b ftin a c y and ind ifference that e ffe c tu a lly ch e c k ed th e Tenfations o f
p i ty w h ic h are n a tu ra lly e x c ited b y th e v iew o f h um an fu fle r in gs .
A c iv il co u r t alfo w a s affembled this m on th , b y w h ic h fome wr its
and fome prob ates o f w ills w e r e granted.
3 p A t