r> 796-
D am p ie r ’ s S trait, d ow n P itt’ s P a fla g e , to the Southward oF B o u fton ,
and th ro u g h the Straits o f S a la y e r , in to th e B an d a o r Am b o y n a Sea.
T h i s paflage th e B r itan nia p e r fo rm ed in fix ty - f iv e day s from P o rt
J a ck fo n to B a ta v ia ; w h ic h , had it n o t b e en fo r calms fhe met w i th
o i f the coaft o f N ew G u in e a , w o u ld in all p ro b a b ility h a v e been perfo
rm ed in f ix w e e k s , o r th e re a b o u t.” -
M r . R a v e n fu rn iih ed thefe o bfe rv ation s in the h o p e that th e y m igh t
b enefit th e fe ttlem en t, b y p ro v in g u fe fu l to th e com m and e rs o f an y
{hips w h ic h th e g o v e rn o r m ig h t h a v e occafion to fend in to tho fe feas
o n th e fe rv ice o f the co lon y .
T h e g o v e rn o r , co n v in c e d that an e x am p le w a s n e ce ffa ry to ch e ck
th e p refent p rac tice o f v illa in y , had ordered James M ‘C a r th y , th e
p r ifone r u n d e r Sentence o f death fo r fo rg e r y , to be e x e cu ted on Satu
rd a y th e 14 th o f this p re fen t m o n th ; b u t y ie ld e d to th e req u e ft o f
M r . J o h n fon (the c le rg ym a n w h o attended th e p r ifone r ) to fpare his
life , it ap p e a r in g e v id en tly on th e tr ial, th a t, g u il ty th o u g h h e c e r ta in ly
w a s , h e had in the p re fen t in ftan ce been ra th e r th e v id tim o f th e v ic e
o f others, than o f h is ow n . H e w a s a c co rd in g ly p ard on ed , on
c o n d it io n o f his fe r y in g fo r fe v en y e a rs at hard la b o u r at N o r fo lk
I llan d .
A b o u t th is time th e M a rq u is C o rnw a llis and E x p e r im en t failed fo r
In d ia . P re v io u s to th e ir d eparture, M r . H o g a n , th e com m an d e r o f
th e fo rm e r , had requefted an ex am in a tio n m ig h t be tak en as tO th e
c ircum ftan ce s o f h is co n d u c t tow a rd th e conv id ts and others on board
h is Ihip d u r in g th e ir p afla ge from Ire lan d to this c o u n t ry . T h e e x a m
in a tion u p on oath w a s made b y th e ju d g e -ad v o c a te , aflifted b y tw o
o th e r magiftra tes , to w h om it ap p eared , th a t M r . H o g a n ,. but fo r the
fo r tu n a te and tim e ly d ifc o v e r y o f it , w o u ld w i th his {hip h a v e fallen
a fac rifice to as d a r in g and a la rm in g a co n fp ira c y as, p erhap s, e v e r h ad
be en entered in to b y a fe t o f defpe rate w r e tch e s on b o ard o f a n y lh i p ;
an d that n o th in g w a s le ft fo r h im , to fav e h im fe lf from the d an ge r o f
a fim ila r circum ftan ce o c cu r r in g d u r in g th e v o y a g e , b u t to inflidt im m
ed iate p u nifhm en t on th e pe rfon s w h o w e r e conce rned in it. 1
A c iv i l co u r t w a s affembled n e a r ly about th e fame tim e , to t r y an
aflault, th e adtion fo r w h ic h w a s b ro u g h t b y M r . M a tth ew A u f t in (a
g en tlem a n w h o came o u t in th e M a rq u is C o rnw a llis , as a fup esintend -
in g
in g fu rg e o n o f th e c o n v i& s in that lh ip , o n th e p art o f g o v e rnm en t)
ag a in ft M r . M ic h a e l H o g a n the com m an d e r , M r . J o h n H o g a n th e
fu rg e o n , and H e n r y H a c k in g th e pilot. T h e c ircum ftan ce s o f th e
aflault b e in g p ro v ed , th e co u r t ad ju d g ed M r . M . H o g a n to p a y
damages to th e amount o f f ifty p o u n d s ; th e others w e r e acquitted .
O n M r . M ‘C le lla n ’s ar riv al from B e n g a l, h e rem in d ed u s , that
fom e p ro p e r ty had been fo u n d concealed in th e bed o f on e o f o u r
p eop le , w h ic h p ro p e r ty h ad been {hew n to h im at th e tim e , u n d e r a
fu p p o fition that it m ig h t h a v e been fto len from h is {hip. O n h is
re turn to In d ia , h e fo u n d th a t a fm all ba le, co n ta in in g th e v e r y articles
w h ic h h ad be en {hew n h im h e re , h ad be en p u t on board h im
a t B en g a l, to be d e liv e red as a p re fen t to a -g en tlem an at B a ta v ia , th e
initials o f w h o fe name w e r e mark ed on th e bale. O n h is fta tin g the fe
circumftances to th e ju d g e -a d v o c a te , that p art o f th e p ro p e r ty w h ic h
had been fo u n d , and placed in th e cu fto d y o f th e p ro v o ft-m a r flia l,
w a s g iv en u p to M r . M 'C le lla n . R o g e r s , w h o h ad been e ith e r th e
p r in c ip a l o r th e r e c e iv e r , perhaps fo re fe e in g th a t th e offen ce m ig h t
fo on e r o r later be b ro u g h t home to h im , had tak en h im fe lf o f f in th e
E n d e a v o u r , and was one o f th o fe p erfons w h o had been u n a v o id a b ly
le ft b eh in d at D u flc y B a y b y M r . W a in e w h e n h e qu itted that p lace
in th e A fiiftan ce .
F rom th e addrefs w i th w h ic h this bufinefs m u ff h a v e beenr mana ged ,
matters o f {hips m ig h t fe e the n e ce flity th a t e x ifted fo r th e ir k e e p in g a
v ig ila n t e y e o v e r the p eop le w h om th e y admitted on th e ir d eeks, and
be p e r fe c t ly affured, th a t m a n y v ifited th em fo r the e xp re fs p u rp o fe o f
d ifc o v e r in g w h a t v ig ila n c e w a s o b fe rv ed b y th e matter, h is mates, and
p eop le . M a n y inftances o f this k in d h a d o c cu r red , a lth o u gh it m ig h t
h a v e been re ad ily fu p p o fed , th a t a ftran g e r w o u ld h a v e been on his
gu a rd , and n e v e r h a v e lo ft th e id ea o f th e d e fc r ip tio n o f p e o p le b y
w h om h e w a s l ik e ly to be v ifited . A large, q u a n tity o f tob a cco h ad
be en fto len out o f th e B e llo n a fto re lh ip {h o r tly after {he ar riv ed h e r e ;
h a l f a c a lk o f g u n p ow d e r had be en fto len ou t o f th e B r ita n n ia , at the
v e r y time that th e matter w a s en te r ta inin g fom e o f th e gen tlemen o f
th e fettlement in th e c a b in ; M r . P a g e , th e matter- o f the Am e r ic an
ih ip H o p e , w a s robbed o f fe v e ra l ar tic le s , and th e bu ck le s out o f his
{hoes, w h ic h flo o d in th e ca b in w h e re in h e la y afleep ; and this th e ft
o f