fo rm a tion , w e r e v e r y n e ar fa llin g in w i th th e thi?ves,; b u t thefe latter
d efcr ied them in tim e to m ake th e ir efcape. In forma tion b e in g a fte r w
a rd s re c e iv ed , th a t tw o ru n aw a y v agabond s we re con c e a led a t a
h o u le near th e b r ick -fie ld s, fem e o f th e w a tch repaired to th e . (p o t ,
and fo u n d tw o n o to r io u s o ffenders, James M ‘M an u a and G e o r g e C o llins.
T h e fe tw o p eop le h ad rep e ated ly bro k en o u t o f the ja il-h u t,
an d on e o f th em , M ‘M a n u s , h ad fom e time fin c e be en fired at and
w o u n d ed in an attempt to com m it a b u rg la ry . O n th e p refent occa-
fio n , h e h ad fuffic ient addrefs to e f le d h is e fcape from th e w a tch $ th e
o th e r w a s fe cu red and b ro u g h t in. T h e h u t in w h ic h th e y w e r e
fo u n d w a s p u lled d ow n th e fo llo w in g m o rn in g , to deter others ( i f
p offib le) from h a rb ou r in g th ie v e s and vagabond s.
T h e fettlers in th e different d if t r id s , and p a r ticu la r ly th o fe at th e
H aW k e fb u ry , h ad lo n g be en fup po fed to be co n fid e ra b ly in d e b t ; and
it w a s fu fp e c ted , th a t th e ir c ro p s fo r tw o o r m ore feafons to c om e
w e r e p led g ed to p a y thefe debts.. A s th is w a s an e v il o f grea t m agn
itu d e , th e g o v e rn o r fet on fo o t fu ch an in q u ir y as h e th o u g h t w o u ld
afe ertain o r co n trad ic t the rep or t. B y th is in q u ir y ; it appeared, th a t
th e fettlers at th e d ift r id s o f P r o fp e d H i l l , th e P on d s , the F ie ld o f
M a r s , th e E a ftem Farms, and M u lg r a v e P la ce o n th e b an k s o f th e
r iv e r H aw k e fb u r y , flo o d indebted in th e fum o f 5 0 9 8 1. T h e in q u ir y
w a s far th e r d ire c ted as w e l l to th e ap p earance o f th e farms , and th e
g en e ra l ch a r a d e r o f th e fettlers, as to th e ir debts. M a n y w e r e re p
o r te d to be in d u ftr iou s and th r i v in g ; b u t a grea t number w e r e ftated
-to be id le , v ic io u s , g iv e n to d r in k in g , g am in g , and o th e r fu ch d if-
orders as lead to p o v e r ty and ru in . O n e m an , a fettler at th e E a ftem
F arms , E dw a rd E llio t, had re ce ived a ew e fheep from th e late G o v
e rn o r P h illip b efore his departure in th e y e a r 1 7 9 2 . H e had re filled
m a n y temp ta tions to fe ll it , and at th e tim e this in q u ir y to o k place
w a s fo u n d p offe ffing a flo c k o f tw o -a n d - tw e n ty Iheep, males and
females. H e h ad been fo r tu n a te in n o t m e e tin g w i th a n y lofs, b u t
h ad no t added to h i s flo ck b y a n y p urcha fe . T h is w a s a p r o o f that
in d u ftr y d id n o t g o w ith o u t its rew a rd in this co u n t ry . O th e r in -
ftances we re fo u n d to corrobora te th is o bfe rv ation .
A t th e fettlement o f th e H aw k e lb u r y one man had been d row n ed ,
and an o th e r k illed b y th e nativ e s.
T h e
T h e g en tlem en w h o c o n d u c e d th e in q u ir y fo u n d m o lt o f the
fettlers there o ften e r em p lo y ed in ca ro u fin g in th e fron ts o f th e ir
h ou fe s , than in la b o u r in g themfelves, o r fu p e r in ten d in g th e la b ou r o f
th e ir fe rv an ts in th e ir groun d s . T h e r e w a s at this tim e a confid erable
q u a n tity o f fpirits in th e c o lo n y from th e S u fa n , th e B r ita n n ia , and
Xndifpenfable, and no d oubt m u ch o f it had fo u n d its w a y to th e
fe t t le r s ; -but that th e y could b e fo lo ft to th e ir o w n tru e in te re fts ,
co u ld be o n ly ac coun ted fo r b y r e c o l le d in g th e ir fo rm e r h ab its o f life ,
in w h ic h th e freq u en t u fe o f in to x ic a t in g liq u o r s fo rm ed a p a r t o f
th e ir education.
W i th - a v iew to ch e c k th e d ru n k en n e fs th a t p re v a iled in th e d ifferent
d if t r id s , the g o v e r n o r h ad d ire c ted licences fo r re ta ilin g fp ir itu ou s
liq u or s to be g iv e n to ce rta in d e fe rv in g cha rac te rs in each ; b u t it w a s
n o t foun d to an'fwer th e e f f e d h e e x p e d e d . Inftead o f th e fettlers
b e in g difpbfed to in d u f t r y , th e y ftill in d u lg ed th em fe lv e s in in eb r ie ty
an d id le n d s , and robberies n o w ap p eared to be com m itted m ore fre q
u en t ly th an fo rm e r ly . F ie the re fo re ju d g e d it n e ce ffa ry to d i r e d ,
th a t n one o f th o fe p erfons w h o h ad obtained lic en ce s fh o u ld p re fum e
to c a r r y o n a traffic w i th fe ttle rs o r others w h o m ig h t h a v e gra in to
d ifp ofe o f , b y p a y in g fo r fu ch g ra in in fpirits. H e affured th em , th a t
fh o u ld a n y perfons be thereafter difeo ve red to h a v e ca rried o n fo d e -
f t r u d iv e a trade, th e ir licen ce s w o u ld im m e d ia te ly b e re called , and
fu ch fteps taken fo r th e ir fu r th e r p u n ifhm en t as th e y m ig h t be
th o u g h t to deferv e. H e alfo defired it m ig h t b e u n d e r fto e d , that
trad in g w i th fpirits to th e e x te n t w h ic h h e found- p r a d ife d w a s
f t r id ly fo rb id d en to others, as w e l l as to th o fe w h o had licen fed
p u b lic houfes.
T h e p r a d ic e o f p u r ch a fin g th e crop s o f th e fe ttle rs fo r fpirits had
to o lo n g p re v a iled in th e fe tt lem e n t; and th e g o v e rn o r th o u g h t it
ab fo lu te ly n e ce ffa ry , b y all th e means in h is p ow e r , to p u t an end to
i t ; fo r it w a s no t p offib le th a t a fa rm e r w h o fh o u ld b e idle en o u g h to
th r ow aw a y th e labour o f tw e lv e m °n th s , fo r th e gra tifica tio n o f a
few -g a llon s o f p o ifon ou s fp ir its , cou ld e x p e d to th r iv e , o r e n jo y th o fe
com fo rts w h ic h w e r e o n ly to be p rocured b y fo b r ie ty and in d u ftry .
F rom fu ch ch a ta d e r s h e determined to w ith d raw th e affiftance o f g o v
e rnm en t, fince w h e n le ft to th em fe lv e s th e y w o u ld h a v e lefs tim e . to
w a fte in drunkennefs and riot.
3 <U2 In