in th e P a c ific O c e a n , w i th in th e latitudes o f th e ab ov e -m ention ed
capes.
B y th is d e fin ition o f o u r bound aries it w i ll be feen th a t w e w e r e
co n fin ed a lon g th e co a ft o f th is co n tin en t to fu ch parts o f it fo le ly as
w e r e n a v ig a ted b y C ap tain C o o k , w i th o u t in fr in g in g on w h a t m igh t
b e claim ed b y o th e r n ations from th e r ig h t o f d ifc o v e r y . O f that
r ig h t , h ow e v e r , n o o th e r n ation has ch o fen to a v a il it fe lf. W h e th e r
the w e f te rn -coaft is u n p rom ifin g in its ap p e a ran ce , o r w h e th e r th e
w a p t o f a re tu rn p rop o r tio n ed to th e e x p en c e w h ic h th e m oth e r -
c o u n t r y m u ft fufta in in fu p p o r tin g a fettlement fo rm ed n e a r ly at th e
fa r th e ft p art o f the g lo b e , m a y h a v e deterred th em , is no t k n o w n ; b u t
G r e a t B r ita in a lon e has fo llow e d u p th e d ifcdv eries fh e h ad made in
th is c o u n t r y , b y a t o n c e e fta b lifliin g in it a re g u la r c o lo n y and c iv il
g o v e rnm e n t.
T h e c e rem o n y o f re ad in g th e fe p u b lic in ftrumen ts h a v in g be en
p e r formed b y the ju d g e ad v o ca te , th e g o v e rn o r , ad d reffing h im fe lf
-to th e co n v id ts , allu red th em , am o n g o th e r th in g s , th a t “ he fh o u ld
“ e v e r be re a d y to {hew ap p rob ation and en cou ra gem ent to th o fe
“ w h o p ro v ed th em fe lv e s w o r th y o f th em b y g o o d co n d u c t and at-
« ten tio n to orders ; .w h i le on the o th e r h an d , fu ch as w e r e determined
“ to a£t in o pp o fitio n to p ro p r ie ty , and o bfe rv e a c o n t ra ry c o n d u ft ,
“ w o u ld in e v ita b ly meet w i th th e p u n iihm en t w h ic h th e y d e fe rv ed .”
H e remarked h o w mUch it w a s th e ir intereft to fo rg e t th e habits o f v ic e
an d in d o len ce in w h ic h to o m an y o f th em h ad h itherto, liv ed ; and
e x h o r te d th em to b e h o n e ft am o n g th em fe lv e s , obedient to th e ir
ove rfe e r s , and a tten tive to th e fe v e ral w o rk s in w h ic h th e y w e re
ab out to bO em p lo y e d . A t th e co n c lu fio n o f this addrefs three vollie s
w e r e fired b y th e tro o p s , w h o th e reu p o n re turn ed to th e ir p arad e ,
w h e re th e g o v e rn o r , attended b y C ap tain H u n te r and th e p r in c ip al
officers o f th e fettlem ent, paffed a lo n g th e fro n t o f th e de ta chm ent,
and re c e iv ed the honou r s due to a c a p ta in -g e n e r a l; after w h ic h he
enter tained all the officers and g en tlem en o f th e fe ttlem en t at d inner,
u n d e r a la rg e tent p itched fo r th e p u rp o fe at the head o f the marine
encam pm en t. * ^ #
T h e co n v ic t s had been muftered e a r ly in th e m o rn in g , wh*en nine
w e r e rep or ted to be abfent. F rom th e fituation w h ic h w e had u n a
v o id ab ly
t
a v o id a b ly • ad o p te d ,; it w a s im po ffib le to p re v en t the fe p e o p le from
ftragglirig. Fear lefs o f the: d an ge r w h ic h m u ft attend th em , m a n y
h ad v ifited the- F ren ch {hips in B o tan y B a y , fo lic itin g to be taken on
b o a rd , and g i v in g a g re a t deal o f trou b le . I t w a s fo on fo u n d th a t
th e y fecreted at! leaft on e-third o f th e ir w o r k in g to o ls , and that a n y
fo r t o f labou r w a s w i th d ifficu lty p rocu red from th em .
T h e w a n t o f p ro p e r overfeers p r in c ip a lly con tr ibu ted to this. T h o fe
w h o w e r e placed o v e r th em as fu ch w e r e p eo p le fe le& ed from am o n g
th em fe lv e s , b e in g re com m en d ed b y th e ir conduit: d u r in g th e v o y a g e ;
few o f th e fe , h ow e v e r , ch o fe to e x e r t th e a u th o r ity th a t w a s req u ifite
t o k e ep th e g ang s at th e ir la b o u r , a lth o u g h affured o f m e e tin g w i th
e v e r y n e ce ffa ry fu p p o r t. P e t ty th e fts am o n g th em fe lv e s began fo on
to be com plain ed o f ; th e failors from th e tranfp orts, a lth o u g h re p
e a te d ly fo rbid d en , and fr e q u e n t ly p u n iih e d , ftill p e r fifted in b r in g in
g fpirits on, flio re b y n ig h t, and d ru n k en n e fs w a s o ften th e co n -
fequence.
T o ch e c k thefe en o rmitie s , th e co u r t o f c r im in a l ju d ic a tu re w a s
atfembled on th e n t h o f F e b ru a ry , w h e n th re e p rifoners w e r e tr ied ;
o n e fo r an affault, o f w h ic h b e in g fo u n d g u il ty , h e w a s fen ten ced to
r e c e iv e o n e h und red and fif t y la lh e s ; a fe con d , fo r ta k in g fom e b ifcu it
from another co n v id f, w a s fentenced to a w e e k ’ s con fin em en t on bread
an d w a te r , o n a fm a ll r o c k y illan d near th e entrance o f th e c o v e ;
and a th ird , fo r fte a lin g a p lan k , w a s fen ten ced to re c e iv e f if ty la lh e s ,
b u t , b e in g re com m en d ed to the g o v e rn o r , w a s fo rg iv en .
T h e mildnefs o f the fe p u niftim en ts feemed ra the r to h a v e en co u ra
g ed than d eterred others from th e com m iffion o f grea te r o f fe n c e s ;
fo r before th e mon th w a s ended th e cr im in a l co u r t w a s ag a in affembled
fo r th e tr ial o f fo u r offenders, w h o h ad con c e iv ed and e x e c u te d 'a p lan
fo r ro b b in g th e p u b lic ftore d u r in g th e tim e o f iffu in g th e p ro v ifio n s .
T h is c r im e , in its ten d en c y b ig w i th e v il to o u r little com m u n ity ,
w a s rendered ftill more atro cious b y b e in g perpetrated at th e v e r y tim e
w h e n the difference o f p ro v ifio n s , w h ic h had till th en e x ifte d , w a s
-taken o ff, and the con v id t faw th e fame p ro p o r tio n o f p ro v ifio n iffued
to h im fe lf that w a s fe rv ed to the fold ier and th e officer, the ar tic le o f
fp irits o n ly e x cep ted . E a ch m a le c o n v id t w a s th a t d a y p u t u p o n th e
fo llo w in g We ekly ra tio n o f p ro v ifio n s , tw o -th ird s o f w h ic h w a s ferv ed
,c to