£1788.
O n th e 2 6 th a fo ld ie r and a fa ilo r w e r e tr ied b y th e cr im in al
c o u r t o f ju d ic a tu r e fo r a ffau ltin g and d a n g e r o u lly w o u n d in g James
M ‘N e a l, a feaman. T h e fe p eo p le be lon g ed to th e Sir iu s , and w e r e
em p lo y e d on th e ifland w h e re th e Ih ip ’ s c om p a n y h ad , th e ir ga rd en ,
th e ' feamen in cu ltiv a t in g th e g ro u n d , and th e fo ld ie r in p ro te c tin g
t h e m ; fo r w h ic h p u rp o fe h e h ad his fire lo c k w i th him . T h e y all
l iv e d to g e th e r in a h u t th a t w a s b u ilt fo r th em , and on th e e v en in g
p r e c e d in g th e affault h ad re c e ived th e ir w e e k ’s a llow an ce o f fp irits ,
w i th w h ic h th e y in to x ic a te d th em fe lv e s , and quarrelled . T h e y w e r e
fo u n d g u i l ty o f th e affault, and , as p e cu n ia ry damages w e r e ou t o f
th e q u e ftion , w e r e each fentenced to re c e iv e fiv e hun d red lafhes.
F a r th e r and ftill m ore u n p lea fan t con feq u en c e s o f th e ill-treatment
w h ic h th e n ativ e s re c e iv ed from o u r p eo p le w e r e fe lt d u r in g this
m o n th . O n th e e v e n in g o f th e 2 1 f t a c o n v i f t b e lo n g in g to the fa rm
o n th e eaft fid e w a s b ro u g h t in to th e h o lp ita l, v e r y d an g e ro u lly
w o u n d e d w i th a barbed fp e a r , w h ic h entered ab ou t th e d epth o f
th re e in che s in to h is b a ck , b e tw e en th e fhould ers. T h e a c co u n t
h e g a v e o f th e tr an fa ft io n w a s , th a t h a v in g ftra y ed to a co v e b e y o n d
th e fa rm w i th an o th e r m an , (w h o d id n o t re turn w i th h im ,) h e was
fu d d e n ly w o u n d ed w i th a fp ea r , n o t h a v in g fe en a n y nativ es u n til
h e re c e ived th e w o u n d . H is com p an io n ran aw a y w h e n th e n ativ e s
c am e u p , w h o ftr ipp ed h im o f all h is clo th e s b u t h is trow fe rs , w h ic h
th e y did n o t take, and th en le ft h im to ' c r aw l in to th e camp. A d a y
o r tw o afterw ard s th e clothes o f th e man th a t w a s m iffin g w e r e
b ro u g h t in , to rn , b lo o d y , and p ie rced w i th fp e a r s ; fo that there w a s
e v e r y rea fon to fu p p o le that th e p o o r w r e tc h had fallen a fac rifice to
h is o w n fo l ly and th e b a rb a r ity o f th e n atives.
On the 30th an officer, wh o had been collecting rufhes in a cove
up the harbour, found and brought to the holpital the bodies o f two
convi£ts who had been employed for fome time in cutting rulhes
there, pierced through in many places with fpears, and the head o f
one beaten to a je lly . A s it was improbable that thefe murders lhould
be committed without provocation, inquiry was made, an^l it appeared
that thefe unfortunate men had, a few days previous to their
being found, taken aw ay and detained a canoe belonging to the
1 1 natives,
natives, for which a f t ,o f violence and injuftice th e y paid with their
lives.
Notwithftanding thefe circumftances, a party o f natives in th e ir
canoes went alongfide the Sirius, and fome fubmitted to the operation
o f {ha v ing: after which they landed on the weftern point o f the
cove, where they examined every thing they faw with the greateft
attention, and went away peaceably, and apparently w e r e ‘not under
an y apprehenfion o f refentment on our parts fo r the murders ab ove-
mentioned.
J u n e , 1 7 8 8 .] T h e g o v e rn o r , h ow e v e r , o n h e a r in g that th e tw o
ru fh -cu tte rs had be en k ille d , th o u g h t i t a b fo lu te ly n e ce ffa ry to end
e a v o u r to find o u t, an d , i f p o ffib le , fecure th e p eop le w h o k ille d
th em ; .fo r w h ic h p u rp o fe h e fe t o f f w i th a ftr o n g p a r ty w e l l
armed , and landed in th e co v e w h e re th e ir bodies h ad be en fo u n d -r
w h e n c e h e ftru c k acrofs th e c o u n t r y to B o ta n y B a y , w h e r e on th e
be a ch h e faw ab ou t f i f t y canoes, b u t n o n e o f th e ir ow n e rs . In a
co v e o n th e fea -fid e , b e tw e en B o ta n y B a y and P o r t J a c k lb n , h e fu d d
e n ly fe ll in w i th an armed p a r t y - o f na tiv e s, in n um b e r b e tw e en
tw o and thre e h u n d red , m en , w om e n , and ch ild ren . W i th th e fe a
fr ie n d ly in te r cou r fe d ired tly to o k p lac e , and fom e fp ears , & c . w e r e
e x ch an g e d fo r hatchets ; b u t th e m urd erers o f th e ru lh -cu tte rs , i f
th e y w e r e am o n g ft th em , cou ld n o t be d ifco v e red in th e c row d .
T h e g o v e rn o r ho p ed to h a v e fo u n d th e p eop le ftill at th e p lace w h e r e
th e men had b e en k illed , in w h ic h cafe h e w o u ld h a v e en d e a v o u red
to fe cure fome o f t h em ; b u t, n o t h a v in g a n y fix ed re fid en c e , th e y
h ad , p erhap s, le ft th e fp ot im m ed ia te ly after g lu t tin g th e ir fan g u in a ry
re fentment.
H is M a je f ty ’ s b ir th -d a y w a s k e p t w i th e v e r y a ttention th a t it w a s
p offib le to d ift in g u ilh it b y in th is c o u n t r y ; th e m o rn in g w a s u lh e re d
in b y th e d ifcha rg e o f tw e n ty - o n e g u n s from th e S ir iu s and S u p p l y ;
o n Ihore th e co lou rs w e r e h o ifted at th e fla g-fta ff, and at n o o n th e
d eta chment o f marines fired th re e v o l l ie s ; after w h ic h th e o ffice r s
o f th e c iv il and m ilita ry e ftab lilhm ent w a ite d u p on th e g o v e rn o r ,
an d paid th e ir r e fp e d s to his e x c e lle n c y in h o n o r o f the d a y . A t
o n e o’ c lo c k t h e . Ihips o f w a r a g a in fired tw en ty -o n e gu n s each y
a n d