fe ek ffielter fo r th em fe lv e s , and in g enera l had to com plain o f th e
d e ft r u flio n o f p rov ifio n s and c lo th in g . T o p re v en t th is , an o rd e r was
g iv e n , p ro h ib itin g the b u ild in g o f ch im n ie s in fu tu re in fu ch h uts as
w e r e thatched.
S e v e ra l the fts w e r e com m itted b y and am o n g th e conviifts. W in e
w a s fto len from th e h o fp ita l, and fom e o f th o fe w h o h ad the care o f it
w e r e tak en up on fu fp ic io n an d . tr ied , b u t fo r w a n t o f fu ffic ien t e v iden
ce w e re acquitted . T h e r e w a s fu ch a tendernefs in the fe p eop le to
each o th e r ’s g u ilt, fu ch an acquaintance w i th v ic e and th e d ifferent
d egrees o f it , th a t unlefs th e y w e r e detected in th e fa£t, it w a s g en e r
a lly n e x t to im p o flib le to b r in g an offen ce home to them . A s there
w a s , h ow e v e r , little d oub t,, th o u g h n o p o fit iv e p r o o f o f th e ir g u ilt ,
th e y w e r e rem o v ed from th e ho fp ita l, and placed u n d e r th e d ir e d io n
o f th e officer w h o w a s th en em p lo y e d in c o n f t ru f t in g a fmall red oubt
o n th e eaft fide.
T h e n a tiv e s, w h o had been a c cu ftomed to affift o u r p eop le in h au lin g
th e fe in e , and w e r e co n tent to w a it fo r fu ch rew a rd as the p e r fon w h o
.had th e d ire c tion o f th e boat th o u g h t p ro p e r to g iv e th em , either
d r iv en b y h u n g e r , o r m ov ed b y fom e o th e r caufe , came d ow n to th e
c o v e w h e re th e y w e r e fifh in g , an d , p e r c e iv in g th a t th e y had been
m o r e fuc ce fs ful th an u fu a l, to o k b y fo r c e ab out h a l f o f w h a t had been
b ro u g h t on fh o re . T h e y w e r e a ll armed w i th fpears and o th e r weap
on s , and mad e th e ir a tta ck w i th fom e ffiew o f m e th od , h a v in g a
p a r t y fta tion ed in th e rear w i th th e ir fpears p o iz ed , in readinefs to
th row , i f a n y refiftance h ad been made. T o p re v en t th is in fu tu re it
w a s ordered that a p e t ty officer fh o u ld g o in the boats w h e n e v e r th e y
w e r e fen t d ow n th e harb our .
N o p recautions, h ow e v e r , th a t cou ld be ta k en , o r orders that w e re
g iv e n , to p re v en t ac cidents h ap p en in g b y mifcond ud t on our part, had
a n y w e ig h t w i th th e c o n v id s . O n th e e v en in g o f -the 2 7 th one o f
th em w a s b ro u g h t in w o u n d e d b y th e n atives. H e had le ft th e encam
pm en t w i th another c o n v id , to g a th e r v eg e ta ble s , and, co n t ra ry to
th e orders w h ic h had be en rep e a ted ly g iv e n , w en t n e a r ly as far as
B o ta n y B a y , w h e r e th e y fe ll in w i th a p a r ty o f th e nativ e s, w h o made
fign s to th em to g o b a ck , w h ic h th e y d id , b u t u n fo r tu n a te ly ran d iffe
ren t w a y s . T h i s b e in g obfe rv ed b y th e na tiv e s, th e y th rew th e ir
fp ears
fpears at them . O n e o f th em w a s fo r tu n a te en o u g h to efcape u n h u r t,
b u t th e o th e r re c e iv ed tw o fpears in h im , on e en te r in g a little a b o v e
h is le ft ear, th e o th e r in h is breaft. H e to o k to an arm o f th e
b a y , w h ic h , n o tw ith fta n d in g his w o u n d s , h e fw am acrofs, and reported
th a t the nativ es flo od on th e b an k la u g h in g at him .
M u c h cred it, ind eed , w a s no t to be g iv e n to a n y o f th e ir a c c o u n ts ;
b u t it muft be rem arked , th a t e v e ry ac cid ent th a t had h ap pen ed w a s
o ccafion ed b y a breach o f p o fit iv e orders rep eated ly g iv en .
S till, n o tw ith fta n d in g th is appearance o f h o f t ili ty in fome o f th e
n a tiv e s, others w e r e m ore fr ien d ly . In one o f the ad jo in in g co v e s
refid ed a fam ily o f th em , w h o w e r e v ifited b y la rg e parties o f th e co n v
ic t s o f hoth fe x e s on th o fe d a y s in w h ic h th e y w e r e no t w an ted fo r
la b o u r , w h e re th e y danced and fu n g w i th apparent g o o d h um o u r , and
re c e iv ed fuch prefents as th e y cou ld afford to m ak e th em ; b u t n one o f
th em w o u ld v en tu re b a ck w i th th e ir v ifito rs .
C H A P . I V .
H E A V Y R A IN S .— PUB LIC . WORKS.— SHEEP STO LEN .----PR IN C E O P 'W A L I s ’ s
BIRTH-DAY.— FISH. — IMPOSITION-OP A CONVICT__NATIVES.----APPREHENSIVE
OF A FAILURE OF PROVISIONS.— NATIVES.— JUDICIAL ADMINISTRATION.
A CONVICT MURDERED.
A u g u f t .] A L L p u b lic labou r w a s fulp en d ed fo r m a n y d a y s in th e
b e g in n in g o f the mon th o f A u g u f t b y h e a v y r a in ; and th e w o r k
o f m u ch tim e was alfo rendered fruitlefs b y its e f f e d s ; the b r ic k -k iln
fe ll in more th an on ce , an d b r ick s to a la rg e am ou n t w e r e d e ftroy ed ;
th e roads ab ou t th e fe ttlem én t w e r e rendered im p a ffa b le ; and fom e o f
th e 'h u ts w e re fo fa r in ju red , as to req u ire n e a r ly as m u ch lab ou r to rep
air th em as to bu ild th em an ew . ' I t w a s n o t u n til th e 14 th o f th e
m on th , w h e n the w e a th e r cleared u p , that th e p eop le w e r e ag a in ab le
to w o rk . T h é p u b lic w o rk s , then in h an d w e r e , th e barracks fo r th e
m arin e d e ta chm e n t; an. o b fe rv a to ry on th e w e f t p o in t o f th e co v e ; the
■ sO " ■ ' lio u fc s