the con v id s fo r idlenefs and Other petty offences, the governor con-
i ituted him a juftice o f the peace for the county o f Cumberland for
that purpoie.
lo th . Wh ile this little fettlement was eftabliffiing itfelf, the Golden
G ro v e returned from Norfolk Illand, having been abfent five weeks and
four days. I t brought letters from Lieutenant K in g , the commandant,
w . wrote 111 very favourable terms, o f his yo u n g colony. His people
continued healthy, having filh and Vegetables in abundance; b y the
former o f which he was enabled to fave fome o f his failed provifions,
H e had alfo the promife o f a good crop from the grain which had been
lalt iown, and his gardens vvore the moft flourilhing appearance, j
A cocoa-nut perfedly.frelh,..and a piece of. wood Laid to refemble
the handle, o f a fly-flap as made at the Friendly Iflands, together with
th e remains o f two canoes, had been found among the rocks, perhaps
.blown from fome illand which might lie at no great diftance.
T h e Golden G ro ve , on her return to this port, faw a v e ry dangerous
reef, the Louth end o f which, according to the -obfervation o f Mr .
Blackburn, (the mailer o f the Supply,) wh o commanded her for the
voya g e , la y in the latitude o f 29° 25' South, and longitude 159° 29' Fall.
I t appeared to extend, when Ihe was about four leagues from it, from
the N. E. b y N. to N.
T h e Golden G ro v e brought from Norfolk Illand a lower yard and
a top-gallant-maft for herfelf, and the like for the Filhburn.
A foldier belonging to the detachment, who was employed with
fome others in preparing foingfos at a little diftance from the fettlement,
was reported b y his comrades, toward the latter end o f laft month’
to be miffing from the hut or tent, and parties-were fent out in
fe a r c h o f h im ; but returning. -conftantiy without fuccefs, he was at
length given u p ; and a e o n v id wh o was employed in affifting the
party, and who had been the laft perfon feen with him, was taken
into cu fto d y ; but o n his - examination nothing appeared that could at
all affeiff him.
Another foldier o f the detachment died at the hofpital o f the bruifes
b e received in fighting with one o f his comrades, who was, with three
others, taken into cuftody, and afterward tried up on a charge o f murder,
der,’ but found gu ilty o f manflaughter. Inftead o f burning in the hand,
(which would not have been in this country an adequate punilhment,)
each was fentenced to receive two hundred lalhes.
T h e two ftorelhips failed for England on the 19th. B y thefe Ihipa
the go v e rn o r fent home, difpatches, and he ftrongly recommended to
the mailers to make their paffage round b y the fouth cape o f this
c o u n t ry ; but it was conjedured that they intended to go round Cape-
Horn , and touch- at Rio -de Janeiro.
T h e fmall redoubt that was begun in July laft being finilhed, a- flag-
ftaff w as ere-fed, and two pieces- o f iron ordnance placed in it.
In order to prevent, i f poffible, the p radic e o f thieving, which a t
times was v e ry frequent, an order was given, direding that-no con-
v id , who Ihould in future be found gu ilty o f theft, Ihould be fupplied
with any other clothing than a canvas frock and trowfers- It was
at the fame time ordered, that fuch con v id s as Ihould in future fail
to perform a day’ s labour, Ihould receive only two thirds o f the ration-
that was iffued to thofe who could and did work.
Unimportant as thefe circumftances may appear when detailed at a
diftance from the time when they were neceffary, they yet ferve to
fhow the nature o f the people b y whom this colony (whatever may
be its fate) was firft founded ; as well as the attention that was paid
b y thofe in authority, and the Heps taken b y them, for eftabliffiing
good order and propriety among them, and for eradicating villany
and idlenefs.
December.] James Daley, the co n v id w h om A uguft pretended to
have difcovered an inexhauftible. fource -of wealth, and was puniffied;
for his impofition,, was obferved from that time to n e g led his labour,,
and to loiter about from hut to hut, while others were at work. H e
was at laft taken up and tried for breaking into a Koufe, and Healing all’
the' property he could find in i t ; o f this offence he was con v id ed ,
and foffered death;, the governor not thinking.'him an o b jed e f
mercy. Before he was turned off, he confeffed that-he had committed-
feveral thefts, to which he had been induced b y bad connedions,.
and pointed out two women who had received part of- the property-
for the acquisition o f which he was then about to pay fo dear a price.
Thefe women were immediately apprehended, and one o f them madex.
i a public